Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-10-13
Horror Horrorll morror!l!

Can the mind conceive any greater deed
Of horror than the murder Of two Rhode Is
land soldiers for refusing TO be consolidated
with niger regiinentl IL the statement be
true, the Governor OF Rhode Island owes Il TO
humanity aud the honor Of his State TO de-
mand from the Federal Government repara-
ton for the Infamous outrage
correspondent ofthe Providence Press, writ
ing from Thibadeaux La. Sept l2,giyeslhe par
ticulars of the killing of two members of the
Second Rhode Island Regiment This regi
ment was ordered 20 be consolidated with the
First Louisiana which is as we understand
il, a negro regiment But the men dislked
the order and did not march TO the negro
camp: they laid down their arms and cluster
ed all together in one place. lieutenant
Colonel Robin on, OF the First Louisiana,
came over on horseback and repeated the or.
der, but nobody moved, aud only a few an
swered-"We belong to Rhode Island and
not to Louisiana"
| The men we're then threatened that it they
didn't start they should be fred into, Just as
they stood all clustered together; regiment
stood by with guns, ready TO execute the or
der Colonel Robinson, as he saw only few
move, added, hurry up, or III fire right into
You. That this was no idle threat, we found
out aferwafd. The men slowly fell into line
the two last, Richard Smith alias Morphy,
from Boston, harness maker, and William
Davis, were taken, their hands tied behind
them and led over to u field in front of the
camp. They then marched us over there,
and the men Of the First Louisiana formed
on our right and left at right angles with us,
thus forming square open on the side where
the two prisoners stood guarded by two
squads Of men,
| Their eyes were bandaged with red hand
| kercheis, and every preparation made for their
execution Although we could not belive at
the time that they woud shoot these men for
having simply dared to show that they were
not satisfied with being thus transferred from
Rhode Island to Louisiana and thought that
they would be reprieved at the last morlent,
yet the scene was so terrible that there was
not one whose heart was not beating andibly
on seeing the preparations for the death OF
two men who were generally liked in the regi-
ment A squad Of men was picked opposite,
and at ten PAGES from each prisoner; the adju-
tant spoke to them for some time, aud asking,
| suppose, the name of their families. When
he had finished, the signal-the sabre stroke
for the first platoon to fire, was given, and
Davis fell over backward, as it seemed to us
killed instantly. At the repetition of the sig
nal, the second platoon fired and Smith, who
had stood immovable, although he had heard
his comrade fall, fell shot through the legs
Both bodies could be seen to move, although
we thought Davis dead They were finished
by the Adjutant and the Orderly Sergeant of
Co +, lst Louisiana, who approached them,
firing all the charges Of their revolvers into
them.
Davis was paroled prisoner, somewhat
childish, always laughing and merry Smith,
! J understand, has left wife and children be-
hind to mourn his untimely death Both men
were generally liked