The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-11-20
Two White Soldiers Shot for Re-
fusing 60 Fight UnderNegrOes.

WO Vulle soldiers 8nOtAOF re-
fusIng 10 Fight UnderNegrOes.
Can the mind conceive any greater
deed Of horror than the murder of two
Rhode Island soldiers for refusing to be
consolidated with a niggsr regiment =
If the statement, be true, the Governor
Of Rhode Island owes it to humanity
and the honor Of his State to demand
fiom the Federal Government reparation
for the infamous outrage.
A correspondent Of the Providence
Press, writing from Thibadeaux, La,
Sept. IL, gives the particulars Of the
killing Of two members of the Second
Rhode Island Regiment. This regi-
ment was ordered to consolidate with
the First Louisiana, which is negro
regiment But the men disliked the or.
der, and did not march to the negro
camp; they laid down their arms asd1
clustered all together in ons place.
Lieut.. Col Robinson, of tie First Lou.
iSlanai, came over on horseback and re-
peated tne order, but nobody moved,
and only few answered, "We belong to
Rhode Island, not Louisiana"
The men we're then threatened that, if
they did not start, they would be fred
into. Just as they stood all clustered
together, regiment stood by with guns.
ready to execute the order. Col. Rob.
inson, as he saw only few more, added,
hurry up, or I'll FIRE right into you. y
That this was no idle threat. we found
out afterward. The men slowly fell in.
to line; the two last, Richard Smith,
alias Morphy, from Boston, a harness
maker, and William Davis, were r Ken,
their hands tied behind, and led over to
the field in front of the camp. They
then marched US over there, aud 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
handkerchiefs, pnd every preparation
made for their execution. Although We
could not believe at the time that they
would shoot these men for having sim e.
ply dared 10 show that they were not
satisfied with being thus transferred from
Rhode Island to Louisiana, and thought
they would be reprieved at the last mo-
ment, yet the scene was so terrible that
there was not one whose heart was not
beating audibly on seeing the prepara,
tions for the death oftwo men who were
generally liked in the regiment A
squad Of men was picked opposite, and
at ten PAGES from each spriSoner; the ad;
jutant spoke to them, Apd asking, | sup.
pose, the name of their families. When
he had finished, the signal-the sabre
Stroke-ior the FIRST platoon to fire. was
given, and Davis fell over backward, as
it seemed to US, killed instantly. AT
the repetition of the signal, the second
platoon fred, 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, al
though we thought Davis was dead
They soon we're finished by the Adjutant
and the Orderly Sergeant Of Co. F., lst
Louisiana, who approach them, firing all
the charges of their revolvers into them.
Davis was paroled prisoner, some.
what childish, always laughing and mer.
ry, Smith, l understand, has left wife
and several children behind to mourn bis
untimely death. Both men were univer
sally beloved.