Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-04-18


mentioned 10 connection with this cowsrdly
butchery, was the fall oftwo Of the victims
from The breaking OF the ropes, after they
had been for sume time suspended. On
their being restored 10 CONSEQUENCES, they
begged for no hour In which to pray and
TO prepare for death. but this was refused
them. The ropes we're resdjusted, ana tue
execu ion Mt once proceeded.
Among those who thus persisted was
Piiva,e Alfe Wilson, Company y,
Twenty firs Chic Volunteers. He was a
mrcha nc f,om Cincinnati, Who, IN the ex
ercise of his trade. had Travelled much
through the States North and Soub, ond
who bad greatness of soul which sympa
thz.d intensely with our ST. uggle for m
,ional lfe aud was in that dark b our 6llet
with joyous convictions OF our 6nal tr'
umph. Though surrounded by scos Hug
crowd impatient for his sacrifice, he did not
hesitate while standing under the gallo"S'
to make them a brief address.
He told them, that though they were s''
wrong, he bad no hostile feelings towards
the Southern people, believing that MOI
they hut their leaders were responsible Tor
The Re 7eIion that he vas no spy, as
charged, hut = soldier, regularly detailed
for military du'y; that he dd not regret to
die for his country, bat on'y regretted the
mauuer OF his death aGd he added, for
their admonition, that they would yet see
the time when the Old Union would be re.
ored, aud when its hag would wave oveI
them again Aud with these words the
brave man died. He, like his comrades,
calmly met The iguOmiuious doom of q felon;
but, happily, iguomiuious for him and fo'
them only 50 far as the msrtyrdom of the
pa riot aud the hero con be degraded by
the hands of rufi .ns and traitors.
The remaining prisoners, now reduced to
fourteen, were kept closely confined under
special guard, in the Jail al Atluuta, until
October, when hearing conversation be
tween the jailor aud auot ber officers, they
became satisfied thai it was the pu pose oi
the uhorlles to haug them, as they had
dune heir companions. This led them to
furm plan tor their escape. wh'ch they
carried inlo execution Uu the eytD'ng- OF
the mex day, by zng the jiiler when he
et,ened the door 10 carry away the buck
ct in which their supper had been
b ought.
Tuls was followed by the seizure Of the
seven guards on duy, and before the alarm
was given eight ,f the fuglives were be
yond the reach of pursuit. 1t has been
sluce ascertaiued that six Of these, ufier
long and pa,nfal wandering, succeeded it
reaching our lines. Of the fate ct The
other TWO, nothing is known.
The remaining six Of the fourteen, con
ssting OF the i've witnesses who have de-
posed, and Mr.. Mason, were recspiured
AID confined iu the barrocks until Decem
Der, When they were removed TO Rch
moud. There they were shat up in II room
IN Castle Thunder, where they shivered
through The winter without fire, tbnly
clad, and with but Two small blankets,
which they had saved With their clo!hes,
to cover The whole party.
So they remained uui il n few days siuce,
When hey were exchanged aud thus. al
the end o, eleven mon hs, terminated their
prosecutions i'll the prlsous Of The Snaih ;
prosecutions begun aud continued amd in
dIguities aud ,uftrlugs ON their part, ano
atrocities Oh the part Of their traito'ou'
foes, which illustrate far more faithful.
than any human language could exp ess |
the demonlac spirit Of revolt every thro'
Of " hose Ii is crime against the verl
race 10 which it belong
Your ob't servant,
j. HOLT, Judge Advocate Gen.
Hon. EDWIN b. STANTON, Sec'y Of war,
The testimony elected is too volnmnOus to publish