Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-24
Army Correspondence.

per that tnere IS no milk and wafer course
about you, l just thought l would tell
you of an act of justice which comes up
to your style of thinking. Colonel Will
liam F. Wood, of the First Arkansas U.
5. colored troops, has done that which
many have talked and wrote about, but
which has never heretofore been carried
out. He has had the moral courage to
kill two Rebel soldiers for one Union SOL
dier murdered
On an expedition to the interior of
Mississippi, stray soldier belonging to
the Sd Mississippi colored troops, was
shot by our Rebel soldiers, his face and
head battered with the but of musket;
his pockets rifed of their contents, and
his dead body left by the road side. The
facts coming to Colonel Woods knowl-
edge, he sent out squad of cavalry and
succeeded i'll capturing two of the party;
they were ought before him. In cam
and impressive manner, with language
becoming a chieftan soldier, the Colonel
informed them that at sundown their
liv. s must atone for the blood of the
murdered soldier. Neverl neverl while
life endures shall forget the awful still
ness that prevailed during the prepara-
tiOns for carrying out the execution of
the sentence, for, with the exception of
few rebel bullets, sent over our heads
silence as of death made the scence op-
pressive; in all that assemblage not a
word escapes the lips of any, save those
Immediately interested Just before the
sun went down the troops were drawn up
in double lines at right angle, the dead
body about twenty-five feet from and in
side the angle, the Colonel, the two un-
happy men, and the chaplain, standing
between the body and the troops,
the detail ordered to carry out the SEN
tence, standing with loaded guns waiting
the woId of command Eight or ten
citizens standing trembling by fifteen
hundred black faces turned towards the
Colonel, who calm and pale as death, is
about to speak every eye is upon him
every head is bent forward every ear.
is open and every breath is held to catch
his words. Solemn and low he speaks,
.and yet every word is distinctly heard.
Gentlemen if you have anything un-
done that can be done for you, there are
two Chaplains, converse with them, and
if your requests can be complied with,
it shall be done. After conversing a
short time with the Chaplains, one of
the prisoners spoke to the Colonel, say
ing Colonel, is there no way of get
ting out of this, " The Colonel answer
ed-"none; donots spend your'time plead.
ing with me, rather plead with God II
you have any preparation to make for
eternity, make it now, for there is no
way of escape ; there before you is the
body of one of my black soldiers, you,
or your accomplices, murdered him, you
must die on his body, your blood must
mingle with his, your death is due as
warning to your comrades, and an as
surance of protection for these black
men; it is an earnest of what we intend
to do in the future May this be the last
time it shall be necessary to adopt such
measures.
After these words every person felt
that the prisoners doom was sealed, that
no earthly power could avert it the
calm manner, the kindly tone of voice,
the pale -blanched face, and the lips said
plainly, " | would but dare not.t'
Every head is bowed, the Chaplain
prays. The Colonel's strong heart melts,
and sobs are heard and tears course
down his cheeks The prayer is ended,
the prisoners make another appeal, and
now we listen for the words that come
slowly from the trembling lips. "Gen-
floYy1 r.
you, and an unfortunate thing for me.
| would rather this right arm be sew
cred from my body than have you exc
cuted, could in justice to these black
men do otherwise. Their safety de-
mands it; it is necessary to prove to
them as to our enemies that we are in
earnest.
The prisoners are blindfolded,. they
are led to the dead body, they kneel be-
fore it, the word is given: "Ready-aim
aim low-Fire ?" A flash is seen, a
report is heard, and three dead bodies
lay in one heap. The calm voice of the
Colonel is again heard.
"Move your commands off in the reg
ular order of march !" and silently and
solemnly, as the shades of night close in
around us, we march on. Not a word
is spoken above whisper; all is hushed
and still; and on and on for seven long
miles-tramp, tramp we go-no strag-
CLING, no lettering, but closed ranks, in
regular cadenced step, we move, sadder
and wiser, if not better men.
We bivouacked for the night in an
open field; no fires, noise, no sleep for
thinking men. One hour before
day, without noise, and seemingly with
out any command, but in perfect order,
the column moves again, and when day
light comes we halt, build fires, look at
each other, begin to talk, and soon
breathe free again There is but one
opinion, and that is, Hard, but just.
approve the deed, though L believe
there is not another man in the com
mand who has the nerve to do it.
Yes, it requires nerve to meet out
such pure justice to the rebels, and the
murderers especially, in the manner in
which this was done. No noise, no
haste, no anger, no exultation. On the
contrary, perfect order, decorum, and
the strictest military discipline preserv-
ed. Christian words, spoken in the kind
est lone Vi VOICE. cOHFinceu the O1ncerS
soldiers, and the prisoners that though
the Colonel condemned them to die, and
, refused 70 be entreated, yet it was not
I a desire for their DEATH but sense oi
duty on his part, which nerved him il
this trying hour, enabling him to assume
the responsibility of inaugurating tht
principle of retaliation or summary jus
tice to the men who follow in the real
of our armies and murder the sick anc
the lame, who are inadvertently left be
!, hind. This very act will do more tt
I convince our enemies that we are in ear
y nest, and to encourage our black sol