The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-01-22
HANGING A GUERRILLA.

HANGING GUERRILLA.
About noon, the Gun coming out, halt
was ordered. The General and his stat
rode forward TO small, unfinished build
ing, designed for . post office, Standing
upon knoll q 3 crossroads. Sumclent
boards and laths we're knocked off to af-
ford an unobstructed view of the proceed
ings from two sides, when one of the off,
GERS, producing cord, tied hangman's
knot at one end of it, and, standing upon
the head Of an empty cider-barrei, made
the other fast to one of the joists overhead.
After considerable experimenting, the
barrel was made to serve for both the
scaffold and the drop, being ingeniously
balanced upon one of the floor timbers,
and held in place by wedge which could
be instantly removed. From this to one
of the windows a board was laid, and
thence another to the ground outside,
forming an inclined plane. Meanwhile,
most of the officers had ridden forward,
and tied their horses to the fence OF an
adjacent farm house, whose inmates had
closed all the window blinds, and crowd
of colored soldiers encircled the building,
watching in silence these ominous pro-
ceedings. Lieut.. Col. Shurtliff, of the
9Th United States, was appointed spir-
itual adviser to the criminal, and went
back with a guard to bring him to the
place of execution. When In ormed that
be had but a few minutes to live, and was
counseled to improve this time in making
his peace withhold, be dropped upon his
knees in. the road and prayed: 30, mer-
eiful Father look down upon me! o,
merciful Father, look down upon me -
These words alone he repeated hundred
times, until the acting chaplain stopped
him. He then rose to his feet, walked
up the inclined board with firm step, at
the point of the bayonets of the colored
guard, advanced quickly to the head of
the cider barrel and stood under the
moose. This being placed around bis
neck, Colonel ShurtIif invoked the Throne
of Grace in behalf of the guilty wretch.
As the word "Amen' dropped from his
lips, the General, who had taken charge
Of the drop, pulled the wedge--the bar
rel tipped, the guerrilla dropped. He
was man Of about thirty, rough, stout
fellow, was dressed in butternu. home
spun, and looked the very beau ideal Of a
guerrilla He died of strangulation, his
heart not ceasing to beat for twenty min
utes. Then slip of paper WAS pinned to
his back, on which the general had pre-
viously written 'sThis guerrilla hanged
by order of Brigadier General Wild.-
4 Daniel Bright, OF Pasquosnk county"
And the body was left hanging there,
warning to all passing bushwhackers.
BEHAVIOR or THE NEGRO TROOPS
This raid possesses historical import
ance. 1t il the first of any magnitude
undertaken by negro troops since their
enlistment was authorized b. Congress,
and by 1t the question OF their efficiency
IN any branch of the service has been prac-
tically set at rest. Thoroughly obedient to
their officers, during march of 500
miles their conduct Oh every occasion was
truly admirable. One incident in this
connection, coming within nv own ex-
perience, may be properly related here
On the morning after the fight at Sandy
Hook, when General Wild had determined
to return and attack the guerrilla camp.
the men were drawn up 10 line TO be re-
viewed, and all who wished to remain be-
hind were asked to step out. Only 80
and those foot-sore aud lsine-did So
was instructed by the General to ind a
hundred for camp guard, and went down
the line endeavoring to persuade more to
volunteer, telling them that there would
be big fght-that the guerrillas would
have them at great advantage down in
the swamp-thst they lost a number OF
men yesterday, and would lose great
many more to-day. and that they Lad bet
ter remain behind and nelp take care Of
the camp, where It would be perfectly
safe, with li;tle to do. I got bit one man
ont of FIVE hundred, all the res. replying,
"No, no /; | want to fight g'riIias."