Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-16
Retaliation.

Last Tuesdays Journal contained a
telegraphic dispatch announcing that
Col VIM f Wood, of the Ist Arkansas
(colored) volunteers, had ordered rebel
Lieutenant and two privates to be shot
for the murder of one of his men, who
had been assassinated just outside his
lines We are permitted to day to copy
from private letter the following de-
tailed account of the whole affair. The
statements may be relied on as correct,
the officer making them being resident
of our city and known as man of
truth. 1t seems there was no officer
shot; only two privates:
HAINKs BLUFF, Miss, Feb 6, 1864
On the evening of the I'd inst, Col
VIM. T. Wood, 1st Arkansas, with the
10Th Louisiana Volunteers, Sd Missis-
sippi Volunteers, lst Arkansas Volun-
teers, and detachment of cavalry from
the lst Mississippi, received orders from
Gen. Mcpherson to march with his com
mand to Mechanicsburg, Miss, for the
purpose of dislodging the enemy from
that place. During the march, Private
George Williams, Company A, Sd Mis-
sissippi, fell in the rear. The rear guard
had passed him but short distance
when four rebels dashed out of the woods
upon him and murdered him in colo
blood. The cavalry was sent out, and
captured two rebels, who, from the de
scription by an eye witness, doubles,
were the murderers Col. Wood had al
ways said, for every one of his soldiers
they assassinated, he would kill Two reb
els. An examination was made by Sur
geon Bennett, lst Arkansas Volunteers
The man was shot through the back o
the head, then beaten almost to iell,
with the butt of a gun. The Colonel be
ing satisfied that the man had been bru
tally murdered, summoned the two rebe
prisoners before him, and calmly tol,
them, in the presence of the officers anC
five or six other prisoners, that in thre,
hours they must die. The ill-fated mer
were left in the hands of Chaplain
Skaggs, lst Arkansas, and Smith, 8
Mississippi, to prepare for eternity A
last the appointed hour-sunset-dre
nigh. The unfortunate victims were le
forth to die in the presence of the Who'll
: command, which had formed in the pC
sition of right angle. During thi
time brisk skirmish was kept up wit
the enemy, who, no doubt, were witness
es of the awful scene The men wer
conducted by Lieut. Coppock to the bod
OF the murdered man, and knelt besid
him. A detail of infantry from the di
- terent regiments, to execute the fearfi
retrlbutlon, was soon on the spot, an
= Just as the sun was about to descend tt
horizon, the command "ire" was civel
and two poor souls took their flight fo
ever. Not sigh or groan was hear,
I Everything was as still as midnight, sa,
the cracking OF musketry in the di
tance. Turn round where you woul
men could be seen shedding tears f
the unfortunate men.
The whole affair was conducted wi
= the greatest solemnity. No noise, !
shouting, but perfect stiffness. 1t W
. indeed an awful thing, but it had to
g done. Col. Wood had always said th
If ever they wilfully murdered any of
,es men, he would retaliate double. So '
bv n9 have found him to be man that pra
lc, tees what he breaches; and if the re
in think they can ''soft soap" him, they a
t. greatly mistaken.
lid These men said their orders were
on hang every officer and every soldier
D longing TO the corps DAfrique, and