The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-18
Headquarters, District of Minnesota.
DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHWEST
SAINT PAUL, Nov. Is, 1864. :

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. pa.
1, In obedience to the directions Of Major
General Pope, Commanding the Department of
the Northwest, contained in General Orders
No. AZ, paragraph II, current series from De-
partment Headquarters, dated November Z,
1864, privates Patrick Kelley. Thomas J. Ma
roney, and John Lennon, recruits for the First
Battalion Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, hay
ing been convicted of desertion, and sentenced
to death by General Court Martial, lately in SEES
sion in this city, will be shot to death by mus
kerry at Fort Smelling, in this Military District,
on Monday, the 18th day of November, 1864,
at IL o'clock, meridian, in presence of the entire
command ut that post and at the draft rendez-
vous. excepting those on guard, or engaged in
such other important duty as renders their ab.
sence indispensable.
II. A procession will be formed at quarter
past eleven o'clock, in the forenoon of the day
designated, to wit, the 2Sth instant, at the main
sally port of Fort Smelling, and the prisoners
named in paragraph I. of this order, will be
conducted under stroug guard to proper
spot in the vicinity, to be selected by the CON-
manding officer of Fort Smelling, where the
troops will form three sides of square, and
the sentences of the convicts be carried into
effect precisely at the hour prescribed. The
firing party win be composed OF thirty-six
men, to be detailed by the commanding officer
OF the draft rendezvous, from Company G, 23d
Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps divided into
three squads of twelve men each, three men of
each squad being kept In reserve. One musket
IN each squad of the firing party will be load
ed with blank cartridge by the Provost Mar.
shall, who is hereby charged with the duty of
experimenting the loading of the arms. The
prisoners will be placed at a convenient dis
lance apart, and one of the firing squads
will be stationed in front of and twelve
PAGES distant from, each of the three
condemned men. At the signal, which will be
given by the Provost Marshal, each nine of the
firing party will discharge their muskets at the
body Of the prisoner in their immediate front
and should the volley not prove instantly fatal,
the reserves of three will complete the execu.
ton. After the three criminals are declared to
be dead by the medical officer in attendance,
they will be decently buried near the spot in
collins to be previously provided by the Assis.
tant Quartermaster at Fort Smelling, unless
the bodies are claimed by their friends, in
which case they will be delivered up to them.
III. The general superintendent of the ar
rangements is devolved upon the commanding
officer of Fort Smelling, who is charged with
the duty of carrying out the provisions of this
order. Lieutenant A. X. Field, of Co. A,
Second Minnesota Cavalry, is detailed as Pro-
vOst Marshal for the occasion, and will receive
his orders from the officer specified. The
whole proceeding will be conducted with the
ordinary solemnities of military execution.
w. In the interval between the reception
of this order and the time fixed for the carry
ing out of the sentence, the prisoners will be
allowed the visits of such spiritual advisers as
they may desire, subject to the most stringent
restrictions required for their entire security
against escape.
v. Upon the reception of General Orders
No. AZ, from the Headquarters of the Depart
ment, and of this order, at Fort Smelling, they
will be read to the entire command, and Lieut..
Colonel Blydolf, commanding the Draft Rem
devious, is requested to cause the orders to be
read to his command also. They will also be
dispatched to each post and station in this mil
itary district, to be read In the presence of the
garrison.
BY command Of Brig Gen. H. H. s1BLEr.
r. c. OLIN,
Assistant Adiutant General.