, 1864-12-28


all who contemplated 1t, lhs only served
convince our people that though the feet {
The aycrging Deities be shod with WOO
they arc rome the less sure to overtake and a
last destroy tue criminal they follow.
Pursuant to special orders No. 1T9, date
Headquarters District Of Indiana, Nov. l9tt
1sC4, general court martial, of which Col
| A. J. Warner wus President, was convened i
this city on the I'D day Of that month
Among others, four soldiers were charged, OF
| talgncd, tried aud convicted Of the crime 0
desertion. Their names were John Murray
Charles Biliingsiey, Thomas Ryan and Thom
| as Doyle. They were sentenced ITO be sho
70 death with musketry, ut such ti,ac and
lie sentence was approved by Gcn. Hovey,
WHO, by virtue Of authority from tbs War De.
partrurnt, he'd been given t'the powcrs OF q
Department Commander" within this dis
1rict, ''in lie organization of courts martial,
and carrying their sentences into effect" and
The sentences Of the prisoners were by him d /.
rcctcd 10 be carried into effect ION the parade
ground, ct Burnside Barracks, near Cann
1iorlon, indianapolis, 1ndiAna, between tle
hours OF ten O'Clock q. IN. and three o'clock
p. n, on Friday, the ed day of December,
instan:-'
On the morning of the ed inst, however.
Col. Warner rcceired telegram from Presi--
dent Lincoln, rcsplting Doyle for ten DAYS.
The sentences Of the other three were carried
out-t1e Trctchcd men weie shot to death,
with al the poinp aud circumstance required
BY military law. hare Obtained from Col.
Warner the following brief history OF the
thee who suffered:
CHARLES B1LLEGsLEF,
who was, br far, the worst char.
actcr Of the three, was about TWENTY-FIVE.
years Of age, ard was born at Greencastle,
Putnam county, in this State. He originally
enlisted in The sih Indiana Battery, deserted
and enlisted in IN Indiana infantry regiment,
was detected and sent to Chattanooga where
be was let out on parole. He violated lis
parole aud came to Louisville, where he took
the cath Of allegiance, claiming to be rebel
dcscrter from tic 1st Georgia regiment. He
has been known under several alias.s; such as
Cooper, Roberts, Miller, and other names.
While sel wing in lie It'll Battery lie com
mittcd o 1ape on helpless woman, aud is
supposed to have murdered her. He has at
ore time 6incc his last arrest confessed to
having killed O woman md child. While here
in the guard house he knocked doHna prisoner
and robbed him pfwhat little money he coald
End. For this otf.usc he was put in the
dungeon. When released he claimed that
Col. Warner had tAken some $500 Of his
money out Of lle yettilator in the dungeon
where he had put it for safe keeping. lie said
gwen to lis sister. lie said hc did not cheat
the Government Out Of 1t, but had. knocked
duWn Niger soldier aud taken it from him.
Col Warner denied having ever seen or
touchrd the money. &c remained hard
hearted and untepentant to the lust. His
sister visited him In bis solitary cell the night
1'c:oic It's death, but all she could &c, out Of
-, hat In fnI 1.,1 I
off; he wun@dn't have SO much TO answer for
as be would if he lived longer"
1Ho.As RYAN
IVES lie snn11cst aud youngest of the three.
His real name was Join Hcnfahau, and I,c Is
OF Aisn descent. He enlisted, last October.
viii Col. Streight, In the 51st regiment. uu.
der the name OF Reagan. His ase is about 9,
and he has worked on the E1ie Canal ever
siuce he was nine years old. He came here
1rem Ronaout, n. T., With bounty jumping
agent by the name Of Burns Ryan Asserted
the same night he enlisted, and took til.
train ior the East, bnt was arrested by de-
tcc:iye before the train started, and taken
frtm the sieeIiing car. When brought back
to camp and placed In the guard house, he
ow,td TO having jumped bounties and desert
cd some thirty Times. But after his conyic-
that lie had never enlisted but once, and :hat
tElls life would be spared he would make iln-
poftant disclosures, He hoped to the last f,r
reptieve, but none came. One hour before
he was shot, he sent for Col. Warner, saying
lc wanted to reveal something to him before
he died. Col. ". went to see him, but Eyan
had nothing OF any consequence to reyc.I 10
him.
JOIN MCERAT,
d1ias John Maloney, came from London, Eag-
land, ubout q year ago 10 CANADA. From Chere
he went to New York city, where he was
married, about eight months ago. He has
been sailing on the lakes during the past
summer. His age is about twenty-six. Tic
enlisted at Lafayette. a few months ago, in
thc 11tl Indiana cavalry. He was Brought
down to Camp Carr1nston near this city, and
deserted the same night and took the train
| for Chicago. Hc was, however, arrested on
the cars between here and Lafayette, and
brought back. He was someWhat penitent
and said be did not know that the punish
| ment II dcscrtio4 was death, or he neyel
| would hare attempted It. The
PREPARATIONS FoR TIE EXECUTION,
| together with the command Of oil the troop:
| at the camp and the general order Of tht
| whole affair, we're devolyed upon Col. A. A
Stevens Of the 5t1 V. R. c., By order of Gen
Hovcy. The troops, consisting OF the Stu
18th and 18th Regiments v. Il. c., numbering
In all about 200 men, were drawn mp on thEct
sides Of The large Parade Ground. The Nortl
side, which is bounded by the fence enclosing
Camp Morton, was open. The three prisoner:
collins being borne just in front OF them
were marched once around the square, and
finally halted at about the center of the Nortf
side Of the ground facfng the guard detailed
10 carry into effect the sentence Of the court,
ard about twenty PAGES distant. Rev
Father Bessonies Of St. Johns lrish
Catholic Church, who accompanied the prison
bum 9s31t~ eff 77oj ku jp=
rites Of the church In their behalf, the con
demned repeating aloud with him the creed
After having each kissed the crucifix, they
+ were in turn kissed by The good iailer3 whI
gave them the last farewell blessing. The
charges, specifications, finding and sentence
Of tic court martial, and the approval therco!
ly the General commanding, were then read
III clear tone Of voiccio the condemned by
Major 4ud1cy W. Gazzatp, who was IN com.
mand Of the detai1. The prisoners, who had
up 10 this time been standing together, side
Dy side, with their hands tied behind, were
then separated and conducted few PAGES
backward, each being made to stand at the
fms were made OF poplar, stained dull
brown, and numbered respectively l, 2, aud
3, with large figures of white paint.
Eacl, mans feet we're then tied to-
grthcr, his hands unbound, his coat taken
Of, his hands reticd behind him, and
be was then made to sit down on his coffin.
Their.cycs were thca baudagcd, and all was
ready. The good priest had retired to one
side Of the firing party and was kueeling In
the snow, bareheadcd, in the bitter cold wind,
md praying for the welfare OF the souls about
10 be launched upon The sea Of eternity. Just
at this instant Of awful suspense, while q
thousand hearts were beating with pa1nfnl
tcars-before the order to s'makc ready" had
been given, Murray spit great quid of 10.
bacco ont Of his mouth, and bending forward
| wiped his mouth On the knee of his pauta-
| looms. Ryan, who was in tho centre,
leaned his head far back 60 that he could
| muzzle Of the rifles. While pondcring upon
these, what seemed to be unnatural actions,
| I hcasd the word e. Fire" There was loud
! crack of mraketry, and the men fell back.
ward. Murray, who was on the LEFT, and Ry-
an In the centre, fell back On their collins
dead but the right files Of the platoon had
aimed badly, and Bill'ngsley, though pierced
| ing been struck In any vital part. A guard
of four we're ordered up from the reserve, one
Of whom placed his piece near the heart Of
| the unfortunate man and discharged it, end.
| ing his sufe1ings at once.
The bodies were then placed in the cotIina
End delivered to the priest, who had them
carried to the Catholic cemetery aud buried.
some 1oT1g uon4ty Jumpers, no" N cusloag,
were brought up under guard, and made to
witness the execution, md 1t is hoped that
| the misfortunes Of their fcllow-criminals may
prove in The end to hare been profitable les
| son to them. desire here to acknowlcdyc
the kindness shown me by Coils. Warner and
steyensin enabling me tog get hold Of the partic-
ulars Of this sad affair, and for allowing po-
eltion within the military lines, convenient
for seeing and hearing what WAS said and done,
This letter is already long, and will only
briefly say TINT it is altogether probable that
Goy. Morton will call an extra session Of the
Legislature for the I'd Of january, three days
hetoIe the regular session commences.