Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-03-31
One Of the Atrocities OF this
Terrible War--Bow n Provost
Marshal Of Missouri Commit
ted n Rape.

Terrible War--gow n Provost
Marshal Of Missouri Commit
ted a Rape.
One William +. Strachan is now on trial
before Military Court Martial in St. Louis.
From the st. Louis RpuJican We take the
following extract from the speech Of the
Judge Advocate TO the Court:
TUE RAPE CASE
The execution of ten men at PALMYRA. on
the 2Oth day of October, 1862. by order of
General Mcneil, attracted the attention of
the whole country. Importance was added
to it by thcrebc! President, Jefferson Davis.
who, through Lieutenant General Holmes,
commanding the Trans Mississippi Depart
mcnt demanded that General Mcneil be
surrendered TO the rebel authorities for trial
and punishment In other words it was a
demand for General McNci's life. The
Government paid little or no attention to
the demand 50 far as I know. except TO
put star on General Mcneil where before
an eagle had pcrched. From that time TO
this but little has been said about it. and it
would not be mentioned now, were it not
intimately connected with one Of the nrin-
clpal charges against the accused in this
case.
\ citizen by the name Of VIM. T. Hum
phreys wa one OF the ten men condemned
to be shot for the non-retum Of Mr.. Ait
man, a citizen Of Palmyra, an active Union
man, who had been abducted from hi. home
BY Porter,s guerrillas, and who has not
been heard from since. Tie was unquestiou-
ably murdered. However, Humphrey, wa,
one Of the men selected to atone for Alt
man supposed death Humphreys. as the
testimony shows, had been with Porter at
one time, for Il very few day, but out of
fear or other motives, left Porter, and was
taking steps to return to his allegiance
lie was arrested and put upon his own pa
role-lllS limits were the town of Palmyra.
Nmle under arrest Porter came into Pal
myra, and Humphreys, it appears, did not
violate his parole, but remained true it.
conditions
Humphreys lived twcnty-four miles from
Palmyra, and during the time of his i'm
priSOnmcnt was absent from his family
Mary ]. Humphreys, his wife, learning of
the order to execute the ten men in case
that Altman was not returned, and know
ING that her husband was in jail, and likely
| to be Of the number. hastened to Palmyra
! To ascertain in regard to the safety and we'll
being Of her husband.
I What occurred after She arrived in Pal!
my mas pech' perhaps, as well and briefly
toIn by ncr a IN the testimony. ltl substan
tNliiya Us ioNowS'
" At the time these ten prisoners were
shot at Palmyra. | came to see my husband
who was then prisoner; the night | arri.
we'd was Informed that he was one of the
number; | went to see Strachan, to see il
there could be anything done to spare his
lie; he gave me no satisfaction, L then
went to General Mcneil, told'him my hus-
band was at Palmyra on parole at the time
Porter came IN town; and refused to leave !;
nc sad that fact had never been made
known to MN; my little daughter then went
to him and begged hlm to spare her father 5
HE; ne wrote few lines to Strachan and
sent 1t by Lieutenant; when | was intor-
med OF what had been done, / returned to
my boarding house; that night Mr.. Reed
the tailor, told me that if | would try
| Strachan he thought | could get my hus-
band released next morning, | went to the
jail, where my husband was, and after stay
ing short time with him, | started with
my little daughter to see Strachan; | found
him in his Office lying on lounge went
in and told him had come to see if | could
make any arrangements to have nv husband
released; he made me no answer az first
but directly told me TO send my little daugh.
ter out of the room and he would talk tc
me- replied that he could talk to me a,
well before her as not; he insisted ON send
ing her out, and finally told her to 90 him