The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-28
THE CONFEDERATE GENERAL
MERCER.

AAh ROA S0hS GASA ~ hO " hoauS osh a.
Savannah, some particulars of which
we give in our correspondence from that
city. There existed ut Savannah in
1864 q battalion of soldiers in the rebel
army composed of Union prisoners who
had enlisted in the rebel ranks to keep
from starving. These men took every
opportunity to desert to our lines, and
on one occasion seven of them were
caught, tried for dessrtion and shot.
This occurred while General Mercer
was in command, and he has been
placed on trial for their murder. Evil
dence for the prosecution is difficult to
secure, and the trial has been delayed.
General MArear nnt in his parole by
General Sherman in defence, claiming
United States protection under the
Johnston. Sherman agreement.
Hugh w. Mercer, the accused in this
important case, ia an old army officer,
and his ancestors were in our army from
its first existence. His grandfather,
Hugh Mercer, q ScOtchman, who was
engaged in the famous battle OF CollOden,
eMigrated' to Virginia in 1850, aud was
appointed a brigadier of the Colonial
army on the 9Th Of June, 1776. He was
MORALLY wounded on the I'd Of January,
1777, in the "foggy" affair which has
since been variously known as the battle
of Princeton and Trenton. The son OF
this general and father Of the rebel gen.
eral was William Newton Mercer, who
was a regular army surgeon from 1918 to
1921. Hugh w. Mercer, the present head
Ofthe family was born In Fredericksburg,
Va. He entered West Point as cadet
from Virginia in 1924, and graduated
third in class which has furnished but
one other distinguished member to tile
world. That other graduated No. %,
and was named Jefferson Davis. Hugh
W. Mercer did not remain many years
in the army-only long enough to be
promoted to first lieutenant of artillery.
While stationed as such, in 1885, at Sa-
vannah, he married a wealthy lady
living there and resigned his commits
sion. He took to banking, If we remem-
Der rightly, and was either cashier or
president of the Planters Bank of Ge0r-
gia from 1871 up to O late date. When
the rebellion broke out, he was elected
colonel of the First Georgia volunteer
regiment, and subsequently received
his comm ssion as brigadier general in
the Confederate service. He command
ed at Savannah for short time, aud was
then transferred TO General J0hnston's
army, and fought through all the battles
from Dalton to Atlanta, in one of which
he was struck by spent ball and slight
ly wounded. On his return to Georgia
he served in the lines in front Of Savan-
nah, in command of a brigade until the
evacuation of the city, when lie crossed
with the Confederate army into South
Carolina, served there until the army
left the State, and was then ordered to
Macon, where he was i'm command until
the surrender of JOhnston's army to
General Sherman, receiving his parole
from the latter. He never gained any
further promotion. He had committed
the objectionable offence of having
graduated higher than jeff. Davis, and
it was not in the heart of jeff Davis TO
forget or forgive such mortal offence.
Before the war, Gen. Mercer was con-
sidered a humane and upright man
one whose very nature it would seem,
must naturally lead him to shrink from
the bare contemplation of such hen
ious crime as he now stands charged
with. 'tt+