The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-04-21
AN IDIOT SOLDIER BOY SHOT.

the tops, and known as the ''Buil pen," in
which captured deserlers are confined before
execution. In it there are about sixty wretch ed
men, Awaiting their fate Henry Clay Trum-
bull, Chaplain of the Connecticut 10th, thus
writes of
A VERY SAD CASE.
But the saddest case was the latest 4 boy
not yet sixteen, born and brought up in the
upper part Of New York city, was met in the
street By heilish broker, aud enticed away to
Connecticut to be sold as q substitute. He
was far from being bright boy, seemingly not
full wtled, but his childish ways were touch
ngiy attractive. He said-and probably with
tTuth--that until the broker led him off he had
never passed a night away from bis parents
Like tired, homesiek school boy determined
to play tg2ant, ne started TO run home Being
arrested, he again slipped of, but was once more
caught as he exercised no shrewdness in his
hight. Being tried ana sentenced to death, he
was put into the condemned cell in the evening
to be Shot the following morning. His boyish
grief, when told he was to die, was heart rend-
ing.
With unaffected naturalness he sobbed out
his lament over his own hard lot, aud for the
dear ones at home. Me, SO young, to go out
side the breastwoEk5 and see the coffin and
grave there, and ihen be shot / don't want
TO be killed Won't the general parole NE p
On being assured that his execution was GER
tainsy, he urged the chaplain not to LET his
friends know how he died, ''Gor they'd feel so
bad about it., he said. II suppose it would
kill my father (for some reason his father seem
ed closer to his heart thar his mother) II sup
IL,
Of il al nights. Don't tell em about it,"
Once convinced that it was too late to OBJ
L. reprleve-no official short Of the depart
meat eornmander having the power 10 grant it,
and there being no time to obtain it from him,
and having U,ied lis cry 2nt--he Quieted like
a weary child, and llsi52ed to all the chaplain
couid say to aid in preparing linn for the etern-
al future. kneeling on the soaked, sw&mpy
ground, under the dripping roof Of that gloomy
caoin, in the dark and stormy night, he folded
bis fettered hands, and meekly said his little
evening prayer, and committed himself in SEEM
ing confidence to his Heavenly Fathers care
He could not read, but be had been taught in one
Of The blessed mission schools Of New York, and
seemed TO have a simple, childlike faith in God.
Probably he had not been addicted to vicious
hatits. lie said, when asked about the way
he spent his evenings that he always worked
IN the factory daYsimes, and when evening came
was tired, and went to bed early" His father
and mother prayed with him, and taught him
to do right 'If your life should be spared, :"
asked the chaplain, 'would you love God and
try to serve him 2" 'Why yes" he answered,
"I always did love him." as though, in its child
like trust, he had no cause of enmity with the
Father to whom he had been drawn in CRATE
faIconfdence. Afterhis first hard cry the thought
of death did not seem 20 occupy him.
He was too much Of a child to fully realize
it. Just before he went out to be shot he turned
to the chaplain and asked as in boyish curos-
ity. eff | die to-day, will my soul go to heag-
en- to-day :" Arriving at the field Of execution
lie was not at all disturbed by the terrific prep
arations. He walked up to bis open grave and
looked inquiringly into it without a shudder
and then he turned to gaze at the firing party
as though he saw kindhearted comrades there
He kneeled again to pray as calmly as if be
were to lie down in his own little crib at home
Just as his arms were being bound bird flew
by, and he twisted his head around to follow
with his gaze the bird in It's flight as though he
should like to chase it then he looked back a.
gain at the bright muskets with soft and steady
eye as before. "Let me kneel on the ground
and rest on the coffin" he said, as they fixed
him in position. mo, kneel on the coffin"
was the order. So kneeIng there he settled him
self down into weary, crouching posture as
though he were 10 wait thus a long alid tiresome
time. lie had hardly taken this place before
he fell back deaa, with every bullet of the fir
ing platoon directly through his chest--three
through his heart He uttered never a groan
nor did his frame culver.
Even such boys as that are here shot if they
desert. But are they guilty above those who
send them here?
H.C.T.
Can any one read the above shocking nara
tive without tears in his eyes God of our faith
er5 what are we coming 20 4 poor little mot
full witted'' boy-perhaps an idiot-a mere
helpless chiId-who had been enticed and sold
into the army by some burly brute, attempts to
run home to his parents, and for this his young
quivering heart IS blown to atoms, and his soul
sent to eternity! This simple child had no more
idea of responsibility than sucking babe
He was half-witted, and had never in his short
life passed single night away from his parents.
lie wanted to &C home, and ''iike tired home
sick school boy. determined to play truant =
For this the tender body of the idiot boy was
torn to pieces by the bullets from dozen mus
kets !-LaacaStcr Intelhgeacer.
-------------
eg"''Well, Sambo, what's yer up to now-a--
day?'
sob, is the carp'ner and jiner."
''He! l guess yer is What department do
you perform?"
"What department. Why, I does the circu-
lar work"
EsWhat's dat 2"
"Why turns the grindstone!"
srAn old negro living In Illinois has fifteen
sons in the Federal army.