Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-29
EXECUTIONS IN THE ARMY OF TIE Pc
TOMAC.

A correspondent Of Northern paper thus de-
scribes of the scenes connected with the mill
tary execution Of dcserters in Grants army:
Executions for deSertion are common now-a-
DAYS in the Armies ct the Potomac and James.
As many sixty of the captured runawayS have
h. en- confined at one lime in the Provost MarShalS
Prison camp OF a single division. The "buli pen,
as this enclosure is universally called, is collec-
ton ct tents surrounded 10y close SiOckade of pine
logs twenty feet high, guarded on all sides. Just at
the right of its entrance, outside OF It's walls Is
small log cabin used as the condemned cell. The
man who enters that goes out only To execution
Sad storirs Of rcmOrse and agony the walls of that
low dark gloomy cabin cOnd tell Soon as con-
yenient after a deScrter Is arrested on his way to
the enemy or the rear, and charges are preferred
against him, he is tried before general court mar
tial.
The decision in his case is not promulgated until
II has received approval at department headquar-
tiers. IL a man is sentenced To death, he knows
nothiug of the verdict until the order comes for
his speedy execution. His suspense meantime is
often terribly trying. Recently seven men, who
had deserted together, and against whom the evil
dence WAS clear, were suddenly ordered back To
their regiment, when they anticipated death. The
commanding general had noted a fatal error in the
proceedings OF the court AMI had dlSapprov'd hts
hndngs Then a man who had been caught actu-
Ally outside of our lines had his sentence of death
committed to Imprisonment for one year. These
acts of leniency gave encouragement 10 many
prisoner who had been deSpOndent. But the next
move changed the current of feeling. soldier
arrested one day was tried the next, and shot the
third Again. two men who had been tried four
weeks before and, from the long delay, now telt
quite easy as to their prospects, were taken into
the condemned cell, aud thence TO the gallows.
Two or thee days later, another, whose trial had
also been long previous, was ont ON guard cutting
wood in the forest when prOyOSt'S deputy came,
and putting hand cuffs on him, led him hack 10
that dreary cabin. Then the remaining inmates Of
the pen trembled. As the new victim was led out
10 be shot, the provost called bright faced lad from
the gazing thrOng at the entrance of the bull pen to
enter The condemned cell. The lads face blanched
as be obeyed the summons but he was only ordered
TO carry the blanket of the cuprit leaving for the
field of death, and il was with flushed face of
grateful 10Y that he bounced back To the guarded
n N. saving az lac drew breath, al tell you! |
thought they'd got me then" lie was probably
awaiting the PRONUNCIATION of his sentence.
VERY SAD CASE.
But the saddest case the latest. boy-not
vet l6 born and brought UP in the upper part of
New York City, was met III the street by heihsh
broker and cnticed away to Connecticut to he sold
AS a substitute. He was far from being bright
hoy seemingly not full witted, but his childish
WAYS were touchingly attractive. He said, aud
probably with truth, that until the broker led him
Oh be had never passed night away from MS par
ents. Like a tired, hOmesick school. boy, deter
mined TO play trusnt, he started to run home Dc: