The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-07-11
The Case Of Flogging at Fort sedgwick---An Am
erican Citizen Receives 100 Lashes.
Fort Sedo,oick, June 16, 1S

The Case Of Flogging at Fort sedgwick---An Am
erican Citizen Receives 100 Lashes.
Fort SedgWick, June 16, 1867.
The case Of which am writing about
presents unusually interesting facts. A
stranger, very much afflicted with an
incurable disease, which incapacitated
him from manual labor, came up the
road, Gu. P. r. R.) about a week ago,
and loitered around Wilson's Rancho on
Pole Greek. On the 18th instant, this
man, whose name was Hendricks, was
accosted by two men dressed in citizens
clothes. They requested him to buy
them a bottle of whiskey, which he
consented to do. They furnished the
requisite funds, and he Immediately
went to a store, bought the wh;skey and
gave it to them. About two hours after.
wards this man Hendricks was arrested
and brought down to Col. Dodge's quar-
ters in the camp Of the 30th infantry,
before COL Dodge, who accused him of
selling whiskey to soldiers. Hendricks
solemnly asserted that he did not know
they were soldiers, that ifhe had known
they were soldiers he "most certainly
would not have sold or given them
whiskey." Col. Dodge, without trial by
court. martial, ordered HIM to receive
100 lashes. At noon on the following
day, extensive preparations having been
made for the complete and effective car.
ry,ug out of the sentence, the wretched
culprit was brought from the guardhouse
to the place of torture. A rude cross
firmly planted in the ground, attracted
the attention of the man, on which he
gazed with dismay. Lieutenant Lantz,
of company F., of the 30th Inf, COM
manded the squad to attend the punish.
ment. Gathered around to witness
this most unusual and un.American
scene were some 200 soldiers and small
group of citizens. When all was ready,
Lieutenant Lantz ordered him to be
stripped, which was Immediately done,
with the exception of short thin shirt
which barely reached his naked hips
He was then firmly bound with his face
to the cross. At a given signal two
soldiers armed with plated thongs, who
stood on his right and his left, raised
their whips aloit and brought the whist.
ling, Kissing lash tull on the body,
which sprung convulsiYely upwards, as
if touched with red-hot irons. A broad,
JtIv Iss.f ..-j -----l; L Al --L;~n
was lost to sight by the strokes which
fell thick and fast on the unfortunate
man. Gradually the deep, red wales
assumed blackish color, and in short
time crimson drops of blood rolled down
the naked legs, filling his shoes, or were
splatched on the clothes of the specta'
tors. Toward the seventy fifth stroke,
the flesh around the hips hung in shreds,
as if rudely torn by an animals claws
From the middle of the back to within
six inches of the knees, the body was
perfectly raw and black. At last citi
zen named Seward, of New Julesburg,
entreated Lieutenant Lantz to stop, for
Gods sake The mans screams were
awful he bounded from side 10 side,
spasmodically upward, and hung as if
lifeless on the cross. His lacerated body
was perfectly frightful. After 10S
lashes had been administered, Lantz
gave the signal to desist. The orderly
sergarnt says he counted 80, but two OF
three bystandels stated they counted
108. Leaning heavily on the cross after
being unbound, he managed to dress
himself, after which he was sternly or,
dered to leave the camp and the military
reservation at Fort Sedgwick. Turning
one look toward Lieutenant Lantz, he
crawled and limped painfully away tc
the sand bluffs to the northward. A
feeling of universal horror at the crue
punishment pervades all the settlements
General Sherman had left for the enc
of the track but two hours before thu
punishment commen ,ed. 1t is doubtful
whether he knew anything about it.
Flogging, bucking and gagging, ant
stretching soldiers spread eagle fash
ion seems to be the order of the dal
here. Lieutenant Lantz, through tn
influence of Senator Cameron, of Penn
sylvania, was appointed second lieuten
ant only IL days ago. l Imagine he ha
commenced early. Still there are me-
in the neighborhood who believe him t
be Christian and gentleman.
Two Yankees took lodgings 70