The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-05-14
MILITARY JUSTICE.
AuEx,raordinary sentence.


Seven citizens residing at or near Eu-
taw, in Greene county, in this State,
have been Just sent to the Dry Tortu-
gas by the sentence of the Court Mar
tial recently convened at Selma--four
Of the number for two years at hard Ia
Dor, and three for one year at hard Ia
Dor.
Z The facts of the case are these-so es-
tablished at the trial, as we are inform
ed by a responsible party A person
named Hill, who is represented to have
been an ultra secessionist in 1861, and
to have been expelled for improper con-
duet, both from the Masonic Fraternity
and the Methodist ministry, having
joined the Radical party for "Cowes
and market" since the termination OF
the war, managed to make himself ex-
ceedingly offensive to the people among
whom he resided. Among other things
calculated to excite the distrust
aud anger of the community,
he repeatedly pilfered wood in con-
siderable quantities from the land
of Mr.. Pettigrew, a respectable gentle
man living in the neighborhood. Hay
ing been charged with this otfense, he
either directly or implicitly confessed
it, and by way of condonement gave his
note for sixty dollars in payment forth
stolen wood. This note was placed in
the hands of the son of Mr.. Pettigrew
for collection; but Hill always eyaded
settlement. Finally, within a few
weeks back, on a public day in Eutaw,
young Pettigrew met Hill in the street
of that town, and Hill, again refused to
settle the debt. Pettigrew took stick
from the hands of Hill and gave him
several strokes with it, but without i'll
fiicting any material personal damage
Several of the persons subsequentlyiar-
rested, seeing the affray, (no previous
collusion for any purpose whatever was
shown) came up, and one of them ex-
citedly knocked Hill's hat off, while an
other offered some slight personal vio-
lence without the least corporeal
injury. Here the assault and battery
ended. Two of the parties then
brought pole anG proposed to ride
Hill "on rail-" but the threat was not
executed and nothing was done, the
parties desisting of their own volunta-
ry motion. In the evening three of the
persons arrested waited on Hill and ad-
vised him that they thought it would
be best for himself and the community
were he to leave altogether, aud Offering
to protect and support his family while
he sought some other place of habita-
tion. 1t was proved that this visit was
not strictly hostile one; Hill left, came
to Montgomery and appealed to the
military authorities, and the young men
engaged, or supposed tO be engaged in
the affair, were takeH in custody. On
the trial, four of the number arrested
were acquitted, sothing whatever hav-
ing been proved against them. But, as
we have already stated, seven were con-
victed and sentenced to the Dry TOrtu-
gas at hard labor.
1t must be admitted that these Citi-
zens, thus severely punished, were Ii
able for assault and battery, though the
assault and battery cannot be described
as being of an aggravated character,
for unlawful threats of further personal
violence, not executed, and for dOmi-
ciliary visit to Hill not strictly legal or
proper. But we are somewhat sur
prised that General Meade should have
approved sentence so disproportiOn-
ate. as it seems to us, to the actual guilt
of the parties, and 50 far in excess OF
any real damage donG to Hill. The
prisoners were, for the most part, gen
tlemen with families, and highly re-
spectacle in their antecedcnts, while
Hill deserved bat little sympathy from
decent people. There were other cir
camstances of provocation that must
be considered in the transaction. The
county Of Greene was without an ex-
ecutive officer, the Sheriff having been
and no one appointed Ill his
place. Numerous fires had occurred IN
Greene and the surrounding counties,
and the city of Greensboro had barely
escaped destruction from the torch of
the incendiary, as it was fully believed.
The planters were continually annoyed
by the loss Of stock and ponitry, and
there was a deep suspicion that Hill,
from his previous bad character, and
present connection with the negro loyal
leagues, kaew mere Of these felonies
than he was willing to confess.
After the sentence was pronounced,
we are informed, the prisoners were sent
off handcuffed OH their road to their
hideous prison.
We think the unusual severity exhib-
tied towards these citizens has been 4
great mistake. We fear it will produce
a profound sensation of dissatisfaction
the State, and that the peO
pie will almost unanimously condemn
what they will conceive to be the I'M !
necessary rigor of the sentence. We
trust that cases of this sort
may hereafter bc left to the civil au
but under all circumstances
we earnestly advise the people of
Alabama, at this juncture, TO
exhibit the utmost prudence
and patience. The hour of their deliv-
erance from courts martial, Dry Tortu-
gas prisons and military reconstruction
acts, if we can trust the pregnant signs
of the times, is fast approaching. But
a single false step at the present time
might shroud the result in gloom and
disaster. Otherwise it is our confident
that In November next the
whole nation will rise up to put an end
to state of affairs that makes republi-
can government a delusion and Mock
.idrertiser, -Hdy7.