The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-06-19
Misfellaneons Selettions.
A STORY OF THE WAR.

The Nashville Banner tells the story
of George Vestal, of Maury county,
Tennessee, native of North Carolina,
and Quaker, who refused on conscien-
tious grounds to pay five hundred dol
lars exemption fee demanded of the
Friends by the rebel authorities, and
was consequently conscripted. He was
taken to Tullahoma, where the obvious
sincerity of his anti-war principles Sc
cured for him the friendship of Gener-
ais Maury and Polk, and he was releas-
ed. He was again conscripted and
sent to the Tennessee brigade in the
army of Virginia, and would suffer
martyrdom rather than bear arms.
The officer, who was at that time
commanding the brigade of Tennessee
ans, by reason of the capture of Gen.
Archer, at Gettysburg, was irascible
and arbitrary. He became very much
enraged at Vestals, refusal, and order
ed the commandapt of the fourteenth
Tennessee to apply the bayonet saying
that he never yet saw the man whom
cold steel could not move. The Colo
mel of that regiment acquiesced with
reluctance, but he knew that it was his
duty to obey. In few days an in
spection was ordered, when it became
necessary to clean up quarters, arms,
&C., and detail was ordered to clean
up the regimental quarters. 1t happen
ed to be vestals turn, and the sergeant
detailed him. He signifed fatty his
purpose not to 60. His captain entreat-
ed him to comply. Numerous MEM
bers of the regiment offered to pay the
FIVE hundred dollars required by the
law, rather than see him suffer punish
ment. He firmly declined, assigning
the same reasons, and alleging that the
money would 60 into the treasury and
be used to carry on the war.
Finally the guards were ordered to
fix bayonets, and shovel was handed
him, with instructions TO make him
work. When the guards first handed
him the shovel, he stated to them that
if cleaning up camp was punishment
for not doing military duty, he would
clean up the entire camp, but if it was
military duty, he would not The
guard entreated him, argued the case
with him, begged him to render the
application of the bayonet unnecessary,
He was inexorable, answering with a
smile, 'that the physical comfort was
nothing compared with the hereafter,
and he was willing to die for the faith
that was in him."
Three men with sharp Enfield bayo-
nets then thrust them into the fieshy
part of his thighs and buttocks, indict-
ing in all thirty-fve wounds, ranging
in depth from one-fourth to one inch.
Frequently he was knocked down with
the butts of the guns, but as long as he
had strength, he would turn one side
aud the other for the guards until finally
they refused to inhict further punish
ment. At this juncture, the brave men
who composed the old fourteenth
regiment, became loud in their con-
demnation Of this proceeding. The ex-
citement was intense, and lad the
Brigadier issued a second order Of this
character, he would nave ueen unavio
to have had it executed.
Vestal was confined several weeks to
bed. After his recovery he was re-
leased from the guard house, upon his
promise not to escape. Most faithfully
did he comply, for not many months
afterward the command moved toward
the southern portion of Virginia, where
every opportunity was offered for escape,
but he was always in camp at night.
Shortly after his return from this ex-
pedition, charges were preferred against
him, and he was tried and convicted of
by court-martial con-
vened at Orange Court House, and sem
fenced to imprisonment in Castle Thun-
der, at Richmond, for the war, forfeit
ing all pay and allowance. At the
evacuation of Richmond he wasstill in
prison, and secured his release only by
the downfall of the Confederacy.