Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-22
anTncidenf of the War.

hung in 1864 upon Governor Island upon
some charge preferred against him. The writer
GAYS Of that gallant aud unfortunate gentleman
"Jp nv own experience, he was the nobeSt
criminal ever found worthy OF death.
"Retweep his place Of confinement and the
scahold. was a distance OF several rods, which
he was compelled to walk, between guards
and the executioner by his side.
1.-THE gall0ws was situated on green knoll,
commanding n lookout over the bay to the
southwest, and was surrounded by select
throne of invited guests of perhaps one hun
dred and fifty.
"Beall marched over the green hilIoeks, very
pale, but perfectly self possessed. The om
| nous black cap was on his head, and ITS long
| tassels swayed in the fresh morning breeze that
breathed gently from the sea. Ills step was
| firm and steady and, upon arriving at the edge
OF the scaffold, he gazcd at the dread lnStru,
ment of death without the least exhibition OF
emoton-no matter what wild thoughts may
| have made a theatre Of his breast. 1t was a
beautiful day. The ground upon which he
stood, and the Islands surrounding it were fresh
and green with the first kiss OF the early SPRING
Manhattan Island, with It's steeples and towers,
| cleaned in the distance and the bright, blue
waters Of the bay were lea1ing in the glad,
morning sunlight.
Every object invited the privilege of exist
ence, and rebuked the very idea of death.
but by no expression OF the doomed man i
| face could be detected the slightest emotion.
| He submitted to the long and tedious reading
OF his sentence without Impotence, and made
the few remarks In palliation OF his crime which
| have been recorded in all our daily press; but
lust before the black cap-Heaven what an
infpitudc of love and beauty it shuts out at
| such an hour was drawn over his face, /
who stood nearest to him, with the exception
| of the hangman-l alone heard him utter the
words 4 am coming to you quickly, Alice !;
do not think am afraid.
THE tone of his voice was low and steady,
| and the next instant he was launched into
eternity but there was something brave and
simple in those last words, the memory OF
which has never ceased to haunt me.
Scene at INTERPRETATIONS w. Virginia.
Orr town was the scene Of quite an excite
ment on Saturday evening last. It appears
that one Sam Henry, of Washington County,
Md, came over to this County on Saturday
morning last and claimed a valuable mare be
longing to Capt. Lee II. Moler, residing near
town, as having been taken from HIM during
the war, and had employed certain Tom
Noaks, one Of n welI-known band OF horse
thieves and rogues that t1Ourlshed IN this com
munlty, under the protf ctOn OF federal soldiers
during the war, and a man that very lew would
believe under oath, to swear to and identity
the property as belonging to Henry. Henry
went to the residence of Capt NJ to take the
mare. but found that she had been ridden of
by Capt. NJ. who shortly afterwards returned
and came to town to see about the matter, and
when his friends learned that the claim was
entirely fictitious and knowing that he could
have no protection 10 law, under present cir
cumstances, against such characters, they de-
termined 10 teach such men a lesson. In the
meanwhile Henry beginning to see that mat
tiers and things were waxing warm, begged
of, and was allowed to make his way over the
Potomac Noaks and his colleague, Jacob
Williamson, took refuge in MIR. lngcs' Law
Office, and soon the Office was surrounded by
boys and young men boister0usly crying 'hlIl
him Xiii HIM !" and making many other
threats untll tins btd, bold man trembIed Tor
his life, fearful OF the rctrbution which he
believed he was about to receive at the hands
Of those that had suffered so much from HIM
but the crowd having become so large and
many having become excited, and brand
ishng pistols III every direction, the more pru-
dent of the company fearing that If Noaks
upon him and that the rhoughtess would com
mence random and prOmscuOus firing aud
many good men wouId thereby be injured, de
termined that it would be wise to let the man
&c, rather than that the lives OF good men should
be endangered Therefore several men, who
themselves had suffered very much at the hands
of this same NOaks, volunteered to place HIM
safely upon his horse upon the express condi-
tion that he should never show his face IN
town again; but as soon as he had mounted,
three nisto shots were fired at him, slightly
w,unding his horse and causing him to lose
his hat. and we since learn that he fell from
his horse and concealed himself in stable until
. clock, Sunday morning, and then departed
and spent the rest Of the night in some
cabin about mile from town. Jacob William
son was allowed to pass out in the front street,
unmolested.
Noaks is said to have anticipated some dill
fculty, and had sought the assistance OF some
colored men before hand. Had this been known,
we very much doubt whether any effort what
ever would have been mde to save him.
Ga Sunday morning Noaks sent a colorc1
man to town, for his horse and hat.
Noaks escaped by 'the skin of his teeth,
badly scared, terribly demoraized and sadly
scattered. He has been heard to say it was
very ungentlemanly treatment at the hands OF
his old friends in Jefferson. - Shcoherdstoacn
Re0JSfer