The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-03-28
A STORY OF rHF LOST CAUSE,
The Last Military Execution .. the
Confederate Army.

tItlE
The Last Military Execution !. the
Confederate Army.
The long AID waveriag liue, Of Lee
: L.L =. las, yielded. Riehn,ud had sue
sunbed TO Inevitable fate, and Ii. fer.
| tals Of war. The sonirrsu,s a, Apps
malsoI had taken placs.
Ticlrny Of Northern Virgins. With
| its deeds ofheroisla and drslor. had pisssa
into history; but, lde;s we're S,hsr armies
, and other dotaehu.spt. that we're still try
ing to uphold the ill.ta.sd banner of. ths
doomed Confsdrr.ey.
Among them was Gil.ner's Brigade Of
Ksatusky Cavalry, which 4. the time Os
the su,resdsr A Appvmst.I was trying,
| by forced marches. to reach FiIhugh
Lees command.
Runors Of the t,snfall Of sks Csnf.der.
I'acy had reached the ss.msnd, ba, not
through reliable sourss. In the msln.
tlns many brave and gallant men, uhs
had met aud drisd ds.Ih sia.a thsaianl
forms for what they believed to DO Iacred
cause, had become almost mutinous, and
de,srtions were SO numerous thlsthe CON-
n,uder was compelled either to punish tho
guilty or disbaDd the briysds. Thus, AZ
ter 4 brief .csnsultatisu With bis stat. the
commander determined 10 punish thsss
Who attempted to desert, and Immediately
gave orders to hat effect. p
On Saturday nishs, April 10. while vs
we're eReanpsd spss the heights Of the
Allegh,niss, two bselhsr ky the name Of
May, Ksntuckians, who had passed three
yslrs battling for ,hs "Bsnnsr Of Right"
attempted to desert and return to their
homes. !, d'st. rlH 4rs
They failed in The attempt, and being
arrested il the very as., were taken TO
brigade head quarters, sourt:martialsd.
aud ssntsseedto bs .1ssussa II . s'slsst
ths:nsIt norning '.iis -a-E -
Saddle up" was,.Ls. order lt ssrsn
o'clock tho following norsipg. sad bslsrs
the nsan.ain tops were clad IN de soft
golden light of lhe rising sss,. We were
mounted, formed, and marched forward .
half mile, on to . plstsav u . few soresin
extent, sld formed into o below square,
fronting inward and the right open.
yarieuS rumorI Ners aaoat % to what
gas going 70 trausLire. Some thought
We we're 70 receive our lesg looksd-fot psy.
O,herl. that We we're 70 bs disbaudsi.
aud, q few, tLa. We were - Ss isrrssdst-
cd. IN ..o,,.ss
e Bat slss! no one, save fsv regimen.
tsl eommanders, knew Of ths hstrid seine
that We were drawn up to Sitness; fora
few minutes after bsisg Termed. asqsad
sf dilmosntsd cavalry emerged fron .
cluster Of timber near BY, marched int
The center Of the square, sseestisg sbs
two prisoners. ia-e7 .-'.i' 'is3
The Brigade Csnnasdsr ssd hs ssa6.
being disnovnsed. marshedio ,vhsrs tle
prisoners we're, and tho srdsr,. .%sAt.sstisl.
brigids p being i given by tie Adja.sat.
ths death. .ssntsnce Of the Two Sfstksrs
was read, and preparations at once made 70
e1ssiis them.al s.s.das I'd. s. is'ffe'-!
Innsdiatsly sfnr the order vss read.
sigh. 6les more Of ,dismsunted. cavalry,
With usloaded sarbiles, marched int Tie
tquirs, arder tie sLargs Of . Lisutelslt.
snd we're brought aP il frsat Of the 6rat
squsd, facing the PrilsssrL y Their srns
we're grounded, and the Lieutenant pro.
essded ts. lead them, ,whieh 10 did. oil
save one.
In The meantime. he brothers we're
10 meet their inevitable fate.
An o6csr, 9 personal friend Of The con.
dsmned, had been permitted 70 disnosnt
aAd talk. With then tbsilat'tins; and
BY him they, M. loving and dying mes
sages to their parents far away in r4heir
Kentucky homes. a''' +i'7' cay
The squad in from. nov stood With their
pieces at shoulder arnsp The squad In
The rsar at "ordsr, arms, ID SaSs tie 6rst
plstoon failed " Do the Notk, they vafs
10 fnisb it. z .ai az sl'''A
Every soldier si ,hs esmm.ad vas row
to witness the death Of TIVE u their esni-
rsdss. Many wished to dismosst that
they might not bs compelled 70 view The
drslaful pesse. But military law ID 10.
e1orabls, and all we're compelled 10 wit
ssas it. ' -st" r7P. II"
Tbs prisoners stood before their s1teu.
tionsrs with an arm Of saeh bandsgsd TO.
gether-bro,hsrs in blsod, brothers IN
arms, and now soos 10 bs brothers ia
d.,tb. Not . muscle moved, no. . cheek
tlluched, and each enc lhrosisg Tie arm
tia, was uupiuisusd around The eher,
embraced each other for The lss. time.
Al this critical ild sxcitiss moment =
tsrfuet hum Of voices could b heard ilouy
iLu li.s. asd many os.bst,.S Of fdenuneis-
.tieu could be heard. add 40 t,ssuk sesned
TO be inevitable, but.thsss outbsrNs 81 di,.
appreciation we're bilenced 10 an infant ty
lhs order sf the Lis1tenant commanding
the squad, who gass tie command. "nshs
ready"-",aks aim"--''6rs!" At tho
er,,I sfthe rides the fs,..rs that bssna
the sshdsmusd together burs. ssusdeA
and throwing up their arins they irrtl.l
aud fell to The earth pierced By bslh.
Immediately tho brigade vas stasrtd int.
column. aud matched BY the rsinaini IS
they lay esr,fsd With gore. -
Appstently but few Of The isldien sr.
psetsd that this horrible ,nsSssere vosld
.At Al 49, "a 4 II a " AZ