Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-07-11

28th OF next month, at San Francisco, for tb
murder of A. 2. Crttenden. [ do not exten
uate her faults and ends. think if it is hor
rble to hang woman, it is certainly at leas
equally horrible for that woman to kill severa
men, and ignore the marriage tie, which alon,
eieyates her sex. She was, [ presume, some
handsome blonde of child, taken and raised
by that mysterious being, her mother, so-called
with view of that mothers finding a home
comfort and competency, when she would eff
feet brilliant marriage. The moral, the con
lseientlous and the plous as principles were ut
|zteEly neglected In her training. 1t is society
Rat makes such women, aud which wants sucf
and till society is reformed, such
and will be, and with such results.
that denounce her rather de-
han the person.
m.S VoYAGEUR.
,Tgsa 5peay n s!SSa, r. s5s llsa;, lass;
1t will be long after tks resent generation
has passed away, when the bemory of certain
military executions in Kentucky will have gone
into oblivion. Their attendant horrors will at
theleApthors live, and no denials of response
.bl1 manifestations of innocence will avail
VI Illnesses OF their fearful details are
with - There are hundreds of people living
IN kentucky now who have seen brave and gal
liant soldiers helpless, unprotected prisoners of
War-carrled to places they never knew, among
people of&Whom they never heard, and shot in
cold blood for retaliation, as military parlance
has i'll to punish the perpetrators of some out
rage, real or supposed, in which the murdered
prisoner had no share, and OF which they new
er heard save through the conversation of the
coarse guards that were hurrying them along
th cath march to the place Of execution
IL flowing narrative is substantially true
history Of one of these horrible events:
The night of July 9th, 1864, was gay and
brilliant one In the city of Lexington, the me-
tropolis Of Central Kentucky. The officers Of
the Federal forces garrisoning the place were
giving grand ball at Phoenix Hotel. The an
ticipations Of glorious night ran high. The
soft tones of,the music filed the sutry air,
while the elite Of Union sympathyzers (and
some Southern sympathyzers too) gathered in
the handsome parlors Of the hotel, were dis
cassing the events OF the eVoDing, er forgetting
time IN the pleasures Of the dance.
The beautiful and lovely women, the fash
ing of uniforms and the hum Of merry voices
Ill.
Sorrow suffering and woe seemed forgotten
there, and the gay and surging crowd appeared
intent only In search OF enjoyment aud anxious
for momentary pleasure. A short distance
from this place, in the temporary and rude
prison in which few score of Confederate
captives were confined, very different scene
was being enacted The sounds of the music
and the ringing laugh from the ballroom were
borne on the summer air. The hearts of the
captives were filled with recoleetions Of other
times Memory brought back the pleasures of
former days, and renewed the joys once expert
enced, when, free men in theinuewn homes,
they had mingled in scenes liketnese, and had
about them those to whom they were bouad by
the dearest ties Of life. Suddenly in that pris-
on there is an end even to this release from
woe. A uniformed officer enters and announces
the startling words that, Of the number In
prison, eight are ordered to be shot, and tells
them he is now there to have them cast lots as
to who the eight shall be. With trembling
hands the surprised captives try the biddings
OF fate. The very suddenness of the ordeal
unneryes their steady and brave hearts, each
trusting that his good fortune will save him,
yet fearful that his confidence in his destiny
may have been misplaced.
But now the solemn scene ends. The vic
tins by name are called forth and are told they
the journey. Such orders had been passed
there before. Requisitions for such horrible
outrages had been made and met not many
days previous, and vague rumor brought back
some general details OF the execution of their
companions who had been taken away How
ever awful the crime or terrible the fate, it
meant DEATH and that too in way TO leave no
hope for succor or deiverance.
The four ambulances necessary for the trans
portation of two victims in each direction are
In the street waiting, and the order is made
that those chosen to go stand forth. Each fel-
low-soldier with heart rejoicing at his own
deiverance, gathers about the eight now going
away to a fearful doom. There are no dry
cheeks there; apprehensions Of like fate can
not quell the tears of sympathy, or repress the
words OF pity. Every one has something kind
to say. Some utter words Of horror, some
threats OF vengeance, while fron Others still
are words OF encouragement, exhorting them to
die like men and soldiers.
Two and two they are seated Ia the vehicles,
cavalry surround each, and then the process
sions leave the city in four different ways. One
couple is carried along the pike leading to
smooth-faced and gentle boy of
seventeen and quiet, composed man of one
and twenty. Ignorant of their destination and
uninformed of the offence for which they are
to die, with certain and terrible end shortly
awaiting them, they thus know each other for
the first but, while strangers heretofore
they are now friends and companions in fear
ful doom. The younger leans his head on his
companions shoulder and in broken accents
tells of the dear ones at home, and their grief
and despair when they shall have known his
fate. In piteous tones he cries for his mother,
and almost entertains the vain hope that his
yearnings may be satisfied, and in some way
she might see him ere he dies. His young
heart swells and almost bursts under the great
burden of his agony The elder gently tries to
comfort his younger fellow-sufferer, assuring
him how tears and words cannot change their
fate, that. while it may be hard, very hard to
bear, yet Fcannot be avoided, and their only
resource Hto die like men, The twelve miles
are completed by midnight, and. still hand
cuffed together, the condemned gyvuthr are
placed in small room of the courthouse to
await the dawning of day. One object of the
drama would have been lost had not Southern
sympathizers been compelled to witness the
preliminary arrangements for the murder. Sit
TING in the small, close pom, and surrounded
bV the coarse guard, fho are discussing the
nrobahle scenes OF thefnorrow, when the SEN
tence will be carried INTO effect, there is no rest
for the burdeneI SOULS and wearied bodies of
the prisonepI ;,
1eDca conceal from, fr;ardu b;e CO \ -