St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-02-03

: The sunshine the clouilcss sky; III
songs of the birds ; the graceful swayin
t of the long icstoons of Spanish moss il
the near woods; the shallow, mmk,
: river fastening away 10 the Gulf; tht
: dreary old tumblc-down village behin,
its dilapilatcd levec; the long haired
swarihy, ill-clad remnants OF the late con
tedcrate army gathered at the street cor
, ncrs the diStrustlul, impoverished citi.
zen moving about discOnsolatcly tho
debris of two armies scattered in every
direction the outlying, devastated sugar
plantations covered with camps, and this
one the scene Of an imposing military cx-
ccutiOn; these were the details Of Il new
cr-to-bc forgotten picture. Down into
the hearts of five thousand men it sank
photographed by the indeliblc and I'M
paIpablc chemicals OF the mind, there to
remain forever. They felt the wheels OF
that monstrous hcarsc tngging at all their
heart strings, as if they strove TO Chain
them with their sympathies, and forever
hcl'i si..lD hack from that sorrowful jour
ncy.
At last the procession reached the
place of entering, fled out INTO the field,
and halted 4 short distance from the
General and staff. The men were as
sisted down from the wagon and seated
upon their collins at the foot of their
graves. Eight men with pallid faces,
halted IL 4 line 4 few PAGES before them,
and exchanged thcir carbincs for those
specially loaded (or the occasion by the
Provost Marshal, WHO has charge Of all
the arrangements. lie had loaded seven
"l them with ball, but the eighth with Il
blank cartridgc-lcaving the men in
mcrciiul uncertainty, each to think that
PERHAPS his was the harmless shot.
There was 10 more delay. Every
thing was done quickly AMI with the
utmost precision.
The Prove st Marshal read lis warrant
for the execution, drew the fatal caps
over the eyes OF the prisoners, stepped
back Il little, and, i'll the midst of the
most awful silence, commludcl:
'Attcntion-ready,'
The clicking of the eight locks was
horrible. The victims stirred little, As
it were involuntary. The air seemed
Sitting. The calm, munotonous rcgu-
larity OF the commands was cXcruciating.
The apparently hcartlcSS and business
like manner of the Marshal was madden
inc.
Instantly hc slipped to the side Of tie
sergeant, and lightly pulling his sleeve,
led him a few steps aside then, before
the action could be fairly realized, COM
.Aim Finer
There was crrl-hin. blast-a cloud
Of smokc-a dull heavy 'thud.' Us the
soldier fell back dead on his coffin, and
the sergeant fell limp and motionless in
TO tile arms of the Marshal, who stopped
down upon one knee TO set him on the
other, and pulling of the black cap,
nur-ci him back To consciousness.
here w;ls Il IHuIuIur of grateful ap-
llau>c along the whole line. The Gen
cral had not been intimidatcd, and yet
had granted the prayer of his men. lie
had punished the sergeant severely. and
yet had been mrrciiul 10 them both, hc
had spared the lite OF one, though sen
fenced, and kept knowlcdge of it from
the other though shot.
We didn't know, then, that the Soc
OEd Cavalry went ont to the execution
with loaded carbincs. and forty rounds
in their ccrtid.r boxes if we had, we
4. A L..