Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-25

the Solicitude increased. On the NTH DAY,
the old fear seized them The sixth-not
a word was spoken-to morrow, between
the hours of ten and twelve O'clock,
they lay in squads, scattered through the
camps, talking until late into the night,
not caring to sleep and the reUe1lLe
seemed to break in upon their first nap.
The morning wore away in the midst OF
its usual duties.
Seven o'clock-Breakfast There was
the usual hum throughout the corps the
neighing of the horses, and the voices OF
men calling back and forth, as they strug-
ged in, each to his own mess. Once more
as they drank their coffee and ate their
bread and bacon, grum6ingly denounclng
the shortenins of the c0nlDliSSGrlat, they
wondered if it were yet possible for the
General to speak.
Eight o o'clock-Sick call. The orderlies
reported their latest candidates, the sur
, geons prescribed, the hospital steward pro-
vided for them and the sick men, lying
on their cots in anguish, turned to inquire
of their new neighbors if the word had yet
been spoken.
I Nine o'clock-Guard mounting. The
+ first sergeants hastily summoned their de-
tails, and reported to the adjntant on the
parade grounds. The ceremony over, the
corporals proceeded to post the first re-
lief; : and each man, as he resigned his
charge and fell iD at the rear, asked ca
gerly for the news.
Nine and half o'clock-The bugles
sounded boots and spurs.
There were no more questions. From
the mere force Of habit the men obeyed
the summons, and by ten o'clock the whole
division was in motion. Silently, sullenly,
the troops moved away from the camp,
down the main road aud one brigade at
ter another, regiment by regiment, were
formed in hollow square around vacant
sugar field adjoining the town. The Gen
eral and staff passed through the line,
moved forward to the center OF the square,
and being drawn up in line, awaited the
appearance Of the solemn C0rtege.
Slowly down the road from the guard
house it came. entered the square, and
marched along the inward facing lines OF
troops, entirely around the open space
the guard, the firing party with arms re-
verSed, the wagon drawn by four large
horses. with their sad faced driver seated
above and in the wagon, with their arms
pinioned behind them, each on his own
coffin, facing the rear, rode two men, and
took their last leave of their comrades.
This second man was a private from the
Fourth Calvary, and was tried and con-
demned by the same court as the sergeant,
for dcsertion-the third or fourth otfense.
He had been a vagabond and criminal be-
fore he became soldier and never hav-
ing been a patriot, he was 4 character from
the first, and was paying the the just pen
atty for his crimes without even the pity
and commisera1ion of his own messmates.
The sunshine; the cloudless sky; the
songs of the birds; the graceful swaying
Of the long festoons of Spanish moss in the
near woods; the shallow, mUrky river has
tening away to the Gulf; the dreary old
rumble-down village behind its dilapidated
evee; the long-haired, swarthy, lll-clad
remnants Of the late confederate army
gathered at the street corners; the dis /
trustful, impoverished citizen moving about
disconsolately the debris OF two armies
scattered in every direction the outlying, 4
devastated sugar plantations covered with /
camps. and this one the scene OF an I'M /
posing military execution; these were the I
details Of I neyer-to-be forgotten picture |
Down into the hearts OF FIVE thousand men |
it sank-phOtographed by the indelible I
and impalpable chemicals of the mind, .
there to remain forever. They felt the
wheels OF that monstrous hearse tugging
at all their heart strings, as if they stroye /
to chain them with their sympathies, and
forever held them back from that sorrow
ful journey.
At last the procession reached the place
Of entering. filed out into the field, and
halted short distance from the General
and staff. The men were assisted down
from the wagon and seated upon their cof-
fms at the foot of their graves. Eight
men with pallid faces, halted in line
few PAGES before them, and exchanged their
carbines for those specially loaded for the
occasion by the Provost Marshal, who has
charge Of all the arrangements. He had
loaded seven of them with ball, but the
eighth with blank cartridge-leaving the
men in merciful uncertainty, allowing each
to think that perhaps his was the harmless
shot.
There was no more delay. Everything
was done quickly and with the utmost pre-
cision.
The Provost Marshal read his warrant
for the execution, drew the fatal caps over
the eyes Of the prisoners, stepped back
little, and, in the midst of the most awful
silence. commanded: /;
Attention-ready
The clicking of the eight locks was hor-
rible. The victims stirred little, as it ;
we're involuntary. The air seemed sitting. :
The calm, monotonous regularity of the f
was excruciating. The appa- .
,enty heartl2 2ss and business like manner ,
If the Marshal was maddening. ;
Instantly he slipped to the side of the T.,
sergeant, and lightly pulling his sleeve, :
ed him a few steps aside then, before =
he action could be fairly realized, COM
handed
Aim Fire :! >
There was a crushing blast-a cloud of +
moke-a dull heavy thud,' as the SOL !
lier fell back dead on his coffin, and the ;
fell limp and motionless into the +
rms of the Marshal, who stopped down !
lpon one knee to set him on the other, :
nd pulling off the black cap, nnrsed him :,
,ack to consciousness. Ia
There was a murmur of grateful ap- :
,lause along the whole line The General =
lad not been intimidated, and vet had grant 7
d the prayer of his men, He had punished +
be sergeant severely, and yet had been h
nerciful to them both he had spared the G
ife of one, though sentenced, and kept a
of it from the other though shot. h
We didn't know, then, that the Second i
)avalry went out to the execution with .
'aded carbines, and forty rounds in their Il
artridge boxes if we had, we might not !,