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

Sentenced and Shot.
When the war closed l was in at the
death otherwise | should not have this
story to tell.
Shreveport, 1865 made amends for Sum
ter, 1861.
4 braggart could have fired the first
gun-none but hero the last and while
the first battle was lost by recruits, the
last was won by veterans.
1t was simply brave and generous to fall
in the first charge-but 1t was purely no.
Bile and heroic to die in the last. The first
fresh rush Of patriotic blood from the heart
to the head could have easily carried the
recruit.up to the cannon's mouth but it
was quite another thing that carried him
through four years war, and flung him
into the thickest Of the last charge, to
die a the enemy sounded the last re
treat
Life becomes very dear when you have
ioughtyour way from Bull Run to Pc ters-
burg-from Belmont TO Mobile To be
shot by a rebel at Alexandria, Virginia,
in 1861, Is not ike being shot by your
friends at Alexandria, Louisiana, in
500.
l returned from Shreveport to New Or
leans after the surrender of Kirby Smith
army-all that was left ofit-iust in time
to be ordered out by Sheridan TO report to
Custar for duty with the second Cavalry
Division of the Military Department of
the Gulf. The order was TO rendezvous
at Alexandria, Louisiana, and after due
to march across the country
INTO Texas, for the purpose of re-establish-
ing the authority OF the gOvernment-to
follow up the victory with occupation
Among the regiments ordered to report
TO the General, there was the ill-iated Sec
ond Cavalry. 1t had suffered somewhat
from Indifferent field officers, but more
from that bad fortune which overlook SO
many western regiments in the shape of
garrison duty in small quads or squadrons.
80 scattered as to make each sort Of in
dependent command, which IN the end re-
suited in the loss OF discipline and the ruin
OF those bonds Of sympathy that bound
most regiments firmly together. To lead
such regiment into hotly contested fight
would be a blessing, and would eifectually
set at rest all such trouble but their
fighting had been altogether of the guerril-
la kind. and there was no regimental pride
of character, simply because there had
been no regimental deed of yalor.
Two Colonels had resigned-one to ac-
cept promotion and the other to return
nome-and Lieutenant Colonel had failed
to succeed to their spread eagles and the
of the regiment would have re-
oiced, if in his wrathful disappointment,
be had thrown away his silver leaves and
gone home too. But he never dreamed of
It, Whether justly or unjustly, he was
lespised by his command and only held
his place by sheer force Of will, backed
by the authorities above him.
Such was the condition Of the regiment
when it was reported for duty. Tired out
With the long service, weary with an
uncomfortable journey by river from Mem
Dhis, sweltering under Gulf coast sun, /
Inder orders to 90 farther and farther from /
lome when the war was over, and the one (
lesire above all others was to be mustered .
1ut and released from a service that be- +
came irksome and baneful when a prospect i
If crushing the enemy no longer existed
al these added to the disaffection among
he officers, rendered the situation truly
leplorable. In fact, the men Of the whole
division were more or less discontented,
md would have been troublesome under
any commander and any circumstances
hat kept them in the service but to be
thoroughly organized and subjected to the
discipline necessary to the maintenance Of
rood order, and be forced to treat with
consideration the very people whose country
hey had acquired chronic habit of de-
-astating-and that, too, by a man whom
hey had called yellow haired circus
ider from the Shenandoah, this seemed to
hem to be almost beyond the limit Of hu-
nan endurance.
The command had hardly pitched their
ents and kindled their camp fires before
he spirit of reckless disregard for author
ty began manifest itself. The men
ated the commanding general and staff on
without regard to what they
id. No eastern man can put on style
yer us Bright buttons and spurs
ont make soldier It's too late to
each US Army Of the Potomac notions
The war is over why don't they send
5 home, instead of sending the upstart
| ajor General, with his first moustache,
D lord it over US These were such
peeches as one could hear at almost any
our of the day or evening, when wander
lg through the camp and they were de-
vered with such emphasis and ill-sup-
ressed bitterness that the effect was exceed
lgly ugly.
Immediately the men, singly and in
Iuads, began to &C on extemporaneous
aids through the adjoining country, rob- +.
ing and plundering indiscriminately in
very direction. :
They seemed to have no idea that a con- !
uered and subdued people could possibly :
ave any rights that the conquerors were
1und to respect, but such expeditions could =
)t be permitted indeed, the General wa
lder orders to treat the people kindly, :
I'd obeyed with the same punctiliousness
ith which he exacted obedience from his
Therefore, the most rigorous q
I'd explicit orders were issued against {
of every kind, and the of = =
nders were severely punished. But the :"