Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1876-03-16
A TRYING MOMENT.
The Selection of two officers
to Decentralization.

"o "0'O mus asseuiU!eu anu counted.
Major Turner the commandaLt. Was sit
ting by table with an open cigar box
before him, filled with paper slips. A
nurmur Of delighted discovery ran from
lip to lip. We we're certain of being ex,
changed but never were men more dece.
we'd Ranging us around the room, the
commandant said:
1--WE have received news Of the e1ecu,
ton OF two Of our captains in Ohio as
spies. by Gen. Burnside, and our govern.
ment proposes to retaliate. am ordered
20 select by lot two Of the Yuukee cap.
tains confued here, for immediate eycu>
tion. In this box is the name of each of
you; the drawing can lie done in such
manner as you prefer. You can talk to.
gether about it, and arrange the details to
suit yourselves, so that it proceed at ouce
The men selected will be lead from here
to execution Confer together. and say
how you will have it,
think five minutes passed before a
word was spoken. The revusion was so
painful from the hopeful expectation of
moment before that we could only look
blankly into each others faces" said kept
silent.
well, make haste" said Turner.
A few of US exchanged few words.
Then some spokesman declared that we
should have nothing to do with what We
regarded as fragrant outrage upon the
rights OF prisoners and the rules of civili>
z.d war.
Very we'll" said Turned, barsbly, "I'll
arrange 1t for you. We are bound to
make all of you gensals sick of this sort of
thing and we will begin with you. You
sir, may draw two slips out Of that box,
one after another. Mix them up together
first"
He spoke to gray haired chaplain of
one OF our regiments, who had been for
some time Jetsiued in the Libby. Tn,
old man was general favortc. and at the
command he clasped his thin hands and
looked around on the sombre faces in pi,i
ful distress.
"My God, | csn'tr,' he sobbed and
the tears rolled down his cheeks, We
partially forgot our own fears in witness.
ng his trouble. There were many white
faces and many loud beating hearts among
us; but we assured the chaplain that it
one OF our number must make the fatal
allotment, we woad prefer that he shonld
do it. He hesitated moment, stepped
up to the box with avcrted face, and
after miuglipg the ballots together, drew
one out In the midst of the most painful
hush that | ever hear, he handed It to
Major Turner, who unfolded it and read
the uame: Captain. John W. Sawyer.
1t was the name Of brave fellow, and
he showed bis courage in that trying
moment. Folding lis arms, he stepped
to the side of the table with a de6and
smile. and IN another minute of horrible
suspense, another slip was drawn, handed
to the commandant. and read Fer an
instant Maj jyr Turner hesitated.
Blind writing" he muttered, loud
enough to be heard across the loom
What is it auyway?-Cap,ain B.; yes,
that's B; F, l thlnk-yes, B-F, and
then p"
He was reading my own doom from
that little slip Of paper! Thus far be had
read my exact initials. knew thele was
none other in my room, and [ could not
hope there was one in the prison, with
the same. l grew faint. aud leaned on
the shoulder Of my neighbor. With q
dead weight Of despair at my heart, ]
fastened my eyes on the face of the com.
mandant, and awaited the sound Of my
name. ....r...rr.
."B F-Tbat's sure" he went on. Ii
the next 2 | wander r?-No-it s another
F-sud the name is Flynn-Captaiu B.
F. Flvnn.'
Well-that was such re.ul;ion u
very few men can experience in this life
The throbbing Of my heart as the blood
went back to it sounded to my ears like
the stroke of the hammer on the anvil.
felt something as the cataleptic must fee
when his coffin lid is torn of at the grave
by some one who has detected nature:
awful secret. The the doomed captains
babe Us farewell manfu!ly Il believe they
were more mauful about it than the rest
of us). aud we're taken away BY the guard
while we returned to our quarters,
Flynn and Sawyer we're not executed
but they lived for weeks in daily eIpsS.a