Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-03-21
A LOTTERY OF DEATH.

A LOTTERY OF DEATH.
In the early part of the year 1863, Gener-
al Burnside, who was in command of the
Federal forces in Kentucky, apprehended two
Confederate captains, whom, upon investiga-
tion, he adjudged to be spies, and executed
them by hanging The Confederate Govern.
ment, when it came to knowledge of this
execution, averred that the two captains who
had thus been summarily executed by Gen.
eral Burnside, were not spies, and resolved
upon measures of retaliation, by hanging two
Federal officers of equal rank. Shortly af-
ter this Captain Samuel Mckee, of the Four
teenth Kentucky (FederaD Cavalry, was
captured and con6ned in Libby prison, and
the Confederates refused to parole him for
exchange, announcing that they would hang
him, as an Offset to one of the spies hung by
Burnside. Subsequently, large number of
Federal officers were captured at Rome, Ga,
and Winchester, Va. These were all con-
fined in Libby prison, Richmond, Va. After
the Confederates had obtained possession of
all these officers, there was an order issued by
General Winder, Provost Marshal of the
Confederacy, that all the Federal captains
then prisoners of war, should draw lots to as
certain which two of the whole number
should be executed, by way of retaliation, for
the Kentucky spies.
On the morning of the 9Th of July, 1863,
the three hundred officers in Libby became
almost jubilant over the news that hag-ef.
truce boat had arrived at City Point, for the
purpose of conveying the Federal prisoners
to Annapolis. This good news was soon fol-
lowed by an order for all the captains in the
prison to report in one of the lower rooms.
This following 80 close upon the news of the
arrival of the fag.oftruce boat, was regarded
as still more encouraging. The prisoners
concluded that the captains were ordered
down for the purpose of being paroled, pre-
paratory to being conveyed to the boat, and
that other officers would soon follow. The
officers who had been left were in state of
suspense when al the captains returned ex-
cept two--but not in the same high spirits in
which they had left; but, on the contrary, in
the deepest gloom. They had been forced to
draw in a lottery in which the prize was
death. Two of their number had drawn this
prize. These were Captains Henry W. Saw.
yer, of the First New Jersey Cavalry, and
John D. Finn, of the Fifty-6rst Indiana In
fantry.
When the captains had reached the room
designated, the commandant of the prison in
formed them that he had very painful duty
to perform; that he had been ordered that
all captains should draw lots to ascertain
which two of them should be hung, by way
of retaliation for the spies hung by General
Burnside. After he had written the name of
each on small slip of paper and deposited
it in box, he then informed them that they
could select one of their own number to
draw two names from the box, and that the
two thus drawn would suffer death by hang
ing. After consultation, they concluded that
the lots should be drawn by Rev. Mr.. Brown,
the venerable Chaplain Of the Fifth Mary.
land Infantry, who was accordingly sent for,
and consented to perform the solemn work,
and the result was, Captains Sawyer and Finn
drew the prize of death. After this, all the
captains, save Sawyer and Finn, were re-
turned to their former quarters. The latter
were escOrCed 70 General WInders headQuar-
ters, where sentence of death, by hanging, was
formally passed upon them, to take place at
some time and place to be named by Presi-
dent Davis. They were returned to the pris-
on and confined in the cells for several days,
but after time they we're permitted to re-
main With the other officers during the day,
but fastened in cells during the night.
The authorities of the Federal Govern.
ment, upon learning of the condemnation of
Sawyer and Finn, aud believing the condem-
nation to be groundless, Immediately ordered
General Ftzhugh Lee and Captain Winder,
son of General Winder, who were then Con-
federate prisoners in the hands of the FEEDER.
ais, into close confinement, and informed the
Confederate authorities that if Sawyer and
Finn were executed, Lee and Winder would
suffer in the same manner. When the Con.
federate authorities learned this, they modi:
fed their treatment of Sawyer and Finn, and
placed them on the same footing with other
Federal prisoners. After this, but little was
ever heard of the matter. The day of exc
cution was never named by the Confederate
President Sawyer and Finn were paroled
with others, and sent to Annapolis by fag-of
truce boat on the 18th of March, 1864
GEN. ROBERT S. NoRTHcoTT, in PhitadeI