Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-02-14
A LOTTERY OF DEATH.
Confederate Measures OF Retaliation for tn
Hanging OF spies In X cntucky.
NY eENrp.,poprpr Won

ny GENERAL ROBERT s. NoRTHcoTT.
In the early part of the year 1868,
General Burnside who was in COM
mand of the Federal forces in Ken
lucky apprehended two Confederate
captains whom upon investigation he
adjudged them to be spies and execut-
ed them by hanging. The Confede-
rate Government when it came to a
knowledge of this execution, averred
that the two captains who had thus
been summarily executed by General
Burnside were not spies, and resolved
upon measures of retaliation by hang
ing two Federal officers of equal rank.
Shortly after this Capt. Samuel Nc
Kee of the Fourteenth Kentucky
(FederaD Cavalry was confined 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 a
large number of Federal officers were
captured at Rome, Ga, and Win
chester, Va. These were all confined
in Libby prison, Richmond, Va. At
ter the Confederates had obtained
possession of all these officers there
was an order issued by General VIM
der, Provost Marshal of the Confed-
eracy that all the Federal captains
then prisoners Of war should draw lots
to ascertain 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,
1868 the three hundred officers in
Libby became almost jubilant over
the news that flag of.truce boat had
arrived at City Point for the purpose
Of conveying the Federal prisoners to
Annapolis This good news was soon
followed by an order for all the cap
tains to report in one of the lower
rooms. This following so close upon
the news of the arrival of the flag of
truce boat, was regarded as still more
encouraging. The prisoners conclud-
ed that the captains were ordered
down for the purpose of being paroled
preparatory to being conveyed to the
boat and that other officers would
soon follow. The officers who had
been left were in state of intense
anxiety to learn what disposition was
to be made of the captains. They
waited above an hour in this state of
suspense when all the captains return
ep except two-but not in the same
high spirits in which they left: bat,
on the contrary in the deepest gloom.
They had been forced to draw in
lottery in which the prize was death.
Two of their number had drawn this
prize. These were Captain Henry
W. Sawyer, of the First New Jersey
Cavalry, and John d. Finn, of the
Fifty.first Indiana Infantry.
DRAWING LOTS FOR DEATH.
When the Captains had reached
the room designated, the commandant
Of the prison informed them that he
had very painful duty to perform
that he had been ordered that all the
captains should draw lots to ascertain
which 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 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 hanging. After consulta-
ton they concluded that the lots
should be drawn by Rev. Mr.. Brown,
the venerable Chaplain of the Fifth
Maryland Infantry, who was accord
ingly sent for and consented TO per.
form the solemn work, and the result
was that Captains Sawyer and Finn
drew the prize of death. After this
all the captains save Sawyer and
Finn were returned to their former
quarters. The latter were escorted
to General Winder's headquarters,
where sentence of death by hanging
was formally passed upon them, to
take place at some time and place to
be named by President Davis. They
were returned to the prison and con
fined to the cells for some days, but
after time they were permitted to
remain with the other officers during
the day but fastened in cells during
the night.
The authorities of the Federal Gov
eminent upon learning of the condem-
nation of Sawyer and Finn and be.
lieving the condemnation to be
groundless, Immediately ordered Gen.
eral Fitzhugh Lee and Captain Win
der, son of General Winder, who were
then Confederate prisoners in the
hands of the Federals, into close con-
finement and informed the confeder-
ate authorities that if SAWYER and
Finn. were executed Lee and Winder
would suffer death in the same man
ner. When the Confederate authori-
ties learned this they modified their
frnaf mnnt nf Sawvnr orI Li:rr 81