The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-10-10
TWICE Hangn6.

There was an episode during my life
| at AndersOnville, says q correspondent
of the St. Louis Post, that stands out in
my memory above all others. No man
can conceive of the Generalization that
comes upon men confronted on all sides
with so much misery. The greatest lux
ury that could be enjoyed by a prisoner
was a warm blanket. Yet men were
/ found among the prisoners base enough
/ to rob their fellows of even these COM
forts. A gang of robbers was organized,
/ who went around the camp at night and
tore the blankets and clothes off from
sick and dying men, kicking and beating
! those who made any feeble attempt at
resistance. Money was also taken from
/ the prisoners, or anything ofYalUe that
/ could be found upon them. In time the
robberies became so frequent as to be
the worst of our troubles. A perfect reign
of terror existed, and we did not know
what to do. Finally, after consultation,
We asked permission of Writ to investi-
| gate and see who were the perpetrators
of these Outrages and punish them.
/ Writ granted 1.-THE only kind act he
| ever did, I believe, for the Union prison.
| ers there, and thank him for it to this
! day. We picked out six men for trial
/ before a tribunal of our own selection.
/ 1t sat outside of the stockade under a
| Confederate guard. A Judge, Jury, pros
! eCUting attorney, and clerk were ap-
pointed, together with a counsel for the
defense. Evidence was heard from
many Of the prisoners, and the accused
were all identified as among the parties
guilty of the rObberies. A verdict of
| guilty was returned, and they were SEN
fenced to be hung. The proceedings
were approved by Writ, who ordered the
! lumber to be furnished us for a scaffold.
| We built one sufficient for our purpose.
1t consisted simply of a crossbeam, sup
ported by two uprights. A platform was
| constructed about three feet from the
| ground, the first plank, laid at right an
/ giles with the upright and parallel with
the Crossbeam directly above it, being so
adjusted that it could be withdrawn from
its position at a moments notice. The
! six condemned men were escorted to
! the scaffold by a guard of 800 prisoners,
armed with sticks and lubs. They were
placed on this plank. In lieu of the
customary black cap, their heads were
encased in -four sacks.
! Notwithstanding this absence of Cere-
mOny, the scene was an impressive one.
The gallOws stood near the top of the
hill, and nearly all the thirty-eight thou
sand prisoners were gathered to witness
| the execution. They maintained perfect
silence, refraining from any insults to the
condemned, but their hollow eyes, pale,
| pinChed faces, their savage expression of
cOuntenanCe were sufficient indication
| of their determination that not one
should escape. The ropes were careful
/ ly adjusted, with the knot in each case.
under the left ear, and, by a signal, the
board Withdrawn from beneath them.
There was a drop Of two feet, and the
| bodies swung about a foot from the
ground-all but one. The sixth man,
former sailor in the navy, was perceived
| to have fallen to the ground. The rope
| had broken.
In an instant he was on his feet. He
started to run down the hill. The crowd,
comprehending his intention to escape,
followed with a wild yell in pursuit. 1t
was a flight for life. He had the start
by a.few seconds and he made the most
Of it. I never saw man run as he did.
| He went down to the morass with near
/ ly thirty-eight thousand men close upon
| his heels. Not finding him there we
/ looked up and saw him running up the
| side OF the other hill w e followed. lie
made for one of the huts or sheds, but as
soon as he heard us coming got out and
again started on the run. Widening the
distance between US, he again sought
refuge in a dugout, and a second time
| had to abandon it as we came up. 1t
was twenty minutes before we had him
| fast. He begged piteously for his life,
but we had no mercy. We had to drag
him down the hill through the sand,
thence through the swamp and up the
other hill to the scaffold. He was held
by three men on the platform while the
moose was adjusted the second time, after
we had spliced the rope. He trembled
in every limb. At the given moment
the men pushed him from the scafTold,
and he swung clear from the ground two
feet. The rObberies never occurred
again.