Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05
SENTENCED AND SHOT.

the death; otherWlse i should not have |
this story TO tell.
A braggart could have fired the first
gun-nOne but a hero the last; and
while the first battle was lost by re-
cruits, the last was won by veterans.
1t was simply brave and generous to
fall in the first charge It was pure
ly noble 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 can
mons mouth; but it was quite another
thing that carried him through four
years charge, to die as the enemy
sounded the final retreat. ...
Life becomes very dear when you
have fought your way from Bull Run to
Petersburg-from Belmont to Mobile.
To be shot by a rebel at Alexandria,
Va, in 1861, is not at all like being
shot by your friends atAlexandria, La,
in 1865.
returned from Shreveport to New
Orleans after the surrender of Kirby
Smiths army-all that was left of it
Just in time to be ordered by Sheridan
to report to Custer for duty with the
Second Cavalry division Of the Military
Department of the Gulf. The orders
were to rendezvous at Alexandria, La,
and after due preparation to march
across the country into Texas for the
purpose of re-establishing the authority
of the Government-to follow up VIC
tory with occupation.
Among the regiments ordered to re-
port to the General there was the ill
fated Second Cavalry. Ii 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
squads or squadrons, so scattered as to
make each sort of independent COM
mand, which in the end resulted in a
loss of discipline and the ruin of those
bonds of sympathy that bound most
regiments firmly together To lead
such regiment into a hotly-contested
fight would be a blessing, and would
effectually set at rest all such trouble;
but their fighting had been altogether
of the guerrilla kind, and there was no
regimental pride of character, simply
because there had been no regimental
deed of valor.
Two Colonels had resigned-one to
accept promotion, and the other to re-
turn homeland Lieutenant. Colonel
eagles; and the majority of the regi-
ment would have rejoiced if, in his
wrathful disappointment. he had
thrown away his silver leaves and gone
home, too. But he never dreamed of
it. Whether justly or unjustly, he was
despised by his command; and only
held his place by sheer force of will,
backed by the authorities above him.
Il =.
ment when it reported for duty. Tired
out with the long service, weary with
an uncomfortable journey by river
from Memphis, sweltering under agulf-
coast sun, under orders to go farther
and farther from home when the war
was over, and the one desire above all
others was to be mustered out and re-
leased from a service that became irk-
some and baleful when a prospect of
crushing the enemy no longer existed
all these, added to the disaffection
among the officers, rendered the situa-
ton truly deplorable. In fact, the men
of the whole division were more or less
discontented, and would have been
troublesome under any commander and
any circumstances that kept them in
the service; but to be thoroughly or
ganized and subjected to the discipline
necessary to the maintenance of good
order, and to be forced to treat with
consideration the very people whose
country they had acquired a chronic
habit of devastating-and that, too, by
man whom they called yellow
haired circus-rider from the Shenan-
doah this seemed to them to be al
most beyond the limit of human endur-
ance.
The command had hardly pitched
their tents and kindled their camp-fires
before the spirit of reckless disregard
of authority began to manifest itself.
The men hated the commanding Gen
eral and staff "on principle" without
regard to what they did. "No Eastern
man can put on style over usr' Bright
buttons and spurs don't make a
soldierr' Its too late to teach us
Army of the Potomac notions" 1.-The
war is over; why don't they send us
home, instead of sending the up-start
Major General, with his first mustache,
to lord it over usP" These were such
speeches as one could hear at almost
any hour of the day or evening, when
wandering through the camp; and they
were delivered with such emphasis and
ill-suppressed bitterness that the effect
was exceedingly ugly.
Immediately the men, singly and in
squads, began to 90 on extemporaneous
raids through the adjoining country,
robbing and plundering indiscrimir ate
ly in every direction.
They seemed to have no idea that a
conquered and subdued people could
possibly have any rights that the con-
querors were bound to respect. But
such expeditions could not be permit
ted; indeed, the General was under
orders to treat the people kindly and
considerably, and he obeyed orders
with the same punctiliousness with
which he exacted obedience from his
command. Therefore, the most rigor.
Gus and explicit orders were issued
against " jay-hawking" of every kind
and the offenders were severely pun
ished. But the ordinary punishments
were found to be utterly inadequate,
The guard-house, police-duty, extra
duty, etc., had lost their terrOrsi and
punishments had to be devised thai
would reach class of men and ofenses
unprovided for in the regulations
The storm; which had been brewing
SO many months in the ranks of the sec
ond cavalry, suddenly burst upon 1t. A
paper, demanding the resignation of th'