Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-06
sENrENoED AND SHOT.

Teach us wisdom, Thou whose years
AnseaA'es sne e'ernsl spnee5ssi; pMesieago Times.
SENTENCED AND SHOT.
When the war closed, I was Gin at
the death;'' otherwise should not have
this storyto tell.
a bfaggart could have fred the first
gun-none but q hero the last; and
while the first battle was lost by re-
crnits, the last was won by veterans.
It was simply brave and generous to
fall in the first charge-but it was pure
~ 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 o rebel at Alexandria,
shot by your friends at Alexandria, La.
in 1865.
I returned from Shreveport to New
OAE00Ao 0AtOA b140 SuIICn00I VI IAlIUy
Smiths army-au 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.,
lated Second Cavalry. It had suffered
somewhat from different 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 q sort of independent COM
mand, which in the end resulted in q
loss of discipline and the ruin of those
bonds sof sympathy that bound most
regiments firmly together. To lead
such a. regiment into q hotly-contested
fight would be q 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 home-and Lieutenant-C Colonel
had failed to succeed to their spread
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.
The Storm which had been brewing
so many months in the ranks of the
Second Cavalry, suddenly burst upon
it. "a paper demanding the resigna-
ton of the Lieutenant-C Colonel, had
been largely signed by officers and
men and presented to him. This was
the Hint that struck out fire. In half
an hour the officers whose names APP
peared on that fatal list were deprived
of the1r swords, and the catastrophe
was mo longer to be avoided. Blood
was in the eyes of the soldiers, and
none in the cheeks of the oficers-yen-
gearfce was IN the hearts of the men, and
fear In the souls of the commanders.
There was quick roll of the drum-a
few explosive orders-a sudden rush
sort of dizzy. whirl; the Lieutenant-
Colonel narrowly escaped, and, by q
quick movement of the guard, q Ser
geant and several men, whose names
were on the paper, were arrested and
lodged in the euard-house. A;double
force WAS posted to prevent the rescue
of the p.isoners-and the immediate
danger was over.
After the storm, the calm. The anx-
iety of some men to get into trouble is
only exceeded by their solicitude to get
out OF it. 1t happened SO with these.
The violent and headlong haste of the
action was eclipsed only BY the reaction.
To the swordless officers musing in their
separate tents, and the imprisoned sol.
diers discussing the affair between their
bars, there came, in due time, repent
ance.
Such was the condition of the regi.
ment when it reported for duty. Tired
out with the long service, weary with
an uncomfortable journey by river from
Memphis, sweltering under gulf-coas
sun, under orders to go farther an6
farther from home when the war was
over, and the one desire above all 9th
ers, was to be mustered out and released
from service that became irksome anC
baleful when a prospect of crushing th'
enemy no longer existed-all these, ad
ded to the disaffection among the off
GERS, rendered the situation truly de
plorable. In fact, the men of the who'll
division were more or less discontented
and would have been troublesome un
der any commander and any circum
stances that kept them in the service
but to be thoroughly organized an,
subjected to the discipline necessary +
the Maintenance of good order, had t
be forced to treat with consideratiel
the very people whose country they ha
acquired Chronic habit of devastating
and that, too, by man whom the
called q yellow-haired circus-ride
from the Shenandoah seemed t
them to be almost beyond the limit Q
human endurance.
The command had hardly pitche
theirtents and kndled their campfire
before the spirit of reckless disregar
of authority began to manifest itseli
The men hated the commanding Ger
eral and staff s. on principle withor
regard to what they did. No Easter
man can put on style over us!'' '.Brigt
buttons and spurs don't make
soldierp' -" It's too late to teach U
Army of the Potomac notions" 9Th
war is over; why don't they send .
home, instead Of sending the up-stal
Major-General, with his first mustacht
to lord it oyer usP' These were sue
speeches as one could hear at almo.
any hour of the day or evening, whe
wandering through the camp; and the
were delivered with such emphasis an
I'LL suppressed bitterness that the effet
was exceedingly ugly.
Imnediately the men, singly and