The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-03-25
A LOTTERY OF DEATH.
AGhas,iy STORY OF no.ey'. Command.

A GhasfIy story or Mosby's Com mand.
A writer in the Philadelphia IVoekks
Times relates the following story of the
war as told to him by asoldier of Mosby'f
command:
g On arriving at Rectorville, Virginia
we found Col. Aosby with full command
drawn up in line, and he himself i'll con
sultation with his principal officers. One
of these finally advanced toward the
squad which guarded the union prisoners
aud gave orders to draw them up in line,
The adjutant then rode forward and read
an order stating that seven of our men
having beenrecently hung by the enemy
it was determined that seven of the pris-
oners should be hung in retaliation, and
that lots for these seven would be inn
mediately drawn. A scene ensued which
viii be impressed upon my memory nm
Til tue day of my death. A cry of an
gllish and Consideration arose from the
unfortunate prisoners. Some naplored
the guhrd to intercedc with Col. Mosby
and have them excluded from the draw
ing, two of them declaring that they were
merely suffers, and not fighting men,
never having fired a gr- dt Southern
soldier Others sntd they had been
drafted into the Federal army contrary to
their wishes and were friendly to the
Soath. Others again expressed a will
;6ness to desert that army and Join our
standard. While this tempestuous ap-
peal for life was going on among these
poor fellows. the main body of prisoners
heard the awful sentence with deep de-
lection but sullen resolution.
"In the course of twenty minutes,
two officers approached, one of them
holding a hat, in which had been placed
number of wads or balls of paper, cor
responding the number OF prisoners.
Seven of these wads were marked. The
drawing then commenced, the officer
with the hat requiring the right hand
prisoner to take out ball. which when
drawn he handed to the other officer in
attendance, who on opening pronounced
IT 10 be either blank or otherwise. At
first several blanks We're drawn, then
came a marked ball, which was drawn
by n cavalry soldier of Clusters command
and hailing from Michigan. This man
very cody remarked that he was prepared
to die for his country.
'''Six men have now been drawn,
cried the officer with the hat; 'one more
must come.
"The next and last victim was drum
mer-boy, who, upon being informed of his
fate, uttered the most piercing cries, and,
throwing himself upon the ground, ex-
claimed that he was only drummer-bOy
with neither father nor mother, and
begged TO bespared So greatly was the
pity of the officers excited that they i'm
mediately applied to Col Mosby to spare
this boy. He very promptly replied
that he did not know there was boy
among the prisoners, and ordered that he
should be removed and the drawing
taken overagain. This was done, and on
the second drawing my friend a heuten-
ant, drew q marked ball 1 was shocked
by this, and he was greatly distressed,
but exhibited a courageous resignation
to his fate. Calling to him a soldier of |
his company, who had also been taken
prisoner, he requested him to take to
his wife an empty pocket-book and pen
ch-case, saying these were the only
souvenirs he had left when condemned !
to execution, and that his last thoughts |
We're with his wife and mother i was |
deeply affected at his fate, and desired
to assist him if possible. Whispering to
him, / asked him If he was Freemason,
to which he replied in the affirmative.
Immediately after this the guard was
ordered to march off with the seven men
who had been condemned. We pro-
ceeded with them q being one of the
guard only few hundred yards, when
we We're ordered to halt and await fur
ther orders, and in few moments
freshly y-mounted squad of fifteen men,
commanded by a lieutenant and equipped
Tor raid, approached us, with orders
from Col. Mosby that we should be re-
heved from care of the prisoners. Among
the number of this relief gaurd was an
intimate friend of mine, to whom l re-
lated the circumstances in connection
with the lieutenant, and also informed
him that. he was a Freemason. Being
anxious to learn their destination, I
questioned him about the recent order,
and he informed me that they had been
commanded TO take the prisoners across
the mountains and as near to Sheridan's
headquarters as possible. and there to
hang them, He promised me that he
wonld do all that he could consistently
with. duty in behalf of the condemned
officer. They then proceeded on their
way, and several days elapsed before 1
heard anything of their movements. On
meeting with my friend, he gave me the
following particulars;
''They reached Paris on the same
night after leaving and were there met
by Capt. Mountjoy, who was returning
from the valley with batch of prison
ers Being friend of MountlOys he
took the first opportunity of informing
him of the situation of the lieutenant
and also informed him that he was a
Freemason, and requested that he would
try to save him. Upon hearing this
Mountioy requested an interview with
the officer, and Immediately afterward
he crossed the street to where he kept
his own prisoners, and returned with
them. These he presented to the officer
IN charge of the prisoners as two OF
Clusters men, whom he wished to sub
stitute for the lieutenant After some
hesitation, and with the condition that
Mountjoy should assume all response
bility, the exchange was made.
The officer, after returning earnest
thanks for his life, was hastily transferred
to batch of prisoners under the care of
a sergeant, who was told to make all pos
sible hnste to Gordonville, and specially
to get out of 'Mosby's dominions' before
the break of day. The others met their
fate.