National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-05


, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT CUMBERLAND,
June S, lois p. m.
Colonel j. p Baird Franitin: -
There are no such men as INSPECTOR Genera
+ Lawrence w. AutOn, colonel, United States army
and Assistant Major Dunlop in this army, nor in
any army, SO far as we know. Why dc You ask +?
Brigadier- General and Chief of staff.
In reply to the question prepoundea by General
Garfield, Colonel Baird transmitted the following
| telegram:
Franklin, TKsN June s. 1880 D. m.
To BFi1Gdier General Gdrfeld, Chicf OF Ndf:
Two men came into our camp about dark
dressed i'll our uniforms, with horse equipments
70 correspond, saying that they were Colonel Auten
inspector-general, and Major Dunlop, assistant
having an order from Adjutant-G General Townsend
and your order to inspect outposts but their con
duct was so singular that we have arrested them
They insisted it was important TO go to Nashville
tonight. The one representing himself as Colonel
my bst coene taS cavaly
here, in whom have the utmost confidence is OF
the opinion that they are spies, who have either
forged or captured these orders. They can give
no consistent account of their conduct. want
you immediately TO answer my last dispatch. 1t
taxes SO long to get an answer from General
Granger, at Triune, by signal that telegrephed
General Robert Grainger. at Nashville, for in
! formation. alsosignaled General Gordon Granger.
II these men are spies il seems to me important
waiting their progress General, am your obedt-
-ent servant, .. j. P. BAIRD,
Colonel Commanding Post.
given by General Roseerans fully convinced that
officer that in all probability they spies, and
he instructed his chief of staff, General Garfield,
to order eourt- martial at once The following is
! the order, brief. peremptory and TO the. ;Soint
HEADQUARTERS Army Of FEg CUMBERLAND,
! MgRFREEsBoRO, June S, u p N.
| C0loila J. p BGtfd Fraakia:
The tt7ao men are no doubt spies. Call drum
Head martial night and if they found
to be spies hang them before morning wi thout fail.
M cR1af, ha1-n iitlI frap
4 headquarters J. a. GARFIELD,
Brigadier- General and Chief of staff.
! On this order Colonel Baird acted with prompt
ness. A court of commission was speedily organ
lied, which began its labors at once at his head
quarters. The detail for the court with verbatim
copy of its proceedings, findings, and sentence,
will be found elsewhere. There were few men
who slept that night within the limits of Fort
Granger The excitement was intense. Not only
was great interest felt in the result of the trial.
| but speculation was indulged in to an unlimited
extent as TO the future movements of the enemy,
who was supposed to be in the vicinity in strong
force ready to act upon the information he mi ght
receive from the absent officers. These officers
however, were never to return Finding that they
were to be promptly tried by court-martial in
obedience 10 orders from General Rosecrans, they
acknowledged their guilt. Colonel Baird, when
satisfied as to the true character of his visitors pro-
eeeded to inform General Rosecrans, as follows:
HEADQUARTERS, FRANKLIN, June S, 1883.
To General Garfield, Chtej Of .StgE:
had just sent you an explanation of my first
dispatch when received Your dispatch. When
your dispatch came they owned up as being rebel
colonel and lieutenant In the rebel army; Colonel
Auton by name but in fact Williams once on
General SCOTS staff and belonged to the Second
Cavalry ofthe regular army. Their rtse was nearly
successful on me- as l did not know the handwrit
ing of any commanding officer. I am much in
Gebted to Colonel Watkins Sixth Kentucky Cavalry,
for their detection and to Lieutenant Wharton, of
General Changers staff, for the detection of the
their guilt, what Shall l do with them? l COM
municdte with YOU because l can get an answer
sooner than by signal, but | will keep General
Granger posted. l Will telegraph you in short
time, as are trying TO find out and believe there
is attack contemplated in the morning. If
Watkins can get anything out of Auton viii let
you know. / am, General, your obedient servant,
Colonel Commanding Post.
In the meantime the court martial ordered by
General Rosecrans had organized and in the
silent watches of the night was proceeding
with its mournful task. There was no Ques-
ton as to the guilt of the prisoners Out Of their
own mouths they were condemned, as was de-
clared, on q similar occasion, by an American
officer during the Revolutionary War Colonel
Baird saw rising before him the painful task Of
executing these handsome and accomplished
officers as common spies, and his generous aud
sensitive nature shrank from the unpleasant duty.
While the court was taking the confession of the
prsoners-which constituted in reality their princi
pal task-ColOnel Baird, searching for some way
of escape, sent the following dispatch to General
Rosecranss
franklin, June {, ,3:e5 a. IN.
To General Carried, C4ief Of StatT:
Colonel Watkins says that Colonel Williams is q
first cousin of General Robert E Lee, and he has
been chief of artillery on Braggs staff. We are
consulting. Must hang him? If you can direct
me TO send him 10 be hung somewhere else would
like it, but if not, or do not hear from you, they
will be executed. This dispatch is written at the
request of Colonel Watkins, who detained the
prisoners. We are prepared for fight.
J. p BAIRD,
Colonel Commanding Post.
General Rosecrans was strongly of the opinion
that the men were spies when he learned that
they had presented orders or letters purpertng to
come from him; he was apprehensiTe and uneasy
In regard the military operations of the follow
ing day, and was therefore, anxious to hear the
result of the trial and guilty that they had been
executed without delay. Ths confession of the
men themselves removing all doubts in the mat
ter, he determined 10 hasten their punishment be-
fore the enemy could profit by their in
formation Being & man of tender and sym
pathetic feeling, he somewhat apprehensive
that his Judgment might be Overcome by appeals
for mercy; therefore, when he retired TO his Sleep
ing apartment. between three and four O'Clock in
the morning, he gave positive instructions to Gen.
carried out with directions, al the same time not
to bring him any more telegrams, dispatches, or
appeals of any kind whatever ON the subject. In |
pursuance of these instructions General Garfield |
subsequently sent, through Major Bond, the fol- |
lowing telegram to Colonel Baird:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT CUMBERLAND,
June ., 4:tO H. NJ
Co,ORel J. P. Baird FraaEIa:
The general commanding directs that the two |
spies, if found guilty be hung once, thus placing
it beyond the possibility of Forests protiting by |
the information they have gained.
FRANK S. BOND, Major and A. D. c.
This dispatch left Colonel Baird no discretion. /
Its terms were brief but as positive and Is en-
phstic, as the famous dispatch of Israel Putnam /
in revolutionary history. Nothing remained 10 be |
done but to carry the order into execution. The !
men had confessed their guilt. The early dawn /
of June morning was at hand, and no one could
tell how soon the sullen and threatening tones of
artillery might be heard, which would in
dicate the approach and expected attack +
of the enemy. Williams and Peter were in
formed that their doom had been pronounced,
and that their execution must take place as soon as
the necessary preparations could be made. They
protested against the sentence which had been de-
creed against them. They denied that they were
spies in the ordinary sense of the term, although
they admitted that they had entered the Federal.
lines wearing the uniform of nited States officers
and with forged orders, letters and passes from T
commanding officers of the Union army upon their
persons, Like Andre, if they not spies in the
ordinary sense of the term, it was because of the
bOldness and daring which characterized
THEIR SCHEME OF vILLAINY
and which made them all the more criminal and
all the more dangerous. They did not explain the
grounds upon which they made the plea that they
were not spies under the peculiar circumstances
which surrounded them. This is TO be regretted
as it might have thrown some light upon certain
features of their conduct which have never been
fully eOmprehended. That two officers of their
rank and character should have undertaken so
serious and dangerous an enterprise, knowing as