The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-09-01
A BIT OF WAR HISTORY.
UNDER THE SHADOW OF A MOOSE

A paragraph In an Eastern paper, Wrtssa
correspondent, has fallen under my rye
within day OF two, and It needs little e5--
rection. There are surviving Phiiadel lie
and New York soldiers who doubtless VIVID
~ recall its details. and your correspmiteut
was also Or g Of the interested parties. Tie
paragraph stated that Col. William Ray yfr1nd
Lee, Of Massachusetts,, had preserved the
ballot marked Death which h drew Ira
Libby Prison when thirteen hostages were
drawn by lot to be hanged I'm case the plivH-
taeriug crew of the Confederate bark S8vau-
nah, condemned to death in Phiiadelplia,
were hanged. It is a pity 10 spoil a pretty
picture but no such ballot was drawn. TIE
scene, however, was sufficiently 0rams-i-.
1t was lovey Sunday aftenOon in Novc-u-
Der when GeR Winder with his staff In lua
uniform, marched down to the prison an 1r-
dered the Federal officers to be assembled.
/ He then announced that he had an Gl-
pleasant duty TO perform, and that he was
/ to chose from the officers highest In rank
. hostage for the privateer Capt. Smith, and
/ twelve others for.tEe crew. There were four
] colonels and six other field officers among
/ the prisoners The four colonels were Cor
/ cOran, Wood, Lee and COggswen. Congress
man Ely was deputed by Gen. Winder 80
draw one Of their names, and in the midst lf
painful silence he drew out that Of Colonel
Michael Corc0ran, Of the New York Sixty
ninth Regiment, to undergo solitary conhue-
ment and possible execution. Col Corcc-70
was at that time in Charleston, 5. c. THel
the other field oficers were designate By
name, there being no need Of a ballot, sf-
4. -
to be drawn from those who held the RAJ 3 uf
captain, and one Of the three was Capt E7i-
fer, a Philadelphia, who commanded a com
pany in Col Bader's California regiment
Other Philadelphia officers who were pres
ent and belonged to the same command were
Capt. John Markoe, and Lieuts. Hooper,
Harris and Kenny. But the drawing OF these
last hostages was attended by circumstsucs
which always recall with pride. OF the
three who were originally drawn two were
wounded-Capt Ricketts,, Of the regular
army, and Capt. McQuade, the latter of
whom died a few days afterward. As soon
as the names were announced, Capt. Tom
Cox, Of Ohio, and Capt Ralph Hunt, Of Ken
lucky, stepped ont and asked 20 be allowed
to 90 in their places. The Confederate on
GERS seemed to be taken some what back by
this unexpected exhibition of gallantry on
the part of the Yankees and Gen. Wiuder
/ Cruffiy announced that he had no authority
! for such a proceeding.
Two others were subsequently designated
+, but We Do thought the better Of human nature
E.-=- handsome an exhibition Of unselfsh
manhood I remember that il was very
quiet lt with MS. We tried to Joke but
= - was not easy To be humorous under the
shadow ~ moose I remarked 20 COlone
, wood that l would try TO he present and wit
ness ais execution, and he said
, "AIl right. Tou'u want TO know how it's
done; but I'll De out Of my misery before
yours begins"
1t looked pretty dark for us all, for the
! merchants of the north were demanding ven
geance on the men who had burned their
ships, ard if a system Of reprisals had been
/ entered upon it would not have ended until
the last prisoner on each side had been exc
cuted. Happily. these days are numbered
with the past, and to most OF the participants
] their tragic outlines must seem like dream