The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-01-19
CONDEMNED TO DEATH.
BY DARWIN @. PAvEY.

nlllcance was about 10 transplre. Olll-
GERS and orderlies hurried to and fro,
through the narrow streets and by-ways
of the place made famous as Grants
base of supplies. The members of the
Hath Pennsylvania, stationed near head
quarters, were sitting in their tents
Frightening their arms and accoure-
ments, or gathered in little knots in each
company street, were earnestly discus
sing the impending shooting. Provost
Marshal General Patrick, the Calcraft of
| the army of the Potomac, was here and
thore, like bird on the wing, issuing
orders and dispatching orderles with
promptness that BODIED no good to the
poor fellow whose life was to pay the
forfeit of an injudicious movement to-
ward home and friends, technically call
ed desertion.
At last after hours of active prepare
ton by the troops at and near head
quarters and unceasng meditation on
| the part of the doomed soldier, the col
umn formed and filed away to the place
of execution distant from City Point
about two miles, and directly in front of
the camp of the 18th Reg, N. Y. Vol.
Engineers. 1t seemed as if nature had
chosen Alright in setting apart this place
for military executions. From the spot
where the grave bad been dug directly
in front of an old gallows frame which
had been used few weeks previously
for the hanging of spy-the ground
rose gradually in nearly every direction,
forming, as it were, vast natural
amphitheater. The day was compare
lively cloudless, and although there was
little in the appearance of nature to in
dictate the approach of spring, the
| weather was such as is common to May
in our latitude.
But the column has reached the place
of execution, and the slight elevation is
| already crowned with soldiers, ordered
out to witness the death of comrade.
The condemned charged with deserving
from the 9Th Delaware, a prepossessing
man of middle age, alights from the am
bulance. He exhibits no fear, no emo
ton, but looks and acts as if he were re-
solved to die bravely. He engages in
earnest conversation with the chaplain
a man considerably shorter and slighter
than he, while the regiment forms into
| three sides of hollow square, and his
every movement is earnestly comment
ed upon by the host of sympathizing
comrades surrounding HIM At length
all preliminaries are arranged, the two
lines of soldiers are in "open order"
facing inwardly, and the mournful pro-
cession is started First comes the Off
Ger in charge of the execution followed
by the band of the Hath Pennsylvania
in zouave uniform. two men bearing up
on stretcher the simple oblong box
| in which the deserter is to lie, file of
six soldiers, the condemned and his spi-
ritual adviser, and q second file Of six
soldiers. Slowly the sad cortege moves
along; the sweet yet mournful music of
the Death March is waited on the slight
breeze of the morning to the ears of the
soldier boys who stand like statues in
bold relief seemingly against the sky it
self The noble bearing of the we'll
formed deserter, ELECTS remarks Of ad-
miration as he inclines his head, in or
der that he may the better hear the last
words of the man of God. The funeral
cavalcadeis 9assing down the third side
of the square, and the condemned keeps
unfatering step to his own death music.
| How fast our hearts are beating now, as
the prescribed march is ended, and the
procession is halted. The rude box
which will serve as a coilip, is taken
from the strctcher, and laid on the
ground by the side Of the grave, and the
soldier desertcr brave in the face of
certain death--is asked if he has any
thing TO say, Stepping forward, with
out the least semblance of braggadocio,
he makes few remarks which are
plainly heard by the hundreds of sol
diers about him, and his concluding
words, 81 die in defense OF my country"
ring out upon the air with an information
never TO be forgotten by those who
heard them. Meantime the cover has
been removed from the box, and he
seats himself upon the end. The officer
advances to apply the usual bandage to
his eye, but the brave fellow, true to his
! uctGTullHdtloH 10 ule HS DeCOulcIn "
soldier, firmly refuses to permit it. Six
soldiers are then drawn up "a few PAGES
in front OF him, arms at shoulder. 1t
is moment of the most intense dread
to every ooker-on, UNNECESSARILY so to
the man shortly TO be ushered into the
realm of the unknown. Ready, aim,
fire. The six fire as one man, and the
condemned falls backward into his cof-
fin, killed instantly, his limbs only visi-
bic from his knees down. The agony is
over, and the man who defied military
law, in order TO see the faces of those he
loved best on earth, has gone into the
presence of his Supreme Commander to
answer for the deeds done in the body.
The troops reform in solid column,
and TO the notes of sprightly in
strumental piece retrace their steps to
camp.
Seated in my little study, | look at a
picture over the mantel of smoothfaced
soldier boy nineteen years old, in full
uniform; and my mind reverts to the
scenes of sixteen years ago; the toilsome
marches by night and day, the midnight
alarm, the picturesque camp, on the APP
pomattox, and the little tent not far
from the James river, in which the pic
ture was taken, while an occasional gun
Ut "the 'front.'" told strange story.
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