The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-24
An Execution On the Potomac.
NerJe,ry New,.

; ana Regiments and Whears Tiger 3attal.
ion, were cncamped near Centerville
i; Wheat having recovered from his wound
was again in command. The Seventh's
camp was between that of the Battalion
and Centeryille. One evening one of the
Tigers returning from Centerville, while
passing through the camp of the Seventh
had difficulty with a member of thai
regiment. lie was arrested and placed
in the regimenta guard house. The
night before, two of the Tigers, named
O'Brien and Laferty, had gone about
miles beyond Centervile foraging for
whiskey. Arriving at the place about
sunrise, they each had a couple of can.
teens filled and started on their return to
camp; trudging along they passed the
time by alternately singing a song and
taking drink. All went we'll until the
camp of the Seventh was reached. There
they were told that a member of the
Battalion was n arrest. The first thing
that crossed the minds of these generous
Irishmen, was to divide the whiskey with
their unfortunate comrade in arms. They
went to the guard.house, which was a
large tent, walked in without hinderance,
and in few minutes the trio were enjoy.
ing the contents of the canteen. The
Lieutenant and sixteen members of the
guard were lolling under the trees
upon the outside; four stacks Of arms
were standing in front of the tent, and
the sentry was pacing his beat. The
whiskey they were drinking, made these
brave men reckless. O'Brien whispered
to Laferty that the Seventh had no right
to hold Tiger prisoner, aud that they
would release him. They told Frank,
for that was the prisoners name, that
they would fight the guard and he must
run for the Battalion's camp; giving the
canteens to Frank they made ready for
the rush. Out of the tent they ran, to
throw down stack of arms, grasp gun
apiece, knock down the sentry, Lieuten-
ant and three or four of the guards and
drive the others off was the work of
moment. Col. Hayes, hearing the noise,
ran from his tent towards the guard
house. O'Bren seeing him coming
dropped the but of the gun he held into
the hollow of his shoulder, and told the
Colonel if he moved step farther, he
was dead man. The Colonel walked
back to his quarters, and the two victori.
Gus Tigers took the shortest route to their
own camp, and finished the day by get
ting gloriously drunk.
The next day Gen. Dick Taylor order.
ed that the two men should be arrested,
and placed in the guard. house of the
Seventh They we're arrested by the
first sergeant OF the company of which
they were members and turned over to
the Seventh. Col. Hayes ordered COM
pany to guard them. They were tried
by court.martial, convicted of striking
superior officer, and sentenced to be shot
N "a hours.
Gen. Taylor ordered that they should
be shot by twelve of their comrades.
The order was received with horror.
Would the Battalion submit to this hu-
initiation? Why not fight and die, with
the two men? was asked by dozen
tongues. What difference would it make?
None expected to survive the war!
After tapps that night dark shadows
were seen moving from tent 10 tent. Pres
emily armed men issued from the tents and
made their way 10 small grove, not a
hundred yards away; soon every enlisted
man belonging to the Tigers was in the
grove. What did it mean? Did they
intend q rescue, knowing that tie two
men were guarded by two regiments,
who had orders to sleep on their arms
and shoot down any body of men that
approached the condemned? No, they
had determined to die with their com.
rades. Quietly they formed in line,
word was passed not to shoot until they
were upon the guards and then every
man was to fight for himself, kill all he
could, and then die. The column moves,
they pass into the moonlight, by the
tents Of their sleeping officers no not
all sleeping, for there is light in the
tent of the Commander, the gallant
Wheat, unable to sleep, is thinking of
those two brave hearts, that will be laid
low on the morrow, thinking of the late
battle, of the man who caught the Colors
and bore them to the front, when the
color.bearer was shot down, and now he
must die all on account of drunken
spree, surely the Confederacy has no
lives to spare. The column reaches the
road, a march of a mile and they would
be thel and then-But what is that
coming down the road? 1t looks like
some one running, and is, who can it be?
he comes closer, stops, moves on, and
comes up TO the men, and they see it is
Lame Jerry, ayoung brother of O 'Brien's,
who has been allowed to visit the pris-
oners. He brings letter from the con.
demned. A light is struck and the letter
read, it says: "Boys, we know you will
listen to the last request of dying men,
for Gods sake attempt no rescue, we are
ready aud willing to die. Now that we
are prepared, we would rather die than
live and perhaps die unprepared. We
want men of our own company to do the
shooting and, comrades, aim at our hearts
and don't mangle our bodies" The men
looked at each other, all felt that the re-
quest must be obeyed; silently they
make their way back to camp, throw
themselves on their hunks and await the
morrow. When morning arrives the
Battalion is ordered out with side arms
only, they are marched to field, when
the troops are drawn up in the form of a
rectangle. with one end open. At the
open end are two stakes and two cotfins.
A battery of shotted guns are upon the
left. Two regiments of Infantry with
loaded muskets are on the right. The
General still fears rescue.
At the other end of the rectangle the
Tigers were placed in position, and
brought TO rest. The band is heard play
ing the Dead March, and soon the con.
demned are seen approaching guarded
by four companies Of Infantry. They
are taken to the stakes and ordered to
kneel, they ask to be shot standing, with
uncovered eyes. This request is denied,
so they kneel ard are tied to the stakes
with their hands behind them, a bandage
is placed over their eyes, and the Lieu
tenant steps back 10 give the command
to the firing party.
In, Lao. b,,t Gr,,, - orn,oc I>rn.