New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-11-25
THE MESSAGE OF LIFE.
From the Youth 8 Companion.

From the Youth 8 Companion.
Twenty years ago Twas one Of many
witnesses of scene that has left upon
my memory an impress perhaps deep
er than that of any other occurrence
of that stirring time. The sequel of
thestory which Learned some months
afterwards, is narrated here with the
principal event; and both together de-
serve larger audience than any that
has yet heard them, because they
touch the heart and arouse those feel
ings of sympathy which make the
whole world kin.
It was in February, 1865. was a
staff officer o. division OF the Union
Army stationed about Winchester,
Virginia; and military operations be-
ing then practically Overt in that region,
l had succeeded in getting leave OF abb
sence for twenty days. The time was
short enough, at best, for one who
had been long absent from family and
friends, and two days were to be con-
sumed each way in getting to and from
my northern home. Host no time in
making the first stage of my Journey,
which was a brief one, from Winchester
to Harper's Ferry, by rail
went back to the hotel after an
hours stroll, wrote some letters, read
all the newspapers / could find about
the place, and shortly after eleven
O'Clock went out again. This time my
ear was greeted with the music of q
band, playing a slow march. Several
soldiers were walking briskly past, and
inquired of them if there was to be a
military funeral.
4.No, sir" one of them replied; mot
exactly. 1t is an execution. Two de-
serters from one of the artillery regi-
ments here are to be shot up on Boil
var Heights. Here they come!"
The solemn strains of the music
We're heard near at hand, and the cor
tege moved into the street where we
stood, and wound slowly up the hill.
First came the band; then Gen. Steven
son, the military commandant of the
post, and his staff; then the guard,
preceding and following an ambulance,
In which were the condemned men. A
whole regiment followed, marching by
platoons with reversed arms, making
in THE whole spectacle than
which nothing can be more solemn.
Close behind it came as it seemed to
me, the entire population of Harper's
Ferry; a motley crowd Of several
thousand, embracing soldiers Off duty,
camp-followers, negroes, and what
not 1t was a raw, damp day, not
ray OF sunlight had yet penetrated the
thick clouds, and under foot was a
thin coating OF snow. Nature seemed
in sympathy with the misery of the
occasion.
The spot selected for the dreadful
scene was rather more than a mile up
the Heights, where high ridge of
ground formed barrier for bullets
that might miss their mark. Arrived
here, the troops were formed i'm two
large squares of one rank each, one
square Within the other, with an open
face towards the ridge. Two graves
had been dug near this ridge, and q
coffin was just i'm near of each grave
Twenty PAGES IN front was the firing.
party of six files, under lieutenant,
at ordered arms; the general and his
staff sat on their horses near the CEN
tire
Outside the outer square, the great
crowd OF spectators stood in perfect
silence. The condemned man had
been brought from the ambulance, and
each one sat ON his coffin, with his
open grave before him
They were very different in their
aspect. One, "a mann of more than
forty years, showed hardly trace
OF feeling in his rugged face; but
The other was q anene lad, of scarcely
twenty, who gaZed about him with a
wlld, RECKLESS look, as il he could not
yet understand that Inc was about to
end'Hne the terrible punishment of his
offence.
The proceedings of the court martial
were mead, reciting the charges against
these men, their TRIAL, conviction and
sentence; and then the order of Gen.
Sheridan approving the sentence ito
be, shot ito death with npusketry," and
drectinagiit to be carried into effect at
twelve o'clock noon of this day. The
whole scene was passing immediately
before my eyes; for a ff-,niform will
pass Its mearer almost anywhere in
the army, and Ihad passed theguards
and entered the inner square.
A chanlsin knelt by the condemned
men. and pnsa,yed fervegtly, whispered
a few words in the ear OF each, wrung
their hands ,:snd retired Two soldiers
stepped forward with hand kerchiefs to
bind the eyes OF the sufferers and I
heard the officer of the filming party
give the command in low tone,-
Observation-Disclosures
i looked Mt nay watch; lit was a min
ute past TWELVE. The crowd outside
had been so perfectly Silent that a
hutter and a disturbance ;rt,nning
through it at this instant fixed every
body S attention My heart gave a
great jump as I saw a mounted order
ly urging his horse through tine erowd,
and viewing a yellow envelope oMe,shis
head.
The squares opensad for him. and HE
rode in &nd handed hhe envelope to
the general. Those who were per-
COZ