Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-23
SHOOTING DESERTERS.
Tragic Incidents OF the Civil War
How One Man Was Saved from
Military Injustice.
An Arrest-A Drum-H Head Court Martial
y Sentence of Death-An UnpIeas-
ant "Reminiscences.

ant "Reminiscences.
Desertions were frequent in the Union
army from the very first. But many of
these were only partial, us where a man
displeased with his officers or surround
ings, took a "French furlough" and en-
listed again with another regiment that
he tanced would suit him better. But
even from the first there were assertions
to the enemy. Among the deserters from
one company that the writer knows of, at
least five up to the end of 1862 have
always been supposed to have gone over
to the Confederates; two of them very
likely were spies-one certainly was.
Very soon after the army began to be
supplied by CONSUMPTION desertion in
creased rapidly. While in the lines in
Cold Ilarbor in June, 1864, the writer was
sent back to receive detachment of re-
Cruts for his regiment. Their muster
roll named 2l0, men but the officer tenn
porarly in charge of them had but ninety
to show, the rest had disappeared. The
officer to whom these men had first been
committed had also disappeared. But
though he was soon found and his story
OF having been attacked, oyerpowered aud
robbed by guerrillas was disOelievCd and
he was sent to state prison, nothing was
ever again seen of the missing l20 re-
cruits. At the time of his mysterious
disappearance the officer had in his pos
session several thousand dollars belong
ing to the recruits he was bringing from
Washington. This was never recovered,
ii seems.
That was an extraordinary case. But,
though men did not usually desert at the
rate OF l2O to 2l0, the assertions became
enormous by the middle of 1868, and
Gen Meade insisted on the enforcement
OF the extreme penalty, which the good
natured President Lincoln had been COM
mutlng as often as he could. The great
oountles, averaging 500 apiece, We're the
cause of the trouble. But, looking back
at the matter now, one would say that
those observation-disclosures who organized
the system of professional desertion In
order to divide the fraudulently obtained
advance bounties with the deserters
ought to have been dealt with at least ms
harshly rs the deserters themselves.
In September, 1868, the third division
OF the Second corps, in camp near the
Rapldan river, had its first execution.
Ihere were two condemned, both "boun-
W jumpers, " who had enlisted in Il rcgi-
lneht OF this division and had escaped az
Ter receiving the advance bounty, hoping
PROBABLY to repeat the game with some
other regiment Early one fine afternoon
the division marched out to the chosen
ground and formed three sides of q hol-
low square, the fourth side being a little
ridge. At the foot of the ridge were two
open graves about twelve feet apart. The
division, consisting of about 5000 men.
rested in place until the notes of the dead
march We're heard. "Attention!u was
sounded by the huglcs, and all WAS
ilgld silence as procession, com
posed OF the provost-guard surrounding
Two ambulanceS, in each of which one of |
the culprlts sat on rough coffin, entered |.
the square at one of the angles and halted
near the graves. coffin was placed at
lhe END OF each grave, and the two desert /
ers were made to stand up in front of the /
proVoSt-guard facing the long lines of
ATTENTIVE countenances of the division, |
"hile the findings OF the court-martial |
ana the orders for the execution were
read. After religious services The tvo
were arraigned sitting ON their collins
their eyes bandagcd and their arms min.
Toned behind, In front of each firing
party OF the proyost-guard took position /
ana the word Of command from The pro- |
Vost-marshal was given. One of the de. /
serters fell back on his CONN. Int
only wounded, for he SAL mn
again The other, who was not hir. I
Jumped to his feet, burst his pinions, and
sha'cntu away the white handkerchief
from ms eyes. There was a murmur of
9sapproyal throughout the division at
inc INC, aWkwardness of the provost guard. |
Ml,ch was now adding unnecessary dclay (
una torture to the penalty OF the unfor- .
,,, men The wounded man was
placed again and his party disn,tcbnl tI,,
with its next volley. He law motioplcss
on nus CONN. But the other seemed nj
tn,9St lnEulnerable, for the second yolley
rom ms party, though II may have
S ,'I,ra,.i, him. left him sim struggling
vigorously to free himself. brilliant
ldea then entered the ,proyost.morsbaIis
mlnu' He brought up his men one
Uy one close to the condemned 10 have
mem shoot him successfully. nut for
some reason the muskets would not 20