The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-03-19
"ENGINE THIEVES" "
The Great Story Of Capturing a
Locomotive"
By REV. WIN, FITTENGERs
lCorYRi0HTEp. 15si.l
CHArTER XIV.
TEE cRowNING HORROR.

The event described in this chaper will never
be effaced from the memory of any witness.
Nothing more terrible or more gratuitOuSly
barbarous is recorded in the annals of civilized
war. The seven men OF whose death am now
| to write were all young-from Is to %. With
good prospects, and well connected, they had
entered the army at tho bidding of patriotism,
ready to endure every peril to insure triumph
Of the old flag. Their only olfcnse, when
stripped of all techncality, was that of accept
ing a dangerous service proposed by their own
officers. They had entered on this service in
| the same spirit that they would have obeyed
an order to head desperate charge on the ene-
my's fortiications. Had they perished in the
enterprise itself, their fate would have been
but the common fortune of war. But more
than two months had passed since they had
been i'll the power Of their enemies, who had
repeatedly testified admiration for their hero
ism, as we'll as for their gallant bearing in cap
tivity- Prominent officers had held friendly
conversations with them and assured them of
ultimate safety. Now without q moments
warning- But l must not anticipate the
narration.
One day-the 18th of June, 1S62-while
amusing ourselves with games and stories in
our prison-cell we saw through the barred
| window squadron Of cavalry approaching.
| This only excited languid curiosity at first,
| for ii common thing TO SEQ bodies of
| them halt before the gate of the high prison
| wall and throw line of soldiers completely
| round the building. This was ordinary
occurrence. What could it portcnd?
| moment after we heard the clink of the
| officers swords as they assembled the prison
| stairway in unusual numbers while waited
! the event with deep solicitudo. They paused
{ at our door, which was unlocked by the jaier,
and the names of the seven who had been tried
| at Knoxville were called over, one by one, and
| each man as he was called led out of the room.
Samuel Robinson was very sick with fever
and was not able to rise without assistance. bu t
two guards helped him to his feet, and be WAS
| taken out with the others. Then the door
opposite to ours, on the other side of tho hall,
was opened, and the TenneSseoaus in that room
put with US, while our comrades with the
whole number of officers, went into the vacated
room, and the door was closed.
With throbhng veins VIC asked one another
the meaning of these strange proceedings. A
confused sound was heard through the closed
door opposite, as of some one reading but we
could distinguish no words. Some of US sup
posed they were taken in there to receive their
acquittal; others, still moro sanguine, main
tanned that they were now being parolcd,
preparatory to an exchange.
was also suffering with maarial fever at
that time, but rose to my feet oppressed with q
nameloss fear. A half-idiotic man who was
among the Tennessee prisoners cane to me aud
wanted to play game Of cards. | struck the
greasy pack out of his hands and bade him
leave me.
Our terrible suspense was not Of long dura-
ton. The door opened and George ID. Wilson
entered first his handsani arms firmly bound
aud his face pale rs death. but with form erect
and firm step Some one asked in whisper n
solution of the dreadful mystery, for his coun-
tonance had appalled, every one.
" He are 10 be eTecutcd iamcdidtclyi" was the
awful reply, whispered with thrilling distinct
ness.
Behind him came the others. ali tied, ready
for the scaifold. They were to be hanged at
once Not day nor an hour was given for
preparation. From their hopefuluess aud fan
cied security they were snatched iii a moment
to die rs felons. Surely no rule Of war. mil
itary necessity. no consideration of policy re-
qured such frichtful and murderous haste.
have never heard word in defense of this
military massacre. Even Andrews. our leader
was given a week for preparation before the
execution of his sentence The most atrocious
criminals are always alIowed short respite
For long time | cherished the belief that
some misunderstanding OF orders. some terrible
error, and not deliberate cruelty, led to this
frightful haste. But tho following death SEN
tencc seems to leave no room for doubt. In
the very center of the Confederacy with hun
dreds of troops at their disposal for guards.
there could have been no military necessity tor
hurting these poor men into eternity without
ono hours warning.
The following is q literal copy of the death
sentence read to the doomed men during the
few minutes they were separated from US:
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. EAST TENNESSEE,
KNOXVILLE. June Ia 1852