The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-16
SHOT FOR DESERTION.
The Punishment OF a WOuld-Re
county Jumper.

AlkO VI -
Bounty Jumper.
"Fall in to witness execution. Turn
out every man." said the adjutant On the
morning of December %, 1864. We
were then near Fort Dushane on the
Weldon railroad, and the wide field neal
this work had been selected as the scene
of the most impressive service in military
life. No excuse availed that clear and
cold December morning, but every mar
in the regiment was put in the ranks,
and marched with unwilling steps to the
place assigned in the division line. The
division formed on three sides of a
square in two ranks, opened and faced
inward, leaving a lane about ten PAGES
wide. After the lines were formed we
did not have long to wait, but the pris'
oner, preceded by the division band, led
by Henikc, late of the Germania band OF
Boston, entered the lines, and com.
menced the march of death. The baud
added to the solemnity of the occasion by
playing q dirgc. The victim, a fine
looking young fellow of twenty-une,
marched with head erect, glancing from
right to left, as if the affair was a street
parade in his honor. 1t seemed impos-
sible that he was taking his last look at
his comrades. and that he could be a de-
serter to the enemy. In answer to the
question. "Who is he7" this was told:
John E. Dixon was living in the Brit
ish provinces b few months before, and
sought the hand of one of the fair
daughters of his native town. The suit
was rejected, and although the young
fellow declared his intention of going to
the States if she persisted in her refusal,
she was obdurate, and he became desper-
ate. True to his word, he came to Massa-
chusetts, and enlisted as a private in
company H, First Massachusetts, heavy
artillery, and was sent to the front as a
recruit. After a time the young woman
heard what her lover had done, and
then she repented of her conduct. She
wrote to him beseeching him to come
home, and promising that if he would
she would bestow her hand upon him.
This very naturally made our recruit un-
easy. He had received a large bounty
from the town of Holliston, and he
argued that could be get home once
more, with a wife and several hundred
dollars, he might reasonably hope to be
happy. The girl continued to write
urging him to come home, an6 her per-
sistence put the idea of de sertion into
his head. While in this state of mind
he came across one of the circulars which
the Confederates issued and scattered
near our picket line, and distributed in
the camps where they could do so.
These circulars appealed to all foreigners
in the Union army, promising any
who would desert to the ~Confederates
that they should at once be returned
to their own country at the expense of
the Confederacy. This was a great
temptation, and we lost a good many
men by the ingenious plan. Dixon re-
solved to accept the offer OF the Confed-
crates, that he might also accept the offer
of his girl.
One night on picket he threw off his
equipment and gun, left his post and
started for the Confederate lines. 1t was
dark, and he did not know our line had
made a turn at right angles not far from
his post. The consequence was
that he left cur lines, o%bliquing
a little in the darkness, and in
stead of reaching the Confederate
outposts, he very soon came upon one of
our pickets. "Hullo, JOHNNY" said
he, give come over to surrender myself.
I've got sick of stopping with these
Yanks any longer" "Thc deuce you
havew remarked the vidette, and the
deserter was quickly secured by the SOL
diers and marched back to camp.
Charges were preferred, a court martial
found him guilty and he was sentenced
to be shot. AS desertion had been quite
common among the foreign born soldiers,
it was decided to make an example OF
this case, and his execution was ordered.
His grave was dug in the open side OF
the square above described, and q plain
coffin placed beside tho opening. When
the procession reached the spot the band
marched to one side, and both lines were
faced toward the prisoner. He coolly re-
moved his cap and coat and %conversed
with the chaplain, who prayed %fervently
for the soul about to take its fight. The
pClSOueE Iueu Seatcu AiuloS1A VII wv
of the coffin. His hands were not tied,
and he requested that his eyes be not
bandaged. But the provost marshal
would not consent to that, but tied a
handkerchief over his face. The firing
party consisted of eight men with seven
guns loaded with ball and one with blank
cartridge, neither one of them knowing
which had the blank. Silently, by mo.
ton of the provost marshal, the squad
brought their guns to the 'ready" and
the "aim," and on the dropping Of the
handkerchief the velley broke the still
ness, and the man fell back a corpse.
The surgeons stepped forward and pro-
nounccd him dead, bullets of the provost
guard having done their work instantly
and humanely.
The men in the ranks tainted away
during the scene, and the effect on all
was very marked. The men who tainted
came under suspicion as bounty jumpers,
or as meditating desertion, and were
carefully watched, but for sometime
afterward there were no assertions, if it
did not wholly break the practice
Wo6urn (Mass.) Journal.