Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-26
5f}istellaueuus &eadiug.
HIS LITTLE SISTER.
VAR EPISODE TOLD BY IN EX-C0NFED-
ERATE SOLDIER.

wherein Joseph Wilson was sentenced to
be shot, and on the back of which is the
endorsement, ApprOved-Jetterson Davis,
President"
You see, my command was then in Nir-
ginia, and it was war times of certainty.
We rebels were hard pushed on all sides,
having little to eat and less to wear, and
it did seem as if fight had got to be mat
ter of daily occurrence. Some of us were
philosophers enough to endure what we
couldn't cure, but the young men, and
specially the chaps who had been conscript-
ed, were terribly Uneasy. They was ready
to give it up as lost cause and start for
home.
Well, this feeling, coupled with starva-
tion rations, sent a good many of our boys
over to the Union lines as deSerterS, and this
brings about my story.
One of the conscripts in my company was
a boy of seventeen named Joe Wilson: All
US fellows of thirty or thereabout felt like a
father to him. Aside from his youth, he
was poor and pale, with no march or fight
in him. Bless you! but the idea of little
Joey Wilson helping to breast back Yam
kee line of battle would have set us all in
a roar. He orter been home with his ma,
and none of us felt anything but pity for
him.
One night after the desertions had gone
on and become SO numerous that the big
officers had to take notice of 'em, trap
was sot, and 10! our poor leetle Joe fell into
it. Yes, sir-nabbed "in the act of DESERVING
to the enemy" and maybe you know what
that signifies, specially when that enemy
isn't cannon-shot away: 1t was surprise
to us that the lad had plucked up courage
nuff to make break, but reckon he was
desperately sick of the Confederacy, and
hoped in some manner to get back to his
home.
1t was determined to make an example
of little Joey, and I guess it wasn't over
ten days before he was convicted, and SEN
tence approved at Richmond and an order
read that he was to be shot at certain
hour. suppose it was all quite proper and
have gone hard with the men on that court
martial to convict him. Had he been gull
ty of murder l could not have aided to
bring in verdict against him.
Nobody had seemed to know or care
whether he had relatives or not, and SO our
surprise was great to learn on the day be-
fore he was to be shot, that little sister
had arrived in camp to plead for little Joe's
life. 1t was too late. She had been denied
by the President, and of course nobody in
the field had any authority to stop the exc
cution. She was in camp all day long, and
most of US got to see her. If /. should tell
you that she was the brightest, chippiest,
smartest gal of ten I ever saw I would on
ly be telling you the truth. She was eX-
actly like Joe in looks, 'cept a few points
handsomer, an she had his size and walk
an ways. Tell you, comrades, when saw
that gall believe her name was Nell
breaking down under the bad news and re-
alizing her helplessness, I'd have been will
linz to let 'em shoot me in Joe's stead
Deed, / would, though l say it long after.
1 just wanted to lay my hand on her curly
head and say:
"There, there, poor child-don't cry any
more! Pm all alone in the world and no
body'll miss me, and Pm going to take
Joe's place"
Wilson was the deserter and Joseph Wilson
must be shot to death as the penalty.
While the big officers couldn't promise
anything, they did grant her favor. She
asked for an hours visit with her brother,
and they gave it to her. We had him shut
up in the grannery Of barn, and on that
very morning was given six men and told
to guard him till he was wanted for execu-
ton. 1t was thus that the gal came to me
with bit of paper on which was written :
"Pass Nellie Wilson to see the prisoner
for one hour. See that she carries no weap-
ons."
1t was signed all straight, and I could not
question her right. l was directed to see
that she had no weapons hidden away, but
Lord save you dye think | even referred
to such thing? No sir! When she look
ed into my face, her eyes full Of tears and
her heart beating like that of wounded
bird, says to her, says /:
.sr~b{ IN (.OG
bless YOU for what you've tried to do"
Well. now, in about twenty minutes af-
ter she had passed in, what should enter
nv head but an idea which lifted my head
ckA off the floor. If that gal was as smart
as took her to be, she had plan to carry
out. What: Why to change places with
Joey and send him out in her place. That
was the idea, comrades, and for about five
minits / couldn't make up my mind what
to do. figured it out by and by, however:
Under one pretense and another | got all
the men but a single guard away from the
door, hung the lantern up so as to throw a
shadow where | wanted it, and while wait
ing for the gal to reappear l says to the
guard, says /:
"Jim, that gal must feel iist awful"
"Sartin she does" he answered.
"And when she comes out she'll be cry
ingg;nn ~, .,o will ;,
"Poor thing, but hope none o US may
seem to gaze at her too stout. She might
reckon we had no hearts,"
I tell you, the last twenty minutes was
hull week to me, and / had to keep mop
ping the sweat off my face. At last, there
was knock on the door, and opened it
and let her out. jist felt it in my bones
that it was little Joe, and so | says, says l:
"Well, child, Pm sorry foryou, and please
don't think any of us here are to blame"
With that, l hurried her out as fast as |
could and then had to sit down for the
weakness in my knees.
Next morning-what Jist as told you.
When they opened the door to lead Joe to
his death they dskivered his sister in his
place, and she was Just cute huff to smile
at 'em at that. Joey had been gone for
hours, and was safe inside the Yankee lines.
Shoot her? O, no! They had to let her
90, and it was sich smart trick that the big
officers didn't want it talked about too much.
Me? Well they did start to do something
or other, but Grant made move jist in the
nick of time to bust up all the proceedings,
and nothing further was ever done. Nobody
thought | had any knowledge of the plot,
but they hankered for a victim, and might
have put me in a serious plight but for hav-
ing other business on hand.-DetrOH Free
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