The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-11-27
THE MESSAGE OF LIFE.
From the Youths Companion.

of that stirring time. The sequel of
the story, which Learned some months
afterwards, is narrated here with the
principal event; and both together de-
serve a 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.
1t was in February, 1865. ! was a
staff-oficer o. a division of the Union
Army stationed about Winchester,
Virginia; and military operations be-
dngthen practically overin that region,
I had succeeded in getting leave of alb
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
summed each way in getting to andfrom
my northern home. | lost no time in
making the first stage Of my Journey,
which was brief one, from Winchester
to Harper's Ferry, by rail.
| went back to the hotel after an
'tlONI > SUIOlly "IOlS SOIllC ICJUCIc, ICtlNA
all the newspapers | could find about
the place, and shortly after eleven
O'Clock went out again. This timemy
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.
"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 or Boil
var Heights. Here they come!"
The solemn strains of the music
were 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 Gea. Steven
son, the military ccmmandant 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
dn the whole a spectacle than
which nothing can be more solemn.
Close behind it came, as it seemedto
me, the entire population of Harper's
Ferry; q motley crowd of several
thousand, embracing soldiers off duty,
~camp-followers, negroes, and what
not. 1t was a. raw, damp day, not a
ray Of sunlight had yet penetratedthe
thick clouds, and under foot was q
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 q high ridge of
ground formed a barrier for bullets
that might miss their mark. Arrived
here, the troops we're formed In two
large squares of one rank each, n
square within the other, with an open
face towards the ridge. Two graves
he'd been dug near this ridge, and a
coffin was just In ear of each grave.
Twenty PAGES IN front was the firing
party of six files, under a lieutenant,
at ordered arms; the general and his
,staf sat on their horses near the CEN
tire.
Outside the outer square, the great
silence. The condemned man had
been brought 'front.' the ambulance, and
each one sat on his coffin, with his
open grave before him.
They were very different in their
aspect. One, a man of more than
forty years, showed hardly a trace
OF feeling in his rugged face; but
the other was a mere lad, of scarcely
twenty, who gazed about him with a
wild, reckless look, as ii ne could not
vet understand that he was about to
endure the terrible punishment OF his
offence.
The proceedings ofthe court-martial
were read, reciting the charges against
these men, their trial, conviction and
sentence; and then the order OF Gen.
Sheridan approving the sentence ito
be shot to death with musketry," and
directing it to be carried into effect at
twelve o'clock noon of this day. The
whole scene was passing Immediately
before my eyes; for astaff-uniform will
pass its wearer almost anywhere IN
the army, and / hadpassed h eguards
and entered the inner square.
A chaplain knelt by the condemned
men and prayed f%ervently, whispered
q few words in the ear of each, wrung
their hands, and retired. Two soldiers
stepped forward III hhandkerchiefs to
bind the eyes of the sufferers, and |
heard the officer of the fring-party
give the command in a low Tone
Hooked at my watch; it was a min
ute past twelve. The crowd outside
had been so perfectly silent that q
Autter and a disturbance running
through it at this instant fixed every
body attention. My heart gave a
great jump as / saw a mounted order
~ urging his horse through the crowd,
andswaving a yellow envelope overhis
head.
Tha snusiras onenad for him. and be