Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-12-03
sunlight, and then shut them forever
in the eternal darkness Of death S real

Am to die? To be no more7 Talk
ed OF q, day or week, and then forgot
ten? is it who am to look at those
twelve soldiers III silent rank twelve
PAGES at my front? To hear the COM
mand, ''Ready-aim-f1en and hear
the death message, feel deaths bullet,
and know death lin one brief instant
and then forever know no more?
For the life of me I could not say,
eyes, it is l." / had no such feeling,
and why Icannot tell. ..~..
/ knew the law military-knew if !
was found guilty as a spy no power
but that of the pardoning prerogative
of the chief executive could avert
death. w.. FLAT l&%i4
Iknew all had been done by my
friends that could be done, without
avail. ~s j.,
Still, could not think that 1 was
to die so soon. - e.. ID.
Such reflections, retrospections, self.
arguings, came to me daily, as the
time drew near appointed for my ex-
ecution.
Finally it came. Shall ever forget
that November morning?
They had told me would be taken
out at 9 o'clock in the morning, and
would be allowed an officers room in
the barracks, where my parents, sis.
ters and brothers would meet me and
spend the last hours few hours with
me.
When taken out, uhey had to seat
me in the outer guard room quarter
OF an hour, until my eyes became &C.
customed to the piercing glare Of the
sunshine.
Then they took me to the room
where found my friends and minis
ter.
Just outside-we could see them
through the window-stood g. special
detail OF twelve men, selected as the
unwilling executors OF the sentenced
man
Telling me should have until the
last minute before 3 o'clock, but then
would have to 60, the colonel locked
the door and left me with my friends.
They had secured the privilege OF
II knew to comfort and console, per.
! haps to strengthen me for the fearful
ordeal through which I had to pass.
| But I had to comfort and console
them.
My father was broken down. 1t
must be horrid strain on fathers
feelings to sit and look at his son, in
the prime of manhood, and count of
the few intervening moments of that
boys remaining life.
Brothers and sisters could only gaze
! at me in speeches. misery, appalled,
by the gloomy shadow of death that
was then casting about me.
HAD to become CONSIDER, and strain
ed every power to smile. I would
not permit the man of God to offer
prayers, knowing his words would fall
| upon loving ears as death walls, as
clods failing on my coffin. l drew
them by everything interesting I could
think Of, to contemplate anything but
| my impending doom.
AS would about succeed the little
| clock in the mantel would strike, or
too:step on the stair outside. or some
| movements Of the garrison, would re-
call them to the horrid present.
The little clock seemed to me in
these intervals to tick as loudly as
| the c}atter of a mill. It struck the
half hours as we'll as the full stroke;
and it seemed to me it's tiny hammer
struck every five minutes. Ten! hall
past! Eleven! and a half Twelve!
Half! One
Heavens! How it licked off the Sec
onds, galloped the minutes. and start
led our ears with those half hours!
We were seated around the room,
close to each other as we could get.
Father ON one side, mother on the
other, a hand clasped by each, when
a step sounded without, a. hand touch
! ed the knob, the key turned in the
lock, the door was thrown open and
the colonel stood looking at us.
1luatinctively l jumped to my feet,
as father and mother sprang to my
side, hand each upon my shoulder.
How rapidly thought does its Office
in such emergencies!
My first thought was, their dining
hour approaches, and these officers
wish to get this unpleasant duty
through.
For a minute-it seemed eternity,
and that the little clock had ceased
to tell off time-we stood, the colonel
and myself, silent, gazing sternly at
each other.
He evidently expected me to speak
But did not, could not.
At length he slowly drew from his
pocket q slip of paper, and saying,
"Captain, l have just received this
telegram" read, while we gazed upon
hins in strained, listening saeerness:
The execution OF the sentence In tho
case Of Capt. William F. Gordon II post
poned until further orders. By order Of
The PRESIDENT"
None Of us spoke.
"You can stay with your friends
till 8. Then yougo back to your cell"
he said, closed the door and left US
hurriedly.
Father drew a long, trembling sigh
| and sank slowly to the floor. where
mother had already fallen. Their
support gone, the sudden, unlocked
for lifting of the cloud OF death, the
rush OF relief from the horrid night
mare, caused a quick revulsion OF feel
ing that made me limp as rag, weak
| asa dying babe. And too, sank be-
tween my parents. p
The minister said something I did
not hear, brothers and sisters knelt
around us, and I heard the preacher
pouring out a prayer ofgratitude that
the dark shadow OF death had passed
by, leaving the light of life.
My sentence OF death was commut-
ed to imprisonment and labor during
| the war. ,~"~-. 80:
But it was lifel ..,.s.., :
~ s .---.-e-. --------
Mrs. Cleveland is not seeing SO many