Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-31
{ and buy q lamp, anu

discolored flakes. The foor was stone; q
solid or cemented mass that once mega
lived any Inorganic idea Of digging
out" Away up yonder, ten or twelve
feet away. was the arched brick ceiling,
whose sweaty surface told it, too, was
under sod. Shiny snails and thousand
legs" drew elammy ways across the moist
walls and floor; vcrmin found and fed
upon the noxious dirt damp; the disgustd
rats that crept in OF the grated door,
darted back to find o more yielding sub
stance for their ~burrowing teeth.
But the dampness and tho darkness
and the dirt were but grains Of dust COM
pared to the unutterable Loneliness that
grew upon me in that sepulchre. Not q
human soul-not eyen o brute, except
the scampering rats-to break the still
ness of that murky tomb! Out yonder,
somewhere. / knew was q grim sentry,
for / heard the measured tread Of the re-
lief as they left him on his lonely post.
But / never saw or heard him.
Twice a day, grimly silent, came the
cooks detail with my barrack soup or
coffee. But he was mute, under strict
orders not to speak or signal TO the pris-
oner, rs his baker like shovel reached in
nv morsel Of tainted food.
Perdition! how / strove to make him
speak! II he only would curse me,
abuse me, anything; even his profanity
would have sounded as melody In my
solitude.
never knew what music there was In
the human voice till in that dungeon
where 1t never sounded and where / soon
grew startled at my own.
The post chaplain's was the only hu-
nan voice / heard for weeks-and his
only once, for my levity shocked him so
that he gaye me up Us an irredeemable
reprobate. He offered q prayer for me,
however, / courteouSly kneeling with him
on the stone floor. But he never came
again.
He told me-what my occasionally al
lowed letters from my friends had too
plainly informed me-that there was no
hope OF escape from the fate that seemed
TO them and the outside world to be star
ing me in the face. Every possible effort
had been made, every available influence
pressed into service with the president,
and no had positively declined interfering
with the Judgment OF the court martial.
The worthy chaplain e~orroborated their
sad information. Said he:
Captain, you should prepare for
death, for your life ends in a few days"
Here was food for reflection, surely.
In the prime and yigor Of early manhood,
nv veins thrilling wi.h the bounding
energy Of young blood, life just begun,
with its plans, schemes and purposes oil
to work out; u young wife and two chill
dren, with all the hopes of joy existence
with them gave; ambitious walks all
wide before me awaiting 10 be trod; what
burning pages yet unread in the book OF
lifel
In battle the half-read paragraph Of life
is suddenly left with q dash, an I'M
seen, uufelt bullet cuts off without a
thought the might be.
But here alone, in silent darkness, the
heavy wonder would come, 80 strong
in health and hope of life, is death so
near"
Lies retrospect, as memory was forced
to the review, presented so much to be
undone, so much yet to be done, so much
Just begun that should be finished.
Is il possible-is it true-this hale,
hearty, healthy body so soon to feed the
worms? Are these 1.-THE limbs to walk out
in funeral pageant, my own funerals
Quick, active, firm as the soldiers who
march with me. Am l to march out with
them and they back without me?
To go forth from this living tomb, to
give my longing eyes n quafH OF sun
light, and then shut them forever in the
eternal darkness Of deaths real grave'
Am / to die? To quit? To be NJ more'
Talked Of o day or week, and then for
gotten9 Is IL l who am to look at those
twelve soldiers in silent rank twelve
PAGES ut my frout2 To hear the com
mand, "Roady-aim-frev' and hear tho
death message, feel deaths bullet, and
know death all in one brief instant-and
then forever know no more9
For the life Of me l could not say,
Eyes, it is IL | he'd no such feeling,
and why I cannot tell.
knew the law milltary-krow II l was
found guilty as q spy, no power but that
Of the ~pardoning prerogative OF the chief
executive could avert death.
KNEW all had been done by my friends
that could be done, and without avail.
Still, l could not think that | was to
die so soon.
Such reflections, retrospections, self
arguings, came to me daily, as the time
drew near appointed for my execution.
Finally it came. Shall / ever forget
that November morning in '63S
They had told mo / would be taken out
at 8 o'clock in the morning, and would
be allowed an officers room in the bar
racks, where my parents, sisters and
brothers would meet me and spend my
last few hours with me.
When taken out, they had to seat me
in the outer guard oom a quarter Of an
hour, until my eyes became accustomed
to the piercing glare Of sunshine.
Then they too& me to the room where
I found father, mother, sisters, brothers
and q minister. 1t was the quarters OF
an officer Of the post, and very comfort
ably furnished.
Just outside-we could see them
through the windOw-stood o special de
tail OF twelve men, selected Us the unwill.
ing executors OF the sentenced nan
Telling me / should have until the last