The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-10-06

regiment tine ZOtn NOrCn
was encamped a few miles below
Magnolia,
All unusually heavy snow for that
latitude ] ad fa!len-the men yer
poorly provided with tents and
clothing, and desertions were becom-
ing alarmingly frequent. Col. Bur
gwyn, deeply chagrined and morti-
fled that the proud name OF his
magnificent regiment should thus be
sullied, sternly resolved "to put a
stop to it, and | will make an exam
pie of the first one that is. caught
said he in a moment of excitement.
That night three men deserted. The
next day, one of them, an illiterate,
harmless kind of fellow, who had
been enlisted under the c%onscript
act, was caught and brought back.
True to his word, Col. B. applied for
a drum-head court martial and it
was organized and the man tried,
and condemned t % be shot on the
next day at 1870 a. m.
That evening the regiments of
the whole command were brought
out on dress-parade, when, in accord
ance with the requirements of the
Army regulations, the specifications
and charges against the doomed
man, together with the finding of
the curt. were read. Then followed
an order from General Headquarters
that all the troops in the command
should be mustered in an open field
(Which WAS speciied) to witness the
execution. at 1870 a. M, the next
day.
A subordinate officer, Lieut.. P.
(who happened to know something
of the poor fellow and his family,
and Ct facts. which, if they had been
admissible under the law, would
have gone far, before the court, in
mitigating his crime) felt it his duty
to appear before the Colonel and
intercede for him. At first the Col
onel was memorable, but, after hear
ing a full statement from the Lieu
tenant, relented. "Will you put
your name to a petition for his par
don if the court will? asked the
Lieutenant. Eyes" sad the Colonel
rather reluctantly, "but," continued
he, "your efforts to save him are
unavailing, for the officers of the
court are now with their different
regiments throughout the camp and
are several miles from the Generals
headquarters. The execution is to
tlke place tomorrow morning at
half past ten and you cannot possibly
get the papers all arranged and get
them to the General in time to
arrest the proceeding" "Will you
permit me to ride n of your horses
to Col. Mar5halls quarters tomorrow
done?" asked the Lieutenant. "Cer-
tainly and with pleasure said the
Colonsl, "you may ride 'Black
Hawk"
The Colonel ordered Kinchen, his
faithful old servant, to arrange his
bunk and the Lieutenant babe him
good night and went to his little
fly" but not to sleep, until he had
written the petition and arranged
the details of the effort upon which
hung the life of a man whom he felt
deserved pity rather than death.
Next morning he mounted the
super, and spirited Black Hawk,
while yet the camp was silent in
sleep, and a brisk gallop brought
him to the quarters of Col. Marshall
just as the sun began to peep up from
the eastern horizon. Fortunately
the Colonel was up and more fortu-
nature still, a majority of the officers
Of the court were on hand in response
to an invitation of Col. Marshall to
take breakfast with him. The Lieu
tenant wasted no moments or words
in making known the object of his
visit. Col. NJ. spread the paper on a
box in front of him with great DELHI
eratiol, while an air of serious refec-
ton settled on his fine face as he
hurricdly ran over it's contents.
Looking up, he said earnestly,
"Lieuienaht, does Col. Burgwyn say
he viii sign this paper if we will?"'.
YES ; r" said the Lieutenant, "and
after l.saring the facts said he would
gladly do So" -
Gentlemen" addressing his
brother officers, who by this time
had gathered around in deep inter-
est listen to this" and he read
the petition. "What say your" eff