The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-04-16

the Chief Executive could avert death.
I knew all had been done by my friends
that could be done, asd without avail.
Still, could not think / 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 I ever forget
that November morning in '63? They
had told me 1 would be taken out at
nine o'clock in the morning, would be
allowed an officers room in the bar
racks, where my parents, sister and
brothers would meet me and spend my
last few hours with me. When taken
out they had to seat me in the outea
guard room quarter of an hour, until
my eyes became accustomed to the
piercing glare of sunshine. Then they
took me to the room where l found
father, mother, sisters, brothers and a
minister. 1t was the quarters of an
officer of the post, and very comforta-
bly, furnished. just outside-we could
see them through the window-stOod
a special detail of twelve men, selected
as the unwilling executors of the SEN
fenced man. Telling me should have
until the last minute before three
o'clock, but then would have to go, the
Colonel locked the door and left me
with my friends.
They had secured this privilege o.
spea ding these last few hours with me
Il knew to comfort and console, per-
haps to strengthen me for the fearful
ordeal through which l had to pass.
But I had to comfort and console them.
My father was broken down. It must
be horrid strain on a fathers feelings
to sit and look at his son, in the prime
of manhood, and count off the few in
! tervening minutes of that boy S remain
ing 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 strained
every nerve, called forth every power
to smile. l would not permit the
| trembling man of God to offer prayers,
| knowing his words would fall upon
those loving ears as death walls, as
| clods falling on my coffin. drew
them, by every thing interesting could
! think of, to contemplate any thing but
my impending doom. AS [ would
about succeed the clock on the mantel
would strike, or a footstep on the stair
| outside, or some movement of the gar
rison, would recall them with sigh to
| the hOrrid present.
| The little clock on the mantel seemed
| to me in these intervals to tick loudly
as the CHATTER Of a mill. It struck the
| half hours as well as the full stroke:
and it seemed to me its little whiI
would buzz and the tiny hammer strike
every five minutes. Ten! half-past!
| Eleven! and a half! Twelvei Half
| One! Heavens! how it licked off the
seconds, galloped the minutes, and
startled our panied ears with those
fieeting half-hOurs! We were seated
around the room, close to each other as
we could get. Father on one side.
mother on the other of me, hand
clasped by each, as the little monitor
on the mantel broke the gathering still
ness with its metal voice crying the
half hour gone!
Just then a step sounded without, a
hand touched the knob, the key turned
in the lock, the door was thrown open
and the Colonel stood looking in upon
up. Instinctively 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 through this
unpleasant duty before dinner.
! 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, would not
! At length he slowly drew from his
pocket a slip of paper, and saying,
Captain, L have just received this
! telegram" read, while we gazed upon
| him in strained, listening eagerness:
| The execution of the sentence in the case
4 of Captain William +. Gordon is postponed
| THE PRESIDENT
! Not one of us spoke.
''You can stay with your friends till
three. Then you go 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 sup
port gone, the sudden, unloOked-fOl
lifting of the cloud of death, the rush
relief from the horrid nightmare
caused a quick revulsiOn of feeling
that made me limp as a rag, weak as 9
dying babe. And 1, too, sank between
my parents.
Inc minister SdIu something ulC
not hear, brothers and sisters knel
around us, and 1 heard the preacher
pouring out prayer of gratitude tina
the dark shadow of death had passed
by, leaving the light of life. My sen
tence of death was committed to i'm
prisonment and labor during the war
But it was hfe!-W. F. Gordon, "a
Southern BiUOuGc.
=
LlMEKILN CLUB.