The South western news., 1888-05-16

GOING TO PLEAD FOR HER HUs-
EENp.
Like Jenaie Deans going TO plead
before the queens for her sisters
lie, the simple mountain woman
went to the Confederate capital
and pleaded her husbands cause
before Jefferson Davis.
I SIIehad Il IN iier power to proven
] that he had shown himself a brave
soldier; that he had not left the
camp from cowardice, or detection
from the cause, but from his overs
whelming love for his dying child j,
and his intense desire to see her
once more before she passed away.
Davis finally granted the mans
pardon and drew up a paper to
that effect, which he gave to a
messenger, directing him to take
the next train and carry the dis
patch to the prisoners commanding
officer. He moreover, gave the
woman duplicate paper, to make
her husbands release the more cer>
tain.3
Joyfully she started off with the
precious document that was to car.
ry lite and liberty to her beloved
husband. The cars all seemed too
slow for her burning impatieuce.
The train was always heavily load
ed in those days; there was so much
travelling to and fro, so much shifts
ing Of the troops from one point to
another. From hard and constant
use during the war the railroads
got into very bad order, so that
accidents and detentions we're quite
frequent occurrences, especially to-
wards the CLOSE OF the war. On
this fateful trip one of these fires
quent accidents occurred during
the night. 1t was not a very dis,
astrous accident, but still it occa-
stoned the detention of the train
until day before the necessary re,
pairs could be made.
NEARING THE CAMP.
1t seems as if the stars in their
courses fought against the con,
demned prisoner. His wife wrung
her hands with frantic Impotence
during the detention, bur there
was no help for it She had to en-
dure it, though each moment seems
to her an hour. At length she wa
speeding on her way again, and in
few hours more she reached he
destination. She aud Davis's me
senger started together in a wagon
for the camp urging the driver to
almost frantic haste. As they near4
ed the camp the sound of a voll Y
of guns made the poor wife SILVER
an ,mn pale. Iney reached tn.
ramp. She could moi ask a ques-
ton, but thee messerg ger requested 7
that they should be c6aducted to
the commanders, Silently she
handed h'da tho, -pfesi1lent'e paper.
lie took it, read It %itb-whitc ace
and lips and silently turned away
from her. 1t vas too late; eh
terrible truth was borne to her
wIthonta word being spoken. Vita
a heart rending shrek she tell in
sensible on the ground. Tendelig
the brave bat stern men arodnd her
lifted her up and mirisfsred to her
and tears stood in many a veterans
eyes over the sorrow. stricken wo>
man.
The commanding officer had de-
terred the execution three days,
and even late into the afterboon Of
the third day. Then thirteen men
from another regiment than John
Balls We're chosen, and twelve OF
them were given muskets, though
only one Of these muskets had shot
in it. The thirteenth man was
held in reserve in, case Of the first
shot not doing the work efIectually
and to render the scene more hqr-
rowing this actually proved to- be
case, so the thirteenth man was
called on to give the death wound
to the ill~tated John Ball. Tins
man declared afterward to friend
that this was the most terrible mo,
ment of his life, and that he would
rather have undergone death him,
self than to be called on 10 fulfil
such a task. / have given a ficti>
tious name to theprisoner, but in
all other respects | have adhered to
facts. i
THE wIFE's FATE.
When the wife recovered from,
her swoOn her brain was ca derore,. +