Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-23

t1 as hostages for the surrender of
NV, my s 'sssass1ns OF Captain -, and that
NJ $3.50 ehe men We're delivered ND who
1910 l,'s. oohe this atrocious act. the hos
'"S Sf would he dealt severely with.
oro', uea excitement and interest was
aroused by this proclamation. but I
never never learned IN, that anything was done
-. ~ ~ et.gullty men We're not given
up, ana believe that after time the
hostages We're allowed to go quietly
paeA 10 their homes. do not believe
mat any reprisal was made. further
e enal ehe OBTAINING of those citizens for
t t1al weeks, and, probably, pretty
thoroughly soaring them. The STIR
ring events OF the Port Hudson cam
paigh came on, and minor affairs like
TINS were overlooked. The command
ing General was probably glad to let
.he whole business go, and not punish
men aI, Tor what was not their offense.
-, Ihfee years ago l met comrade of
those days, on the way to New York.
AS the train passed "Garrison's." on
the Hudson, we looked across to West
FONT and naturally drifted. into talk
about the war. He had been in that
campaign. also, an officer in New
York infantry regiment, in the same
division, but not in the same brigade
with myself. Our talk ran on this. our
flrst campaign i'll Louisiana, and hap
pened to mention the incident of the
killing Of Captain - by the guerril-
las on the Courtableau.
"Aou knew that he was a brother of
General -, who commanded nv
brlgade?" he asked.
Yes; l heard Of it at the time"
"Well, it was sad fate for the DOOR
Captain, but it was something like di-
vine retribution for the General"
"How so?"
did you never hear of General -
ordering man Of my regiment shot on
that march?"
"No."
Il will tell you about it. At one of
the halts for the night, private of our
regiment was proving about, and APP
propriated something at a citizens
house near brigade headquarters. The
| depreciation was reported to the Gen
eral, who, in q great passion, sent a
guard and arrested the man, had him
brought to headquarters, and actually
had him shot by his guard before the
case could be known and represented
to army headquarters"
You don't mean to say" exclaimed,
that without court-martial, and solely
on his own order, a brigade commander
took a soldiers life?"
"That is just what he did. The fact
/ ic 1rol1 KNOW, RI mann, oc;1o. ,,x-,o1f
[ hope his conscience punished him for
it afterward; 1 believe he never had
any other punishment.
"The affair was all over before we
knew of it in the regiment. Our Colo
mel was white-hot with anger; he went
to brigade headquarters and gave the
commander a very plain piece of his
mind, which was not resented at all.
suppose the Colonel said enough to
have got him into a bad scrape, but he
was not a particle afraid at that time
and let his tongue right out.
GA few days after came the shooting
of the Generals brother by the gue1ril-
las. The Colonel no sooner heard Of
it than he went over to brigade head.
quarters. He found the General feel
ing very Dadly. Inc deceased was MS
favorite brother. and more than ordi
nary affection had existed between
them.
"a more blunt, plain-spoken maj
than Colonel - never lived. He
did not spare the other man particle
" This is Gods punishment on YOU
for your wickedness, General p he
said. Your brother was shot through
the head-just as that poor soldier was
1t is a retribution on you for you,
crime. Just think Of that, along with
your grief for your brothers death! p
Chicago Ledger.
*Though the General in question died abou
| two years ago. think it better to suppress thu
name. To state it might give needless pain il
some quarters. j. F. L.
A Company of George Washingtons.