Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-02-14
War "Reminiscences.

a correspondent % ire W Eit gton PTeSS
writes as folcws Alter ti> f.treet from
Yorktown to- Se.enteenih Virginia rtgi-
ment was encamped below Richmond Ere
quent complaint Has made by nea Of the
different companies Of theiis committed on
their efiecte. AZ the men were wei! &C
uuainted with each other, and had fought
and bled together, it wss hard TO lay the
fueer Of euspicioD On any one. A strict
watch was sept, and at last the thefts were
fixed upon two rsCruits who had lately
ioined one Of the Alexandria companies
Now, wish TO say right here, that iu three
wears OF service i'll this regiment, do not
remembe @ single instance, bat the above,
where man was caught stealing from his
comrades Even when almost starving the
men would not surrepttiously take even
crust from the hHversack CT q comrade. On
the contrary, in my company, at least, it
was share all around III time OF scarcity, OIL
though it must be Acknowledged that when
the cooks dOled out the scanty Iatious each
man wes ready 10 take the best pieces. But
TO our tale. a court-maftial condemned
the aforesaid thieves TO have their heads
shaved, plGcarG marked thief" attached
10 their backs, and 10 be Gtummed out OF
camp 10 tuS tGLo VI tbS 4eOSu HAdi Ga
before the assembled regiment. Now 1t so
happened that | was corporal OF The guard
10 charge of too prisoners Oh the Cay the een-
tence was to be carried into effect, snG 1t
was my very disagreeabe duty to act as ton.
the finishing toilet Of the pilieFers, as ii
were. fei. sorry ior the men, bad SIS they
had shoTn themselves 10 be, for the dis
grace which lheJ must undergo seemed but
little preferable 10 Geath Itself. Entering
the tent Nhere the men were confined !
found them playing cards. you men must
undergo Jour sentence 81 8 O'Clock, said |,
"but you must bear up. You have brought
it on yourselves "Oh, lever mind, corpy,"
said one OF them, and they were both laugh
ing, We're glad TO get loose. Well be en-
loving life while you fellows aIe food for the
worms" Utter DISCUS! seized upon me, and
felt no more compuuction Of conscience.
Calling in Two OF guard to hold fhe acound-
reis in I. convenient position, l se;zsd the
shears ana took my first ant last lesson as
a barter. / think the jcb we5 we'll done,
for cut to the skiu in come places and left
their hesds striped like zebra'5 back. at
8 D. NJ. tho regiment was drawn up as ii for
dress parade, and marched the thieves out
With file of bayoneis at the back Of each
and when all was ready paraded them up
and down before the line With the ffe5 and
drums rafting away merriiy at he "Rogue's
March, behind them, amid roars Of laugh
ter from the men who had been dishonored
by their presence Taking the pitiful fel-
lows to the boundary OF the camp they each
received kick 10 the rear from the guards
and were seat on their way rejoicing.
One Of the most painful memories OF the
war have was the execution of a conacript
named Radcliffe belonging to my company
II had at that time been commissioned in
the Irish battalion OF regulars in 1868. He
was utterly worthless as soldiers After
deserting and being brought back two or
three times, he finally desperately wounded
o guard who endeavored to balk still another
attempt to desert. He was captured, court
msrtialed, and sentenced to be shot, al.
though the court for long time heaitated
to pass sentence, as some OF the members be-
leved the man to be half witted. Had not
Radcliffe nearly killed the guard be would
have only been confined, as be did not at
tempt to desert to the enemy hut to go home,
but the assault determined tbe minds of the
court On being brought cut for execution
the poor devil blaspbemed and howled and
struggled with the gusrcs 10 8 heertrandtng
manner, and it was not until he saw that hi5
PRAYERS for mercy were useless that he
braced up like man, and quietly kneeling
upon his coffin received ia his bosom the fa-
tai bullets. 1 have ever Thoughts, ard l
think still, that the execution of this man
der the circumstances.