The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-02-02
Shadow Of the GalIows.
BY A CONFEDERATE.
Published by Request.

In February, 1868, when Genera
Morgan was at McMinsville. Tenn.
Capt. j. R. Lisles, of his command
took advantage of the occasion tt
pay a visit to his mother, who wa.
living on farm few miles away
The Federals were In force in the
country, gathering to attack Nor
gan, and Lisles realized that hi;
trip would be fultof peril. He, how
ever, persisted in his intentions and
got through safely. He was at home
during the afternoon, and as evening
came on he made ready to depart
Two other Confederates, whose
homes were near by, had made fly
ing visits, and were now at Lisles
waiting for the captain to give the
word to move. just as the men had
risen to go, a raiding party of Fed
eral cavalry rode up to the house
Before they could completely sur
round it, Lisles and his friends made
dash out of the back door to es-
cape. They were seen and fired on
and pursued.
Two of the men were killed out
right by the volley and Lisles was
wounded in five places. A moment
after falling down he was surround
ed and two of his captors fred point
blank at his head TO finish him, but
without hitting him. An officer then
came up and cursed and swore at
him for "a id rebel recruiting Off
GER" and the wounded man was
placed on a horse and compelled to
ride nearly a dozen miles before he
received surgical treatment. AL
though regular soldier of two years
standing and legally entitled to the
treatment accorded prisoner of
war, his captors insisted that he was
recruiting officer sent out by Nor
gan to drum up recruits for his COM
mand. This was to bring his case
under q proclamation issued some
time before, in which it was stated
that any rebel agent found recruit
ing in that district should be pun
ished with death. The only evidence
that Lisles was an agent was the
statement of his captors. On his
part he had proofs that this was his
first visit to that section for two
years, and that he had never recruit
ed q man.
Wounded go severely that he had
to be moved on q stretcher, he was
sent North, and finally brought up
at Johnson's Island, opposite San
dusky. Here a court-martial was
called to try his case. Helpless and
penniless, with all his witnesses in
side the rebel lines or overawed by
Federal troops surrounding them,
the trial was simply a farce. His
own testimony went for nothing.
His rank could not be denied; and
he could locate his services for every
day he had been in the service, but
this made no difference. He was
convicted as recruiting agent, SEN
fenced to death by hanging, and the
papers forwarded to the President
for his approval
As soon as under sentence, Eisles
was removed to small room, a
guard put over him, and he was
loaded down with chains. Although
unable to walk ten steps, his legs
were manacled and chained to an
iron ring in the floor, and his wrists
were then handcuffed together. The
captain was small, slight man,
weighing not over 100 pounds, and
the precautions taken against his
escape subjected the commanding
officer to no end of ridicule.
For three months the prisoner was
kept in chains, as above described,
and as the President had not then
returned the papers the chains were
removed, and the general treatment
became more lenient However, the
commandant did not wish Lisles to
forget that he was Under sentence OF
death, and likely to be hung at a
days notice. HIS not only visited
the prisoner every few days to re-
mind him of his Situation, but soon
began the erection of gallows and
completed a part of the structure
"a barred window in my room
looked out on the spot" said the
captain, "and / can never forget my
feelings as l realized what was gong
on. l had had no visitors for sever
al days and had heard no news, but
/ at once jumped to the conclusion
that my death warrant had been
signed by the President. The car
penters came with their tools and
materials and began the work, and
strange fascination kept me at the
window. The workmen were not al
lowed to approach my prison, but
one of them, when he saw me look
ing, INDUCED in pantomime which
I could not understand.
II stood there for full hour, and
/ tell you my feelings were queer.
was then getting almost well of my
wounds, although would remain {
cripple for life, and longing to live
out my days had come back to m,
with fnll strength. I was only
twenty eight, engaged to be married
and was heir to $4,000 in England
You see, / had everything to live for
and l was no more guilty of the of
tense charged than the Presiden
himself.
"When l turned away from thu
window it was with determination
to escape, but as l sat down to con
slider the matter l lost heart. If .
gallows was being erected / probably
had but a few hours to live. 1
needed days or weeks to plan ant
perfect an escape. / saw no othe
way but to go through the floor ant
start tunnel, but every two hour
out of the twentyfour corpora
looked into my room. Could brib'
him? The idea was ridiculous, be
ing as ! hadn't cent in my purse
"While was turning over and re
jecting plan after plan, the comman
dant entered. He had an, officia
document in his hand. The instan
| saw him my mind was made III,