The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-04-17
HANGED As REBEL SPIES.
One Of Them q HembeF Of The Washing.
ton Family.
The Tragic Ending Of . Daring Ad.
venture Within the Federal
Lines aG RG. Granger.

t'EA''un " thecAse "hlihHoI'oh WIZ
iams and Walter g. Peter, respectively a
colonel and q lieutenant in the cOnfe'ler-
ate army, who were hanged as spies, is
under way. From time to time the sub
ject has had attention. but no entire and
accurate publicity, owing to the fact that
the relatives Of the unfortunate men did
not care to exploit them. Now the scat
tered and separately brief ofiitial records
have been searched out by your cores
pondent, and one OF the most remarkable
tragedies of the war may betold concisely
and accurately.
The first rerord encountered was brief
despatch from Col. Baird, post comman-
der, dated franklin, Tenn, June Q, 1863
and addressed to Gen. Garfield. then chief
OF statf in the department Of the Cumher-
land, announcing that Col. William Orion
Williams and Lieut.. Walter 9. Peter Of
the rebel army had been tried as spies,
found guilty, and executed on that morn
inH, in compliance with orders from de-
partmental headquarters. Being informed
that sentence Of death had been pro-
nounced against them, the two men had
petitioned, as q dying request, that they
be shot. But Garfield, bearing in mind
the precedent established by Washington
In the Andre case, reluctantly refused the
request, and they perished on the scafiOld
on the day named.
Who were the two men who met such
an ignominious death, and what was the
crime they had committed? VIM. O.
Williams, direct and linenl descendant
OF Mrs. George Washington, was, In the
early part Of the year 1851, an aide on the
staff Of Gen. Winfield Scott. Gen. Lee
was the chief OF staff. Young Williams
was not q graduate Of West Point, but his
powerful family connections and many
Rraces Of body and mind had secured for
him lieutenancy In the regular army.
Williams was devotedly attached to
Eleanor Agnes, the daughter u Gen. Lee,
and although his brother. Major Lawrence
A. Williams, and numerous relatives were
firm In their adhesion 10 the union, he
did not hesitate to follow Lees example
and 90 over to the south. His fine mill
tary bearing and varied accomplishments
secured him commission at once as col
onel oi artillery and he was assigned to
duty with Bishop General Polk, then
commander in western Kentucky. A
discipliRar;an Of the strictest sort, he be-
came involved In difficulty with q pri-
vate soldier, which resulted In the latter's
death. His courage and gallantry at the
battle Of Shiloh could not restore him to
popularity, and he was transferred TO the
staff Of Gen. Bragg, then in command Of
Tennessee, where he remained till June
l, 1863.
In the summer Of 1852 Gen. Buell. re-
treated with his army across the states Of
Tennessee and Kentucky to the Ohio
river, at which the cOnfederates were
greatly elated. Gen. Rosecrans took COM
mand Of the army ol the Cumberland.
recruited its depleted forces, and marhed
south to Nashville in the latter lart Of the
same year. Gen. Bragg, with the flower
Of the southern army, was at Murfrees-
boro, about thirty miles southeast Of
Nashville. Both sides were determined
to give battle, and the conflict promised
decisive results. Rosecrans began the