Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-21
AN ACT OF HUMANITY.
How Bishop Beckwith Obtained
Decent Burial for a Spy.
One of the Noble Deeds of a Clergyman
Who Knew Neither Fear Nor PreJu-
dice-How He Tried to Save the
Life of Northern Soldier.


Life of Northern Soldier.
Bishop Beckwith was one of the men
who knew no fear, says the Atlanta
Constitution, and during all the years
he served as chaplain on General Folks
staff he was never known to swerve
from the path which he considered duty
marked out for him. A striking exam
pie OF the determination of his character
was given toward the close Of the war,
when, in defiance of the fin3int-s of a
court-martial and in opposi ion to the
sentiment Of the entire army, he used
every effort to save the life of a spy.
1t was during the last year of the
Confederacy that man was found lott
er1ng about General Folks headquar-
tiers. He was unable to answer the ques-
lions put to him satisfactorily, and, as
his whole bearing procla imed him a
Northerner, immediately 1T was said:
This man is aspy. Let him DC hanged"
r. drum-head court-martial listened to
the testimony, and as the prisoner could
only bring forward his unsupported as
sertlon that he was innocent he was
quickly sentenced to be hanged.
1t was while the prisoner was waiting
to be executed that Bishop Beckwith
heard of the case and hurried to offer
what consolation he could. Something
in the story he was told by the con-
demned man convinced the chaplain
that there was some truth in the story
he had listened to, and by the exercise
of his wonderful eloquence he procured
a new trial.
The accused mans unsupported testi-
mony was, however, not sufficient to
convince a court composed of stern SOL
diers as it had the man of God, and he
was again found guilty and sentenced to
be hanged the next day.
All the intervening hours the Bishop
passed preparing the condemned spy
for the dreadful ordeal through which
he was to pass, and he even consented
to go as far as the gallows with the man
he had tried to save, though he could
not bring himself to promise that he
would stand by and see the execution
performed.
In the gray light of the breaking day
dismal procession took its way TO the
borders Of the camp. In the midst of
the soldiers marched a man with his
arms pinioned behind him and by his
side was the friend he had found in tho
midst of his enemies, striving to COM
fort the doomed man in that hour of his
sore trial.
Not until the rope was around his
neck did the clergyman turn away, so
as to avoid seeing the death struggle,
and as soon as it was over he hurried
back to render the last services posi-
BILE and see that Christian burial was
given the lifeless clay.
About the foot of the gallows the
soldiers stood looking at tho swaying
body. There was no pity in their hearts
for the life cut off in it's prime, and
when the chaplain asked them to cut
down the body and place it in the rude
coffin which had been prepared, they
all turned away, saying: "He was
spy: let him hang there till he rots."
When the chaplain found all his en-
treaties useless he advanced with
knife and quietly but with determine
ton commenced cutting down the body.
Every man there had received some
kindness from the clergyman, and they
all loved him we'll. When they saw
that he was in earnest reluctantly they
lent their aid, and in few moments the
body was lying on the grass
Under the same force of example the
soldiers even consented to place the
corpse in the coffin, but dig grave for
convicted spy was asking too much of
them, and they refused absolutely to
even make beginning.
Without word of upbraiding or COM
plant Chaplain Becllwith procured a
spade and commenced digging. One by
one the hearts of the men softened at
the sight of their brave pastor perform
ing, for duty's sake, such an unusual
task, and soon big soldier who had
been earnest in his assertion that the
''spy should be left for the buzzards to
feed on" took the spade from his hands
and continued the work.
When the coffin was finally lowered |
Chaplain Beckwith read the Christian
burial service, and saw to it''that |
wooden cross was placed at the heal Of !
the mound.
After the war news of the manner by |
which the spy received the last offices |
of the church was carried North and
finally reached the dead mans family |
Their gratitude has never abated, and |
even now tho Bishop of Georgia fire.
quently receives letters from a distant
New England home bearing eyer-re, !
newed thanks for the kindness shown
the enemy of his country whil.e he
nVeo. ana 80 determination he dis
played in burying him after he was ex.
cuted.