The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-10-16
lp secreted by the white flannel have.

and in short time received an order
to "try them by a drum-bead court
martial, and if found guilty to hang
them immediately" The court was
convened, and before daylight the case
was decided and the prisoners in
formed that they must prepare for
immediate death by hanging.
| At daylight men were detailed to
make a scaffold. The prisoners were
visited by the chaplain of the Seventy
eighth Illinois, who, at their request,
administered the sacrament to them.
They also wrote letters to their
friends and deposited their jewelry,
silver cups, watches and other yalu-
ables for transmission to them.
The gallOws was constructed by a
wild cherry tree not far from the de-
pot and in a very public place. Two
ropes hung dangling from the beam,
reaching within eight feet of the
ground. A little after O'Clock a. m.
the whole garrison was marshaled
around the place of execution in SOL
emn sadness. Two poplar collins
were lying a few feet away.
Twenty minutes past the guards
conducted the prisoners to the scaffold.
They walked firmly and steadily, as if
unmindful of the fearful precipice
which they were approaching. The
guards did them the honor to march
with arms reversed.
Arrived at the place OF execution,
they stepped upon the platform of
the cart and took their respective
places. The provost marshal, Cap
tain Alexander, then tied linen
handkerchief over the face of each
and adjusted the ropes. They then
asked the privilege of bidding last
farewell. This being granted they
tenderly embraced each other. This
over, the cart moved from under
them and they swung in the air. In
two minutes the lieutenant ceased to
struggle. The colonel caught hold of
the ropes with both hands and raised
himself up for about three minutes
and ceased to struggle at five min
utes.
At six minutes DR.. Forester, sur
geon Sixth Kentucky Calvary, and
DR.. Moss, Seventy eighth Illinois In
fantry, and myself, who had been de-
tailed to examine the bodies, ap-
preached them and found the pulse OF
both full and strong At seven min
utes the colonel shrugged his shoulders.
The pulse of each continued to beat
seventeen minutes, and at twenty
minutes all signs of life had ceased.
The bodies were cut down at thirty
minutes and coffined in full dress.
The colonel was buried with gold
locket and chain on his neck. This
locket contained a portrait and a
braid Of hair of his intended wife; her
portrait was also in his vest pocket.
These were buried with him at his re-
quest. Both men were buried in the
same grave-companions in life, mis-
fortune and crime, companions in in.
fanny, and now companions in the
grave.
I should have stated in another
place that the prisoners did not want
their punishment delayed, but, we'll
knowing the consequences of their acts,
even before the trial, asked to have
the sentence, be it hanging or shoot
ing quickly decided and executed.
But they deprecated the idea Of death
by hanging, and asked for acommuta-
ton OF the sentence to shooting.
The elder and leader of these unfort-
innate men was Lawrence Williams of
Georgetown, D. G. He was as fine
looking a man as l have ever seen,
about six feet high, and perhaps thirty
years old. He was son of Captain
Williams, who was killed at the battle
OF Monterey. He Was one of the most
intellectual and accomplished men
that Ihave ever known. Ihaven never
known any one who excelled him as a
talker. He was a member of the reg
ular army with the rank of captain
of cavalry when the rebellion broke
out, and at that time was aid-de-
camp and private sectary to Gen.
Winfield Scott. From this confidence
and respect shown him by so distin-
guished man may be judged his edu-
cation and accomplishments.
He was first cousin OF General Lee,
commanding the army Of the Kappa
hammock. Soon after the war began
he was frank enough to inform Gen
eral Scott that all his sympathies
were with the South, as his friends
and interests were there, and that he
could not fight against them. AS he
was privy to all General SCOTS plans
for the campaign, it was not thought.
well to turn him loose, so he was sent to
Governors Island, where he remained
three months. After the first Bull
Run battle he was allowed to 90 South,
where he joined the confederate army,
and his subsequent history | have
not been able to learn much about.
He was while on General Bragg's
staff as chief of artillery, but at the
time of his death was his Inspector
general. When he joined the confeder-
ate army he altered his name thus:
Lawrence w. Orion, Col. Cav. P. A.
c. S. A."-Provisional Army Confed-
crate States OF America" Sometimes
he wrote his name "Orton," and
sometimes ''Auton," according to the
object which he had in view. This we
learn from papers found on him.
These facts in relation to the personal
history of Colonel Orion have gath
cred from the Colonel himself, and
from Colonel Watkins, who knows him
well, they having belonged to the same
regiment of the regular army-Second
United State Cavalry. Colonel Wat
Iii