The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-16
The Fate Which Overlook the Firing
Party att Military Ex-
ecution.
An Incident Of the War Recalled
Nearly Thirty Years
After.
The Technical Desertion Of Asa Lewis Of
tho Sixth Kentucky and the
Dreadful Penalty.

minds me of a remarkable episode of the
war. Connected with other circumstances,
it formed a curious chain of incidents, and
ono which will doubtless be remembered by
every survivor Of the First Kentucky brig
ade. The incidents to which / refer oc-
curred at Murfreesboro in December. 1862,
and January, 1861. The brigade lay In
camp in the edge Of Murfreesboro, on both
sides of the Shelbyville pike. To the right
and rear lay an immense field. which was
used as a parade and drill ground. II was
on this ground that Asa Lewis of the Sixth
Kentucky met his death at the hands OF a
firing party of his comrades for the techni-
cal crime of desertion.
ut was a sad case, and was the cause of a
great deal of the execration with which the
Kentucky troops afterward regarded Gen.
Bragg. a state of affairs much aggravated by
events which occurred on the field of battle
exactly one week subsequently. Lewis
was a brave young fellow. as shown
by his conduct at the battle
of Shiloh, where, being a nom
commissioned officer, it fell to his lot to
take charge Of his company, the commits
stoned officers having all been detached or
killed or wounded. He was a twelve-month
man. When the Sixth Kentucky was or
ganized several of the companies were en-
listed for twelve months, while the others
were In for three years or during the war.
The time of the twelve months men hav-
ng expired, some of them wanted to go
home to Kentucky for a while, promising to
return and resume their arms. Lewis was
one of them. He applied for a discharge.
but it was refused. He then asked for a
he lived within the enemy's lines. He
pleaded hat he had left a mother and sis
ter at home, for whom he had provided for
one year, and said that all he wanted was
to 60 and see them and arrange for their
further support; then he would return. All
this was to no purpose; he was refused.
''In his desperation he resolved to go
anyhow, and one night left camp for that
purpose. He did not get far before he was
arrested by a cavalry patrol. He was taken
tried by court martial and sentenced to be
shot to death with musketry,' in the Ian
guage of the court. A petition for his par
don was signed by every officer in the
brigade, save one, a strict disciplinarian.
His reasons l do not know, but l do know
that his action WAS afterward used in q
political campaign odeieat him for office,
and he was beaten. The men in the brig
ade we're we'll nigh furious, and it would
not have taken much to cause q mutiny,
and, indeed, the officers feared something
Of the kind.
''The sentence was to be carried ont on
Friday, Dec. 26, 1862, and the order was
read at dress parade the afternoon before
Christmas day. At this time the brigade
lay under a grand guard, composed Of de
ing its quota. From the guard mounted on
the morning after Christmas the detail for
the execution would be made. All the men
knew 1t, and all who had a chance tried to
shirk that days guard. But somebody had
to perform the unwelcome task. and the lot
foil Amnnn nfhQra tn Eanrna Rury1ar
who was marked for officer of the guard.
There was to be under his command a de-
tail of fifteen men, ten of whose Enfields
would be loaded with ball cartridges and
five with blank. All these arrange
ments were made and the muskets
guard was placed over them. Thu hour
for the execution was fixed at one O'Clock,
and the brigade got the order to form at IL.
just as the companies marched out to the
color line q heavy black cloud came up,
charged with electricity, and broke over
camp in a flood of rain, accompanied by
incessant peals of thunder and sheets Of
lightning, the storm lasting about half an
hour and deluginR the parade ground with
water two or three inches deep. It'seemed
to be committed. But the brigade was
formed and marched out to the field, where
the usual arrangement of a hollow square,,
with one side open, was observed. The fir
ing detail, under Burnley, marched:to town
and escorted Lewis to his death. He was
brought out in a covered wagon, which
contained the coffin soon to enclose him,
but which was not taken out of the vehicle
until all was over.
''The men stood, sullen and discomfort
ed, while awaiting the end. The rain had
ceased, but the angry clouds still hung
above. Gen. B~reckinridge and Gen. Roger
Hanson were both present, and both were
uneasy and restless. The temper of the
men was very bad, and it would not have
taken much to cause trouble. If the Off
GERS could have heard what I did they
would probably have been more troubled.
Finally the prisoner was taken out of the
wagon and placed before the detail at a
distance of about fifteen PAGES. He asked
that he be allowed to meet death standing
and without being blindfolded, both of
which requests were granted. His arms
were tied with a rope around the elbows,
passing behind his back. Everybody knew
what a task it was on Burnley to have to
give the fatal command. I saw the
bravest men in the brigade, when the
preparations were complete, put their
fingers in their ears SO they could not hear
the volley, and l heard plenty of curses on
Braxton Bragg's head. But the thing had
to be done. Burnley gave the command:
Shoulder arms!' Amoment later we heard
in firm tones: Ready looked at Lewis;
he braced himself for the supreme moment.
ALL. ~ wan pub I'll luStdllt, UuE III
seemed like ten times as long, when Burn
ley. with Il steady voice, evidently steadied
by a mighty effort, cried, fire. Lewis
raised himself on his toes, toppled and fell
fiat on his back, his left arm gave a
spasmodic jerk and all was over. He was
quickly placed IN his coffin and hauled
away to IN unknown grave.
Now comes the singular part of this af-
fair. When the brigade got back to camp
] went over to tho Fourth kentucky, to
Company e. to which Burnley belonged, to
see Bill Watkins, who had been one of the
detail. l asked him if he had any idea
his rifle had a ball in it or not. and
he replied that he didn't know, but would
soon find out. With that he took a ball
screw out of his cartridge box. put it on his
ramrod. and drew n big conical bullet out
Of his gun. How did you keep from firing,
BillT l asked. Why. l slipped the cap off
my gun and spit i'll it and then put it
back he said. Il wasn't going to shoot at
him If | could help it,
o the following Sunday, December %, :
the brigade was ordered into position on
the field at Murfreesboro. 1t was engaged
in fiRhting until the following Friday, Jan
nary ., 1868, at which time Breckinridge's
division was SO badly cut up in II reckless
charge ordered by Bragg, and which no
will ever forget, where the
Kentucky brigade lost her commander aud
many n good man besides. and on that day,
one week from the day of Lewis
execution, George Burnley and every man
Of that firing party was either killad =