Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-07-15
HE MADE NO MISTAKES.
THE TOUCHING STORY OF HER
BERT DECKWITH.
How Lincoln Came to Override the Yer
diet of "a Court MartiaI--'I Should
Feel Like Murderer fl
Approved It,"

Z
fenced by court-martial to the death
/ penalty.
"And yet" said one grizzly veteran.
'Lincoln seldom made mistake in
showing this clemency. A l7-year-
old boy named Herbert Beckwith,
went from the high school OF his ma
tive town into one of the New York
regiments early in the war. He
came of an excellent family. His
father was warm friend OF Connecti-
cuts war governor Buckingham. and
he reluctantly let the boy go into the
army, feeling that he had done his
share as an elder brother was one Of
the first TO respond 10 lincoln's call
Young Beckwith pleaded so hard
/ that his father gave him his blessing
/ and told him to be n brave soldier
! and always co bear In mind amid the
temptations of the camp the lessons
he had received in his homo from
childhood.
"Bcckwith though mere lad. was
a model soldier never shirking and
! gaining the favor of his officers and
the friendship of his companions.
There had been fighting steadily
for four or five days in the Chicka.
hominy swamps and for two nights
Beckwith had had scarcely any sleep
One n ght he did not sleep at all and
the next not more than two hours
On the shird night he was on picket
duty bit was so utterly tagged out
that he co Id scarcely see when
placed on post At midnight when
, the relief came, the otccr Of the
guard saw Beckwith standing notion
less The customary challenge was
not sent by the picket The oEcer
spoke but there was no response and
approaching Beckwith he called
again without receiving any answer
Then he roughly shook the picket
who in a dazed and bewildered sort OF
way came TO his senses, and then it
was discovered that Beckwith had
been sleeping upon post. He was
standing perfectly erect but leaning
slightly upon his gun. the butt of
which was placed between his feet
'Of course, there had to be n court
martial. Eeckwith when called upon
w manu- OtlSu~Nt 0dtu ludb W ltu TIC
went upon the post he found that he
was to Use his expression. almost
killed with sleep 10 keep awake he
| walked rapidly back and forth pinched
himself, and suffered every terror and
horror lest he should succumb to his
drowsiness At times il seemed as
though he would fall. At last he
heard what he thought was a great
noise, and stopped to listen. and that
was the last he remembered until he
was awakened by the corporal of the
guard. He said that he must have
fallen asleep as suddenly us though he
had become unconscious by blow.
He did not plead for mercy but SIM
ply told that story, and every one who
heard it knew he told the truth.
But there was no help for him.
He had been caught sleeping on post
and in the face OF the enemy and he
was convicted and sentenced to be
shot 1t was plain that the officers
although they appeared to be stern
would be secretly rejoiced If the pres
ident failed to approve the sentence.
and one or two OF Beckwith's friends.
getting brief leave OF absence went
TO the nearest telegraph station and
sent message to his father stating
that Herbert had been court martialed
and would be shot as soon as the pres
ident approved the sentence. Within
an hour Mr.. Beckwith was closeted
with Governor Buckingham and with
in two hours the governor lay ing
aside his great cares was on his way
to Washington. He saw President
Lincoln. told him that Herbert had
been a Sunday school scholar of his a
boy who was as true as steek and in.
sisted that there must be some extern
uating circumstances Lincoln was
very much affected, and the next day,
when he received the report of the
court-mart al and read also summary
OF young Beckwith's statement he
turned to Buckingham with tears in
his eyes and said: Governor should
feel like murderer If | approved this
sentence on these papers | will not
approve It, but | will send for somo
one who knows the facts so that can
learn more about II. Three DAYS
a"S~a DONN WV " nv W a. III eic SudTu
house, was called upon by an officer.
who was a friend. who simply said:
Herbert the president has pardoned
you. Go back to your company and
report yourself.
During the rest of the peninsula
campaign-and especially at the bat
ties OF Antietam and Gettysburg
young Beckwith showed himself so
good "a soldier that he was promoted.
At Fredericksburg. he displayed re-
markable courage In the Chancel-
lorville campaign he was taken pris-
oner and was removed to Anderson
Vile where he remained nine months
Exchanged at the. end OF that time
he with other living skeletons. was
brought North by transport and placed
in the hospital at Baltimore. His rea-
son was detnroned. He weighed not
over ninety pounds although he
weighed $50 when he went into the
army. and the surgeons said the poor
fellow would die. for his vitality had
been Slapped. One morning the nurse
and one or two OF his family friends
tvhn wara ,vft1, hin, frv;r~ a. coo..