The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-31
Anxr ruxrsHmry,s.
Ala n. Case erthe Dfsoraeriy Soldier Is-s.
From the PostErpres

| %sNN WV
how medieval It L.
| we have no knowledge rs to whether tho
| pp,ishment Inflicted on Private Iums was
lawful under the militia code OF Pennsylvania,
| and merely take the lawfulncss for granted
| since tho commanding officers ordered 1t: but
certainly such punishments. cruel and degrad-
| inr as they are. have been froIucnt in our mil
| itary service.
| Here Is an illustration OF dismissal and
| drum ming out OF camp. not simply in tho
| case OF n private but In the case Of officers
| Gen. sheridan, In his Personal Memories"
| inter A description Of tho battle of Stone
| River. SAYS mage $40. volumel
During tho engagement thcre had been
little struggling. and the list Of missing was
small and legitimate still, 1t was known that
n very few had shrkcd their duty. and an
example was necessary. Among this small
| number were four officers. who. 1t was
charged. had abandoned thor colors and roSi-
| ments. Whom their guilt was clearly cstab-
lishcd and rs soon as opportunity oc-
cured. caused tho division to BIO formed In
ioar oi,icers f marched to tho centre, where.
telling thom that | would not humillate any
t aisG se sS,ai' Swords
deliver theirs M, to my eolored servant. who
aan ep Thsn er hspS lad the
command an, order from army head1uarters
scene was brought to close by drumming
the towards out Of camp It was = mortityingt
s division over "t a5Snaoned his eoioTs
In ono Of tho most remarkable books writ
4ys sSg so Hn ev BY ioqs Is
an account Of the runishments common IN
1861. The passage, is long but is well
worth quoting though Its perusal is Tar from
The punishmonts inflicted on the enlisted
men wore various nn4 some OF them IN. were were,
times were cruel and men had been hardened
VI esnT ing One
S. S cyrs m sy.4y es nS ss
a Me Ha bon WseS
Ills Legs thrse s dwa IPst s shsy
spokess between his lands: Then feet
soel he 81 The y s SGHEa to to the
punished moderately. he was left. bound in an
upright EpsItion on the Wheel for FIVE or six
turn SaitSr the soldier had been dashed to, It.
hen tG S% tf sc strsnsh
aesS on so that his
arm and leE to the wheel. / have ireauently
hours Without mqrmar. but with white faces
discomfort in the shape Of o gag rough stick
Tying on the spare wheel was the usual pun.
ishment In the artillery service for, rather
serious Offences and no man wanted to DO
There was another punishment which was
Which. because it was apt to cripple the man
physically. was very rarely employed, This
BAKER, a sa
on which forage is carried. 1t stands out
t. suffer the fortunes Of the rack was led to It:
hands nd iva TER irons they
Toes Of ne wheel. Then one foot was lifted
wheel. The whole weight Of the soldier was
tho sharp esso OF Ss
most unnecessary to say that gag was
beore he Strapped pe on the
rack. Ne man could endure the supreme pain
faint in loss than ton m nutes under the strain
cut down pt and never again Twill sponge staf
! have heard men beg to be killed rather than
p Ss S ins fa snd saesea Yes that wa.
but MOI u.s. hshl dis
Zines mako %a
stick out Of his head as Holsters eyes do: And
ihs s % sSy While
The soldier about to BE- 69eked snd GAGGED;
drawn to hS to hH shsn his srs Sss
was then thrust under Ills Knees and " over s! his
arms Aga s Tas then securely bound in his
not EnS Ees
could not speak; but he could make artiqulate
varIa6ly made them before he was released,
Daily pany men were tied up By the
mpudent bounty Jumper who had. stood on
his toes under tree for a couple Of hours to
to limb over his head Was eSeesd MSfs
apt to heed the words of his officers when next
Wy" "fhen there was the utterly useless and
stick OF cordwood. The stick that one p i,t
brisfIy and walked up ' and down before
sentinel with SO gaily In the early morning
heavier and heavier as tbs sun. rose hisher
and higher it,, One ne, mornine at 10 O'clock
twelve pounds at sunrise. I sat down on it
and turned It over and over. 1t had not grown;
s%nsd iss poSnqs in ~eishs Ssrlns N" liz s "ne
II wilI be seen from this startling and graphic
garded BY frank Wilkeson as one Of the lighter
IL wss IN ,h aay A% e s?
thSt it often endured tIt for hours: not minutes;
! have only contem pit for tho mawksh sonsbil-
TX thnt looks on consenting when men are
or struck down by an assassin. but screams
out with horror when u recreant soldier is
Gen. Butler Is reported as drcadfuly shocked
at the action 9p 81 the commanders Of tie Penn
lude to the more brutal episodes in that gen
tleman's career; Let US take an IL mstration OF
hs PLAYFUL %ssoSs b. !0f s
Ninth Connecticut Regiment was sent 70
Gen. Butler then recruiting at Lowell. 1t
was mainly made up OF Irishmcn Just re-
cruitod. unarmed. and somewhat wild. with
propensity fol. climbing out of camp for a
"There, was around our camp a board fence.
some nine feet high. 1 nut the usual mum;
Dor OF sentries on tho inside. but doubled
the number outside the fence. directed the
officer Of tho guard to instruct his sentries
| on tho inside not to have my quarrel
| or trnuhle with tho mon unloss they wore Mt.