The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-03
.SpY But NOT A COWARD
- sToRy or 4 UNION SOLDIER
mo BR4yHLY MET ms DEATH.
e.oturcd and 'entcnc,d so he Shot IA =
spv--He Refused fsrdo' Rather
Than Desert Ills Comrades.

o.. ,,..s inst before the fight OF Chanccl-
N,,1o our out-posts were bcirg doubled. !
i' o,sry prccauuon was being used to
r6 AGAINST a surprise by the enemy.
t,-. h.s already captured two Union sol |
,t, had entered our lines as spies;
.. won, seeking information about our
..o..nte ln order 60 cnighton Gen eral |
,t who was cors idcrahly I'm the dark |
"..,.. two men. their guilt having becn /
nd were condemned 70 bc shot The |
.-t martial had tcen quickly held, |
...~ decision quickly rendered, and now
tr.rf dav Of Che three granted the /
..r.r. 10 prepare for death had nearly |
s.4 an ,he following morning they
-e t.fly the penalty OF their so-called
sergeant Of the guard detailed for |
.,s f.aerceahlc and painful duty. fhe
.rt before The execution Of the men,
.t III. t.e cuard tent bon which they were /
...ff to see IL there was any last ser
. could render them such as the de-
r..-, NJ I'd letter or Che scndng Of a mes
.. .s loved ones
......I the tent whore th, two mon
.. ono was writing by "a nickenng
r, fre other kncl. foo "a corner In 81
,.,r-lycr. ] paused. feeling of deicaey
... o..hin mo. hesitatcd 90 trcspass up
.rs privacy Of men so soon 10 be
t..f into the presence 81 their God.
stood there undecided whether to
...r r- retire. tho man who was writing
s.-rlI and looked up az me.
rfI him why 5 had come. ne thanked
..rrf said hc would willingly avail him
,rf f my oncr and that he had Just
fr.r.1 a letter. at is 20 my mother
G nil "a
,..r power to SEQ that she gets it YOU
Sill have the urOcasing blessing Of one
ssa 90 die
or am her only child. II was a great sac
rf.e FOR her to give me up. DE continued
sH, She did IL for the Union. and now -
t.-e q sob broke from bis lips IT sne
,-.ll see mo condemned 90 be shot liFe
--Irfuai. 81 would break her old heart
Tie Young man scaled the letter and
handed u 20 mo. ! took "a, be thanked me-
end then turned away.
Merely aBcy.
AS 7 stood watching these two men l
,a.lHrt help noting the difference
t..0teu them The writer Of the letter
vas a young man apparently just grown.
The down ON his Dip had hardly aspired
b, tho dignity Of being called muslache'
Ills face was ripe in that pure and re-
f-tshr- look OF young. innocent man
t-i De could lot have been over twenty
years az age.
Ills c5upanion was am entirely different
fvns ~ soldiers. His hardy ana compacty
hgnt feure was beginning 20 show the
raracas Of age while "a gray mass OF
farep1 hair fen in matted ringiets
ur.r his shoulders. AS ] stood looking an
f.m. DE arose. ] asked him if ] could pe
~ any service. tie replied. ono. that ne
had no friends in this country, De sald ne
MAS a foreigner from Scotland. } lurheu
90 leave the tent. ] had just stepped OUT
s.fa when the voung man called me back.
"-.rraanf' 90 bo said. "yOu may be- engage
Cd in battle tomorrow. and want you 10
rromise me that YOU viii take time To
give me a decent burial. ana to marx my
cave with this board ON which j have
rgt my name and address AS ne spoke
fa handed me plain pine board on Which
was cut the name. "Jamcs kediofd iI1i'
ford. New Haven, Conn. company a. ''n
New Yorl, Regiment eth Army Corps.
took the board from him. saying that ]
would comply with hIs request. lie thank
ed mo and then lcft them.
As I walked Off + turned and looked
hack. The young man was standing be
tween the flaps of tho tent, just as ] had
,aff him. "a few PAGES to his side stood the
faafH sentry. wotionle~s ass "a statue.
The prisoner. Ills hands clasped behind
linn. was looking up at the moon Whlch
vas lust breaking through rift IN the
r.ouds. shedding JOS soft silver rays over
lie frmy OF sleeping men.
L don't think I ever saw such loon
AS was ON the young soldiers face 1t was
one of absorbing Thought; he was evident
lv living over hy-eone days. VIVA,
thoughts were then 300 his mind conlu
MOT ian. uernaue they were of father and
mother. sisters and brothers. and "a happy
home: or perhaps they were of one deaIei
than these one with whom on many Jus'
such NIGHTS as this hc had talked the
hours away and "foreot the world ana al
that therein is except the one bliss OF
1--we. become incarrate in "a kiss.
AS stood looking at him, Doe suddenly
lowered his head and. ass 81 realizing now
coon me must meet hie death. he shuddered
and passed within the tent
T.rv The next mornug 1 went 10 thc
t.t where tbe prisoners were conineo
found them mp and dressed.
read 90 them their dea,h warrant
aud r.r.arod nav desire to DO any last
DrIa for ncm. bat they said they
were al prepared and thanked me. i theL
lft csuuonug the guard 10 keep a STREE
watch.
The Death March.
Ir few minutes I returned at tho
los3 of my squad 5 formed them ln q
square aud placed the prisoners nm me
CENTRE and We began the death march
t1 the place OF ,Necuuon. The sPol
chosen far tuo sad scene was ON rising
Knoll of ground. surrounded ou all sides
by strip of woods except towards the
cast ANA just beyond our lines so as
uren1er private from prying eyes one OF
me crue,st dictates OF war When W'
reached tne Top ol the knoll ! gave inc
ORDER for the prisoners 10 bee bound ahe
lil-ia.I0i This was done then. step
ling on the required distance J drew my
rau up iu uue facing them and, water
81 hand. s awaited the rising OF the sun
90 give the order that would launch th'
two men into eternity
IL lacked hut TWO minutes of the re-
oulrc1 time when mounted orderly
came riding up and handed me an order
from General Ice. 10 was to The e1ect tina
mas muco-as only oue of the prisoners
was eaulh, "h papers ur0n mis- person
he alone should suffer death. and that th'
oiher should Doc held prisoner OF war.
Ihls meant that the life OF the youni
soldier was to hc spared
TOOK me order and going up 10 th'
nan read TO- telling MIN that he was
aF.d man.
AZ first Doc d.d not seem TO be able e
aprehend h.s good fortune. SO, readinl
Pm the order of General Lee, j gave IN
mani Tor lm Co be released.
'hr oil ihe men had removed the band
t from DIS eyes and another was IN
l.hE his arms when he suddenly crle0