The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-10
THE LOST REGIMENT.
.-o,y or suK BATTLE IN WHICH
AILBUT ONE WARH KILLED.
.v,rb, In Virginia That Does Not Appear
ia History--Bow the Gallant MaJor
Was Saved From ri.graes.

,rot was known as the forlorn heb'-
m,at ,.,.,.a ,Ao
.-,e,t but that was not an unusual
...,s n the Southern armies, and In my
..r had the less d!!aculty Of being ad-
...,,sl 10 the ranks because my father
r,rta.a Atkins. commanded the COM
-. Which Joined. Ike was shot
..~,..s tie head three days after !
...os c.mp. 90 was not long without
.rq 10 the full the horrors OF war
'-.re Tar.orn Regiment received It's name
,.-guse IL was always employed when
s,e, forlorn hope was needed, ana be-
yeuse the men were SO gloomy ana re-
sc~vct. and never Joked ana laughed ana
s,ioyeI themselves Ike the soldiers Of
~, other regiments. After the loss OF
nv father ! soon fell IN with their ways
mere vas no merry making IN our regi-
mont After q victory there would be
bo-1-shaklncs and solemn conRratula-
t0as. but nc laughing or singing. The
tr.fh was mat after we once acquired
our reputation no recruit who had q Tx
l-r for j0lity would Join US. II any
such aid come among us he always chang
Cd o. some other regiment as quickly
as he could. The recruits who stayed
we're sober earnest, gloomy men IKE
Tho rest OF US who had heard that the
regiment had never yet given back When
the colonel bade them stand their ground;
and who wished 70 share the glory OF
our reputation. We were always or me
nosrch Of nghtng. and that was just what
We liked.
broken series Of victories do not Know.
II VS.. nol because we we're given easy
;,.ks fOr We often attempted what SEEM
- the impossible. II was partly because
We fought with the discipline OF sutor1a-
fons ana the fury OF so many devils. me
Confederate armies suffered defeats from
HNnnfneI
present But we were at Bull Run. ana
~ Groveton, and at Frederickshurg: ana
At scores Of other battles. We had the
good fortune that prcverbially ATTENDS lhe
desperate. To most soldiers however
brave. the fear Of death is something
that holds them back from doing what
they might do. To US death was mat
ter Of Indifference. One Of the Few times
] can remember a smile travelling over
the grim faces OF our regiment was IT
roll call on the morning after me secon9
Bull Run. when we had lost thlru oI
our men. The ranks flled gradually aiter
that battle but they were never 50 fun as
before. our regiment was respected, pul
80 was never popular.
on the NTH day OF September, 1863, the
regiment was under arms early, as usual,
and ready to march. We were cnCamped
at some distance from the rest OF our
brigade, at the foot OF little NIL, some
where in the western part Of virginia.
never knew the name Of the place
Quarter OF a mile or so from the hill were
some struggling woods with open country
beyond: but we were not afraid OF sur
prise for the old colonel was very care
ful about posting vedettes
Instead Of forming US in marching COL
umn as usual the colonel drew us all up
company front. as he did at paraueS.
Then We knew there was 10 be an exc
cution. for the colonel never delayed the
march for anything else
had seen several executions since l
Joined the regiment: they were not u IN
common. For any serious breach OF C uls-
cinline the offender was shot John cal
lender was shot for falling asleep at MS
most though he had not slept for three
nights and though his brother Amos haq
gone down on his knees 70 the coloneI
and begged for mercy. Nothing ever
+ Knew that there had been a court
martial the night before. but who was
the offender and what was MS rare li idt
not learned. Imagine my astonlshii mn
when | saw the major OF the, regiment
led out in front Of US with his HANDS
tied behind his back. -,-, ,,....,.,o,,e
Major Freeland and Colonel Hehg lrsoSs
never agreed well. except In action. mere
thew were both cool. resolute, and utterly
fearless and both seemed aDle
to foreseee what the t,r,es o tbey
were sure TO be at loggerheads Major
Freeland was the darling Of the regiment.
He dlsapproved Of the harshness or Ine
eoloners discipline. The colonel conslu-
though he was really as strict as any
one could desire. In fact, the colonel naq
been heard 10 say that II he were kllled
his only reason for regretting II would
be that Major Freeand would oucceed
him in command Such smoldering pas
sions are easily famed TO blaze
I do not know what the major had done.
He was condemned as having held COM
municatons with the enemy ] believed
him as loyal as the colonel himself. ana
the whole regiment. except the colonel,
believed him innocent. But Coionel Hen.
6r'-ks had influenced the other officers AT
the court-martisl and now Major Free
land was 20 be shot. 49,
others and kept so much apart from me
rest OF the army that we had gOou
many customs peculiar 10 ourselves. All
these customs were carried out with the
most rigorous Formally. The ceremony
that attended an execution was especlai1,
Nv remarkable. our executions were all
d0ns in the most public manner posi-
Ne 80 that mutineers and deserters |
night know what 10 expect. Inc reSl-
ment was drawn mp in line and then me |
colonel read aloud the names OF the SIX |
test Ynarksmen in the regiment. These |
Elk men stepped forward and took their |
position at some thirty yards distance |
from the criminal. The me prisoner 9Isi, w ,gas
Pinned piece Of white paper cut IN !
the shape and size OF heart, and sim |
iar paper was attached TO the tree Inc |
major cave the ORDERS. HrduN ann
Firer The six men fred at the heart on |
he tree: and / never knew one Of them |
% miss IT, Then the major gave the or
dere again and this time they aimed at |
the heart pinned on the prisoner
Tie custom had arisen from an Incident
Fl ne first year Of the war. A deserter.
sentenced 10 be shot had been wounded
hut not killed and had suffered terribly
before he died. After this unfortunate |
accident Major Freeland had devised the
pan ~ the duplicated heart pinned 10
he tree go as 10 make sure that not
c hand was trembling and not an eye was
untrue Since then every criminal had
been killed at the first volley.
And now Il seemed that the Major was
% enjoy the small benefit coming from
70 plan devised by his own humanity
F.w I remember that scene. The old
''orel standing still as a statute. with
o's hand on his horses name: the Major
erect and defiant. as we had seen him
e s.ndred times in battle. only now MS
t'ds were tied behind his back; the
I'm Inc Of six lanky veterans. waiting
i'r the word OF command, Amos Callen-
or was one Of them. He had taken
Iart IN every execution since the regi-
m-nt was formed. except when his own
mother was shot: for he was the best
ntrksman in the regiment. Every one
~ The six would have given his lie for
we major. and now they were 10 SEND
81 bullets through his heart.
Tho day WAS perfect. The sun was
rising ilgh in the east. In the west
Eeat white clouds were sailing lazlly
before the wind, as they do In inidsum-
yer The birds were singing everywhere.
u was G day when life seemed very
81, 90. day for living not dying
The major had asked and obtained the
privilege of giving the orders 10 am
gig h-c himself lie was a me man 70
look A. Major Freeltrd. Six feet three
.sff -.1 a |