The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-05-24

to his late associates If I had had the
chance, would gladly have taken the
poor fellows place, but it was not his
fate or my own danger that troubled me
at this time. 1t was rather the disap-
pointment that all my carefully planned
schemes for the success of the Union
cause were about to come to naught.
''In the hope that Governor Brown,
whom | knew and regarded as friend,
might be induced to intercede for Snow
l tried to telegraph him, but the ill
luck that had come in with the new
year was against me. The storm had
broken down the lines between Steven
son and Chattanooga, and they could
not be repaired until the next day, when
1t would be too late,
At length, thoroughly weary and
disheartened, l took position opposite
the Jail and waited for daylight. With
the first glow of dawn | heard the rattle
of musketry and the roar of cannon to
the north. but SO near by that imag-
ined could hear the Yankee cheer a1
the Confederate yell, and prayed as
never before nor since for the coming
of the men in blue.
"Already the wagons were freeing
themselves from what seemed an inter-
minable tangle in the streets of tha
| town and heading for the south. From
midnight till daylight long lines of cars
carrying the less seriously wounded
were pulling out every half hour for
Stevenson or Chattanooga, A glow of
| elation came over me at the thought
| that, after all, it would be found impos-
| sible to execute the sentence of death on
Snow, or that it might be forgotten in
the wild hurry of the hour, but this
hope was soon slain.
1.-THE bugles were sounding reveille
in the camps in and about the town
! when squad of men, in command of a
sergeant, halted before the jail The
sergeant and two men entered the build
ing. Within five minutes they were
back again, the sergeant in the advance,
and Snow, with his hands tied behind
| him, following between the two guards
II ran forward, intending to speak
with the prisoner, and to remain with
him till the end, but l caught his eye,
and its quick glance told me to hold
aloof. He went on, keeping step with
the guards formed about him. He held
up his head, and but for the ropes that
| bound his arms there was nothing in his
bearing to indicate that he was pris-
oner going out to execution.
t'GlQse TO the railroad track, and
about quarter of mile below the sta
| fion thaYa uoc q MiSCicSiDDi br; ;oodo bo
longing to the reserves in camp. Roll
call was over, and the regiments stood
| ia line while the adjutants were ad-
| Yancing to report to the colonels lust as
the provost guard appeared with the
| prisoner. Snow had enlisted in one of
these regiments, / have forgotten the
number, and was, as / said before, de-
tailed for clerical duty at headquarters.
The colonel of his regiment had evident
ly been communicated with the night
before, for firing detail, under Tue
command OF lieutenant, was on hand
to carry out the sentence of the court.
81 did not see what followed, but
one of the firing party gave me the cruel
| particulars. Under the detail from his
own regiment, Snow was marched along
the lines after the men had been drawn
up on three sides of hollow square.
''In the early days of the war clergy
men were provided for men sentenced 70
death, and those shot, as were not few
by Bragg's order at Tupalo, met death
while kneeling on their own ooffins.
But poor Snow had neither clergyman
nor coffin, nor do l think that these
accessories would have eased the situ-
alton in the least,
''in the open space his eyes were
blindfolded, and he was made to kneel
and told that five minutes We're left him
for prayer If he heard this, he made
no response. 1t comforted me to think,
when l heard of his conduct, that he
was listening to the roar of the Union
guns, now only few miles away"
Ready Aim! Firev' Three short,