The Portland daily press., 1895-05-11

meaning OF this gathering of officers in
uniform, with their side arms hooked
up to their belts. Addressing the pris-
oners, Colonel Baird said:
Gentlemen, when you were placed
under arrest | intimated the suspicious
that induced that act. I regret to say
that information obtained since then
confirms our suspicious and forces on us
the conviction that you are spies from
the enemy who have entered our lines
with forged papers and in the uniform
of friends. have communicated with
General Gordon Granger at Triune and
General Rosecrans at Murfreesboro.
You are unknown by your present
names to our army. These facts will be
proved to the drumhead court martial
which have summoned to try you. If
you can refute the charges and prove
that you are friends or at least that you
are not spies, l for one will be glad of it,
and think can say the same for every
officer here
At this point one of the lamps went
out, and an orderly lit number of can
dies and laid them along the table
about which the officers sat and before
which the prisoners stood, though chairs
had been placed for them.
Anton moved uneasily and kept mois-
tening his lips and clearing his throat
while Colonel Baird was speaking. At
the conclusion he said in a hoarse ven
trlloquial voice that must have sounded
strange to himself:
Gentlemen, have made misrepre-
sentations as to myself and my compan-
ion. yet must protest against our being
treated as spies. -
Following this there was a nervous
coughing from the officers about the ia
BILE and shutting of feet on the bare
floor. Although there was no doubt as
to his character, Anton's confession
startled even Colonel Watkins, who was
an old soldier, and not unfamiliar with
such scenes.
eff you are not SPIES" said Colonel
Baird, ''you will have chance to dis
prove the charge We will now proceed
with the examination of the facts be-
fore u.s. f"
1t is unnecessary to go into an ex-
animation, said Anton, and he leaned
both hands on the back of chair for
support as he added, II am ready to
make confession for myself and my
companion.
He stopped and looked about him, as
il waiting for consent to proceed; then,
at nod from Colonel Baird, he contin-
ued:
"We are not in the Federal service
at this time"
Anton stopped again and coughed.
The silence was becoming painful, and
it was evident that he could not go on
without prompting.
"By the Federal service,'' said
Colonel Watkins, 'you msan the serv-
ice of the United States?''
81 do"
"Were you ever in that servioe?'
81 was. %
"When?'
Sup to the 10th Of June, 1861"
.Where did you serve?'
In the Second dragons.
"And how did you leave the service?"
81 resigned.
"What was your name il the Second
dragoons?''
"W. Orion Williams"
Sand your rank?''
"First lieutenant. "
"Why did you resign your commits
sion at that timer
The prisoner should have been pre-
pared for this question; but, judging by
it's effect, he evidently was not He
moistened his lips again, and the hands
clutching the back of the chair strained
and trembled. He looked appealing at
Colonel Baird, as if he might say that
it was not necessary to answer, but the
commander at Franklin did not lift his
eyes from the papers he was nervously
shutting At length, and with a hard
effort, Anton replied:
81 resigned because about all my
friends i'll the regiment had taken the
side Of the south. %
'And what did you do after your
esignation?' asked the memorable Wat
rims.
'I went south"
"Why did you go south?'
because my family lived there. "
"Was that your only reason?"
The prisoner moved uneasily again
md looked appealingly about him, but
40 saw neither hope nor sympathy in
the stern, bronzed faces around him.
Colonel Watkins, still as calm as if the
scene in which be was SO prominent an
actor was entirely familiar and COM
monplaoe, asked:
"Did you not join the rebel army,
Mr.. Williams?"
The prisoners face flushed as if
crimson light had been flashed ON it for
an instant; then it turned ashy again,
but he replied with more spirit than he
had yet shown:
81 joined the army of the Confoder-
acy."
"And since joining the army of the
rebels, or the Confederacy, if that name
suits you better, you have neither re-
signed nor been mustered out?''