Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-06-19
A DISCRETION EPIDEMIC.
WHEN SOLDIERS TOOK FRENCH
LEAVE IN THE FEDERAL ARMY.
At First the Punisliments Were Compar-
atively Light. But Later tho Death
Sentence Was Inhicted-A solemn
Scene-why Men Sometimes Deserted.

Scene-why Men Sometimes Deserted.
"Do you ever recall the desertion
epidemic in the army?'
II do. They are among the sorrow
full things connected with the war"
Then we two fell to talking about
desertion and punishment for the
crime, writes J. A. Watrous in the
Chicago Times Herald.
"When the desertion epidemic first
put in an appearance the punishments
were comparatively light, but later it
became necessary to infict the severest
penalty--death. During the winter
Of 1863, when the severe punishments
were decided upon, there were not
many regiments exempt from deser-
tions. Some of the deserters were
overtaken and brought back within
two or three days. Even at that time
their punishment depended largely
upon their former conduct as soldiers.
Let me bring the matter right home
One morning in February we found
that three popular men of our COM
pany, who had faced death at Bull
Run, South Mountain, Antietam and
Fredericksburg, had deserted. A few
days before they had had some trouble
with two of the non-commissioned Off
GERS and been punished. They deemed
their treatment and punishment I'M
just and unbearable. Two of them re-
turned of their own accord within
three months. The colonel, having
knowledge of their former good con-
duct in battle, interceded for them,
and they escaped with the stoppage of
portion of their pay for several
months. During the remainder of the
war there were no better soldiers in
the company. The third one was cap
tured and brought back at the end of
seven months. He had escaped three
great battles in that time. This count
ed against him. He was found guilty
and sentenced to be shot. The same
colonel, aided by other officers, made
a gallant fight for the mans life and
saved him. never saw more CRATE
full person. At the end of his three
years he re-enlisted, and was so valu-
able during the last year of the war
that he was given promotion from time
to time until he became first sergeant,
and was about to be recommended for
a commission when Appomattox came. I"
'Did you ever see q man shot for
desertion?"
eyes, several of them. The first
one was man of our brigade. He de-
serted while we were near Fredericks-
burg and joined the confederate army.
A few weeks before we started for
Gettysburg confederate deserter
reached the lines of another brigade
and was placed under guard. A SOL
dier of our brigade passing that way
saw the confederate and was surprised
to find that he was the man who had
deserted from his company few
weeks before. Found guilty, he was
sentenced to be shot. The day upon
which he was to die we were on the
way to Pennsylvania to help fight the
great deciding battle. The deserter
was placed in IN ambulance, by his
coffin, that morning. At noon, after
hard tack, pork and coffee, the brig
ade formed three lines of a square.
when the deserter was marched from
right to left of the line and seated
upon the coffin. Twelve men were
marched two or three rods from him.
The officer gave the command :
''Ready, aim, fire!' The criminal fell
back on his coffin, pierced by five or
six bullets. The burial followed i'm
mediately, without service, and the
brigade pulled out, the band playing
qllickstep.
CATER the battle of Gettysburg.
and when the Fifth Corps was camped
near the Rappahannock River in Sep
tember, the whole command was
formed on three sides of square, the
customary formation, and witnessed
the shooting of five deserters. All of
them were the class known as bounty
jumpers. They had deserted several
times; one of them five times. They
were New Workers.. A desperate effort
had been made to save their lives.
Several committees from the great
city had waited upon President Lin
coin aud pleaded for them. The wives
and children of two of them visited
the President, but Mr.. Lincoln could
not be moved. He had overlooked the
offense in hundreds of instances, but
the time had come when the discipline
OF the army demanded the severest
punishment of soldiers found guilty of
that crime. Secretary Stanton, for a
year before Mr.. Lincoln had refused
to so punish deserters, had pleaded
with him to let the law have its way.
Mr.. Stanton had told the President
many time that his soft heart was
spelling the army and endangering the
life of the Nation, but Mr.. Lincoln
paid little heed until 1868.
Gin some portions of the army it was
the custom to hang deserters, but in
most instances they were shot, and in
the presence of their respective COM
mands, rs described. The effect was
magical. Desertions were little heard
of for the next few months.
81 believe that majority of the de-
sertions of men who went into the army
from patriotic motives resulted from
what the men regarded as impositions
upon them by officers, from corporals
to generals-officers unfit to be placed
over sensible and sensitive volunteers.
Such officers did not know how to treat
their fellow men. Mary self-respect-
ing, Independent man of brain and
character could not bear the yoke, and
in desperation deserted. Among all
of the men of our regiment who de.
serted I do not recall one who had moi
been in from one to twenty battles.
They were not afraid to fight, but theil
manhood rebelled against the treat.
ment that manly man would not in.
flict upon dog. Many went at once
into other regiments. I am making nc
excuses for the crime of desertion, YET
it was not wholly an unnatural crime
under the circumstances indicated
Think of the thousands of boys and
girls who have deserted their homes