The National tribune., 1897-08-05

"EEN WHILE OUR DOOMED COM
- rades were saying their farewels TO
US, the rebel guards were busily en-
~ gagged in piuioning their arms with
ropes preparatory 10 their journey
TO the scafofd. Their relentless execution
ers drove them in impatient, brutal haste,
even refusing them the poor boon of saying
farewell 10 some of their comrades.
That terrible moment will never be effaced
from the tablets Of my memory. 1t is in
delibly and yividly engraven there. 1t was
a sudden and dreadful blow to those poor
fellows who had been lured into the false hope
of being exchanged or paroled. From the
very instant the cavalry halted in front of our
prison, an unexplainable horror had seized
upon me. / felt that their visit meant no
coed to Us, and when the epauletted brute
who had charge of the murderers came in
and informed US who were left in the room,
that they would attend to the rest of US
very soon, felt almost like thanking him
for saying So fer there would be no more
doubling. Weknew exactly what TO expect
and could act accordingly. Then came the
choking. hurried farewells. Oh, what sad,
sad, trying moment that was! 1t is as vividly
before me now as then, and the last farewell
of those dear comrades, as they left Us, will
Hnger and pain me as long as consciousness
remains.
The blow fell with greater weight upon
some Of the doomed men from the fact they
had built such strong hopes of better fate
1t viii be remembered, as related in for
mer chapter, that George Wilson and Mar
ion Ross, two of the fated men, now bid
ding Us final farewell, had been so strongly
impressed with this faliacious belief that
haG
venting an attempt to escape at Chatta-
noGga. But, oh 4, how terribly were they
and all Of our party undeceived, and how
truly prophetic and correct were the warn
ing words of Andrews. How much better
than We did he know the frenzed blood
thirsty, merciless na uTe of the horde who
were waging war for the perpetuity of
human slavery.
no PREPARATION FOR DEATH
The first warning those men had Of their
doom after they were separated from Us was
when the officer handed them each paper
con tanning their deafh-senfence and before
they had time to read the terrible words the
guards were tying tbs ir arms with ropes
Robinson, who was so sick with fever that
he could not stand or his feet, was cursed
and threatened by the officer, by whose
orders he was dragged out and down stairs
The measureless pain and soErow I felt
for the fate Of those comrades is to this day
mingled with proud admiration for their
noble, manly fortitnde in that trying mo-
ment. A true man, in the mad excitement
ef strife GA the battlefield, can march with
his comrades to meet death without falter-
ing. but for an innocent man to bsarely and
calmly meet the fate of a murderer ea the
Grufft.f tpef of
which few men can realize until com
raRded to prepare for the halter
It Is hard for a man in the full vipor of
health and the prime of life to imagine
what his feelings woula be, if called upon
suddenly to face an ignominious fate at the
hapes OF exuItant, heartless execntioners
and IN the presence of blood-thirsty. ieer-
ing rabble, and without SO much as a half
hours time TO arrange his spiritual and
temporal affairs; yet such was the lot of
cur comrades, and they met their fate like
true soldiers.
Marion Ross was the least affected As
be shook hands with US, be spoke out In a
clear tone Of voice and said: "Beys. if apy
OF you ever get back, tell them I died for
my country tell them I died like a man
and did not regret IT." Our party seemed
10 be like the majority of young men who
entered the army-careless of any prepara-
tons or thought for the world beyond the
grave.
George Wilson, who had one of the
brightest minds of the party, WAS a pro1essed
dIsbeileTer-an in6del, and often | had
heard him argue with William pittenger
against the truth Of the Scriptures while in
prison. Plttenger, believe, Was intend
ing TO engage In the ministry. Ia this last,
solemn moment, however, Wilson took
Plttenger by the hand and said, :" L believe
you are right Pittenger. Oh, try to pre-
pare for death better than / have done.
May God bless you-fareweII"
Slavens, who was man athletic of stature
and hercuiean In strength, and would have
been mt soldier for the days and army OF
Frederick the Great, could only articuIate
10 hls near friend, Buffum, Wife-children
-tell-them-n when bis uiterance eLoked.
and he completely broke down.
There was one of that fated hand whase
parting farewell is painfully vivid before
NE today-a member of my own proud
and honored regiment, the 21s. Ohio
john Scott as brave, faithful and patriotic
SCR, brother and husband as ever shouI-
desro musket for his couritry. Alas
httie did he think when, three days after
MS marriage 70 . worthy young lady of his