The Butler weekly times., 1897-07-08
J AN EPISODE OF WAR.
f,sot. W. G. Watkins Has His
Own Death Warrant.
SENTENCED TO Be SHOT.
u.,yev Salmon, Jr., Writes in the Kansas
City Times Of "UncIe' George
Watkins Peril.

Watkins Peril.
clinton Democrat.
On the streets of Clinton, Mo-,
..,ks daily man who thirty years
.so vas condemned to death by the
United States Government. He was
rsver pardoned and yet is as safe
to-day as before his capture. Never
tbeless, but for lucky escape Capt.
". G. Watkins would have been
shot on September %, 1868.
The story as revealed by the doc
umepts in the Department OF War
4 Washington, and supplemented
unwillingly by the modest captain,
reads like pure invention. Captain
Watkins, one of the bravest and
coolest soldiers in the Confederacy,
-ss born near what is now Point
Pleasant, West Virginis, but never
lived in the State, for he removed to
Henry county, Mo, in 1853, nine
Years before the nor rthwest corner OF
Virginia was detached by the Fed
sral government and erected into a
Union State.
With the outbreak of the civil war
iu 1861, young William Watkins at
once joined the Southern army. In
the next year he was commissioned
captain and given what came near
being his last orders He was di
rected to rt uit company for the
Confederacy and while so engaged
he was captured near Marshall, Sa
line county, in January, 1863.
Capt. Watkins was taken to st
Louis, where be was confned II
the Cratic. street military prison
better known as "McDowell's Col
lego" His case, with that of thu
Kirby brothers, was taken before
military commission, as stated II
order No. 249 from the adjutan
generals office, August 13, 1868;
"Third: Was arranged and trie
before the same commission w. &
Watkins, a captain OF the so-calle
Confederate States OF Americi
charged with violation of the law
and customs of war, being q captal
in the Confederate army and reb
against the authority of the gover'
ment of ,he United States, on
about the 2Sth day OF Januar
1863, was found in arms in Il
county of Saline. iu Missouri, al
within the lines OF the regular
authorized and organized forces
the United States, and having in /
possession and person coinmissio
and pretended authority to recr,
for the armies Of the sc-called Go
federate States, OF which comm
sion the following ere copies:
Camp Hindman, Missouri, Sc
tember 8, 1862 Captain W.
Watkins is hereby authorized to
cruit a company of cavalry for thu
years or during the war, to cons
of eighty able bodied and W
mounted men, and to furnish tra
portation and subsistence for
same, and to report to these he
quarters whenever required.
| (Signed) j. V. CockRELI
! Col. Commanding, G. S.
Headquarters Jackman's Pa
sans, November "a, 1S62.-Capt
4 Watkins--Sir In pursuance OF
order from Major General Hindu
commanding the Trans -Misse
district, and Colonel Waldo P. Jo
1 son, recruiting officer for the 81
of Missouri. you are hereby autl
lied to enlist and swear into the
vice of the Confederate States
three years, or the war, one comp
Of men to serve as cavalry and c
pose part of my independent I
ment now being raised to opera'
the State of Missouri. and to re
to these headquarters az soon
practicable.
(Signe6 5. u. 1AohAA
Colonel Command
ITO the above charges and s.
fications the accused pleaded
guilty, but the commission ha
matuiely considered the evidenc
tba case. sentenced the prisone