Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-05-22
THE RoGUEs' MARCH"

for it would keep them out of the army.
The soldiers insisted that they should
be drummed out of the army, and the
citizens demanded that they should be
tarred and feathered. Finally it was
settled that both punishments should
be inflicted, and early the following
morning it was known all through the
city and in the camps that the victims
would be the central figure of a spec
tacular parade to take place that day.
BY eight o'clock there were crowds
of people on the streets, and two hours
later every available point of view was
occupied. Ladies and children looked
down from the windows and housetops
along the main thoroughfares; the side
walks were packed and business was
practically suspended. The thousands
who stood there in the hot and dusty
streets waited patiently, and at last,
just before the hour of noon, the sound
of drum was heard in the distance.
The drum beat grew louder and the
cheering became almost deafening.
Then n spectacle was seen the like of
which had never been witnessed before
by the oldest inhabitcnt. Marching in
the center of a Gordon of guards came
two tall figures. just what they were
it was hard to tell. They were half
bird, half human. Half of their heads
and faces had been shaved. They had
been covered with tar from their heads
to their ankles, and feathers had been
piled on as long as they would stick.
The musicians were playing the
"Rogues' March," and the prisoners
kept step in lively fashion.
They looked like couple of gigantic
ostriches, and not at all like the dash
ing troopers who had been captured the
night before. Tramp, tramp, tramp,
up and down the streets of the city the
two culprits marched under the blazing
sun, and 10000 people stared at them
and shouted until they were hoarse and
laughed until they were exhausted. The
drummer seemed to enjoy it; the
guards wore broad grin; the populace
howled with delight, and the negro
lookers-on were ovsrjoyed to see two
white men SO disgraced. But the most
surprising thing of all was the way
the two men behaved. Instead of being
crestfallen, they threw their heads bacl,
and staggered like conquering heroes.
The whole city was wild, and if fed
eral raiding party had come along just
then / doubt whether there would have
been any organized resistance. The
carnival spirit had seized everybody,
and mirth ruled the hour. AS the pro-
cession passed the place where 1 was
standing l asked an officer what he
thought of it.
"They deserve it," was the reply.
"Tarring and feathering is just the
thing for sneak thieves. It is right to
drum them out of the service. They
have disgraced their uniform, and no
good soldier wants to serve with
them"
what will become of them?"
asked.
"Oh, The conscript officer will attend
to that" he answered. "He is at the
other end of the street with u file of men
waiting for them"
I suggested that il they were forced
into the army again good soldiers would
have to serve with them. The officer
looked at me with an air of superior
wisdom.
''That is a very different thing" he
said. "They will go into regiment
of strangers under new names, and their
associates will not know who they are.
We can't let them go, you know, for the
confederacy needs every man who can
carry gun"
i ran ahead of the procession TO
point out on Whitehall street. Here the
thieyes-were released by their guards.
Before they could take advantage of
their freedom they were again under
srrest and marching or 20 camp.