The Progress., 1897-06-19

cat breakneck speed we went across
broad field, cleared Il wide ditch with
most desperate leap and rushed on 10 our
camp When we arrived there, we lay
down to talk over our narrow escape,
highly elated to think we had eluded the
grasp of the dreaded provost guard. II we
had made charge upon the enemy ana
covered ourselves with honor, we coulu no1
have felt much better than at that TIME.
We were so excited that we could not sleep.
tIn about an hour we heard conmo-
ton in an adjoining company. some men
seemed to be carrying Il heavy burden
while others were convulsed with joyous
laughter they yainly tried to suppress. we
listened They were talking. Their whoie
company seemed to be gathered around
them. VAS we listened we became disgust
ed. TRey had got our honey. They had
overheard US>ip/the afternoon as we MADE
our plans and Af-aE,ncd squad of them
had followed us up to make believe they |
were the provost guard, and they had sue
ceeded We tried to induce Joe TO ask LOT
his coat, but he declared he would rather
freeze to death like man. The AFFAIR
leaked out and for months afterwartl II tho
boys wished to silence one of us amateur
bunmers they only had to speak the one
word 'honey.
The army hummer of the front line takes
deeper risks than arrest and petty PUNISH
ment by the provost guard. !here Is
den game and the habit springs as often
from love of excitement as from hunger.
Truthful chronicler that he is, Private
| Gerrish stops at nothing in his task OF de-
| picting war. He gives story OF an army
| execution q topic most writer's merely hint
| ut as something too dark for elaboration
| The unfortunate men evidently did not pc
long to Gerrish's regiment, and, In fact he
leaves no clev for their identity. Says he:
"In the month of August, 1868, while our
regiment was encamped near beverly
Ford on the Rappahannock, u report was
circulated through our corps that nve de-
serters had been arrested and would proDa-
bly be found guilty and executed This
caused quite q ripple of excitement In
ca,np Years before we had read OF desert
ers being shot, and our boyish hearts had
) been thrilled with vivid descriptions given,
but we had never witnessed such spec
tacle. We had seen death in almost every
form but this.
stThe court martial found all the desert
9 ers guilty, and sentenced them all to be
! shot The whole Fifth corps was paradec
l To witness the execution and the regiments
massed around hollow square The !ses
> were so formed that every man could Cd
: tain a view, and for some moments VIZ
y awaited the arrival of the solemn process
= sion. Every detail had been arranged witt
the special object of making deep impres
= sion upon the spectators On broad leVe
:, the old Fifth corps, with Its bronzed vet
y Grams and battered flags, closed In solid col
=, umns around the square. The silence wa
- not broken by a single sound. Each lin
~ OF soldiers looked more like Il section OF
:. vast machine than a line of living men
% The silence was suddenly and sadly broke
=, by the sounds of approaching music-no
., 1 the quick, inspiring strains with whic
= we were SO familiar but a measured, sio'
~ and solemn dirge, whose weird, sorrowf'
notes were poured forth like the moaning
10 of lost spirits. Every eye turned In tr
y. II direction whence came the sad and mourn
~ ful cadences, and then we saw the proce'
q ;" sion. First came the band of music, wit
!, slow and measured Step; next detacl
~ ment of the provost guard, numbering
=, men, The guard consisted of men detaiie
-. from the several regiments, and In the
~ selection special regard was made 10 SO
~ a;er,y Qualities This detachment, as we
he ulerly qu'i,'ee -, 1,ri,r;n, mn II