The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-04-28
THESIRANGEST EVENT IN THE
WORLD

VIII ihpts pssa b.ue eFes sbleA theuf %
tsltklet 10 er.7ymeut ei the bsus'tr'
- 1tnetr csu bope 10 tussest be viva
AID plelut3, style oi isIliss tt H9'
biest4irsfiy bsye mytt1 tuns apau h'
lps lt sEery of spgrsbepfioa let the lat
oftAo befa. ts be sirPed hi' bsndt iat
the bet lhis ts g. sstic.Psie. snspec
tAst ciilcsl l3sleget III suT oue oonit
listen spd femsin critical, vtieh ] donb
-n4att lsye detected me yagaeuea
A. 10 date ari place. II my memory
stry .. tht Old seltl nsa told the tale ~
sstafy Of the Car't,i usiug 10 sasir, sni
dted It Atom, 3i Bot Il rs talr TO say
.it may h.Ys been Mexico o. China, any
iate you please sa uow Ter the story
TIE generals had been in eonsullalon
al the morning Hour stter hour passed
by, and wreiched prisoners, closely guard
ed, waited 90 IN all the sgouy oi isuspeuse.
Toere we're four hundred Of them IN sll,
a ies Lsggsrd womgn sad hsi starved
children smong them. AS you may lnss
line there was not much conversation
The men, i0r the IL ssl part, were doeRed
ard sulleu Some OF the younger ones
sssumei q mood Of forced gsyety which
deceived DO oue, Ald still capt yes Snd
csp'ors stood wstchIng for sigbs q move
ment sbout the entrance 10 the Generals
tent which woali announce the end OF the
conference. and that the iateiul decision
had been srrived ut
At lsst, soon after noon, there was u
murmur Of excitement The soldiers on
guard drew themselves up in military fash
Ion and roughly constrained their prison
ers into line The Commander in Chief
| OF the victorious army emerged from the
tent, mounted his borse sn1 advanced
slowly to v here the csptnfed force was
drawn up, as II he did lot half like the
duty be bsd to discharge He held a
paper 10 his hand, aud Us be reined up
bis hors0 and proceeded TO read it, you
might almost have heard the pulsatons |
Of four hundred besrts
The substance Of the message was sw
tul. Every mar, woman and child was to
be shot; they would be allowed until 6 /
o'clock next morning to prepare them
selves for death, The generals were de
tcrmined to strike terror into all hearts.
Moreover it was well known that pro
visions were scarce and ii was easier to
shoot their prisoners than to feed them;
so the ioui hundred we're doomed
The scene that followed this irghtful
proclamation btill description. Some
Of the male prisoners who had awaited it
with most apparent unconcern broke into
wild yolleys OF oaths and curses Fathers
essped their children in their arms, az If
With the intention Of defending them.
The children were the least moved in all
the throng' Snch was the effect upon the
condemned But more seril lus and Of far
greater moment, was the effect upon the
victorious army. Soldiers trained TO find
a terrible Joy in battle have an unconquer
able aversion 10 cold blooded massacre Q
and TO shooting down defenseess men, Q
women aud children, simply because they
have fought a losing fight Moreover, d
these prisoners were Of their own flesh 3
and blood, natives Of the one fatherand; 4
and the bitterness Of civil war conId not g
destroy the fact Of their common race and b
lineage, The consequence was that 10 the c
course Of an hour or two it became known l
10 the generals that their own troops were 81
% the verge Of muti0y, O
Then there was inrlher conference, b
leld in hot haste, and lasting late like The II
)ther. The sun went down upon the mis- II
ny OF that doomed host, which had only @
% o'clock the sonnd Of q trumpet was "
leard through the camr, and confused Il
loise ss OF troops rapidly mastering ?
Then followed second proclamation
The ger erals had decided to be less than 81
ust that they might be more mercli1l h'
they wonli mske an example Of forty out oi
i four hundred; and as the isifest meth
"a Of determining which Of the prisoners er
houd die, they would compel them to
raw lots iu The morning. Four hundred to
'spers Vould be placed IN bag, and Of FL
bese four hundred papers forty would di
ear blood red cross; the remainder Of
be papers would be blank Every man.
Iomsn and child must draw out paper, to
ID Tor the forty who drew those With the Ie
ed cross, Death; Tor the rest, Life.
At the appointed hour 90 officer gallop III
a up Vi,ae bag, shaking it ss be went AZ
bat every one might know that the tokens vi
| Life aud Desth were fairly mixed.
hen be dismonDted, and the business Of N
rAwins lots began. There was breath 70
.ss Stiffness 10 the camp, and it was cur
1s TO notice bow the prisoners behaved ou
nder their ordeal Some OF them, when bs
lsy drew blank, waved the little white he
sper above their heads. o hers, seorn At
u SOY exhibition. strobe away TO the
sbt Of The ranks slth impsssive coul,e Of
lBces Farther sud further down the
ne moved tie officer Eiih the bag. aud ly;
40 after man drew ont white psper
ID took his place Slth those Who bad er
iely rsssed tie or1eal The fret dity
-ew blstks, and, as you may iusaus, sE
e relief winch came TO them meant 10
essed ar1uty to those Who slill hsd 10 thu
NV. Indeed, . lev nurm Or OF sstohlsh
cot sui Indignation began 10 fua tis
toa.h the three hundred l,t Thsre {
,on tie cfiter shook the bag sgsia, sDd. pAI