The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-05-25
FROM CLEVELAND.
The Contrast.
Of 1h. Big Stone Gan Post.

correspondence Of The Big Stone Gap Post.
CLEVELAND, Va, May 2O.-While in th'
Southern army, in the civil war betwcer
the States serving as a private in Co. A
29th Va. Vol we witnessed the sad an'
awful sight of three men being shot Il
death for desertiOn; and as we were OF
"post" guarding them at the time t"'
news of their dreadful fate was firsI
broken TO them, We remember to this dal
the effect it produced upon the three con
demned men, and some of the laet expires
s;ons, both desperate and hopeful, tina
fell from their quiycring lips. Some Of
| those expressions SHOW plainly the great
contrast between the condition OF the
Christian and that Of the sinner, when
they both are graphing with the terror'
of death; and it is mainly to show mp TINS
difference, which il all in favor OF the
Christian and against the sinner, that We
write this letter. We were stationed in
up2er East Tennessee, when several pris-
oners were brought to our camp one day
and placed in the guard-hOuse, which was
simply a small spot of ground with a tent
in the center and several sentinels posted
HfOulu 10 DIOulDIl OiH thHiNFo Nv NS'N'
except under conditions specified by the
commanding officer. 1t was soon rumored
in camp that several of these prisoners,
who were captured bearing arms in the
Union ranks, had previously belonged as
regular soldiers in the Southern army,
and that a c%ourt-msrtial had been organ
lied at headquarters and that they were
being tried for desertion.
Not long after this we were put on duty
at the guard-house and noticed that the
prisoners had all been taken away but
three. We did not surmise what this
meant until Col. Giles, whose tent was
hard by, came to us, as the prisoners were
unconciously taking their last meal, and
said "If those men knew what is up they
would not eat that meal" what is it,
COLI" we asked. "They are to be shot for
desertion; they have only about ~ hours
to live" He then turned away and direct
Is another man came to us and desired TO
pass in to the prisoners, but we did not
know him nor his mission, hence, We re-
fused to let him pass until We learned that
he was a minister of the gospel, one bear
ing the good news Of life and salvation to
dying men. then we gladly said pass in.
We shall never forget the scene that
followed when he went in and broke to
those men the awful news that they must
die in q few hours. They wept, prayed
and lamented till it seemed enough to
break the stOutest heart, we never felt so
sad in all our life before. One of the men
said in piliful tones of anguish, Il will
never see the sun set any more and
again, 81 will never get to see my wife and
children any more" and another cried
out in dreadful accents of despair, 81 will
have to be chained down in the dark
dungeon forever" But the third one, a
tall man, came out at the door OF
the tent clapping his hands and praising
God and said in "a loud voice, al AIN ready
to 60"
Dear reader, can you imagine how much
it was worth TO this poor dying mau to be
able to use such expressions OF hope and
Joy as this while in the very jaws of death?
No, there is nothing else to be found III
all the earth worthy to be compared to it.
But, on the other hand, what will this
life amount to with us if We fail to improve
its opportunities to prepare for the great
beyond, and death shall find us as it did
the man in this narrative, who seemed to
hear the rafting chains of everlasting
bondage, and feel the black clouds OF
eternal despair pressing upon his soul,
when he exclaimed, 81 will have to be
chained down in the dark dungeon for
May We all profit by this solemn
W. l.. j.