Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-07-06
SOME FRENCH lrAvES.
A wartime Execution for Dcscrtion
Tint Left n GoUd linz
preston.

"When the desertion epidemic first
put in an appearance the punishments
were comparatively light, but later it
became necessary to inflict the sever
est penalty-death. During the win
ter of 1863 when the severe punish
ments were decided upon, there were
not many regiments exempt from de-
sertions. Some of the deserters were
overtaken and brought back within
two or three days. Even at that time
their punishment depended largely up.
on their former conduct as soldiers.
Let me bring the matter right home,"
writes j. A. Watrous in the Chicago
Times Herald. "0ne morning in Feb
ruary we found that three popular
men of our company, who had faced
death at Bull Run, South Mountain,
Antietam and Fredericksburg, had de-
serted. A few days before they had
had some trouble with two of the non.
commissioned officers and been pun.
ished. They deemed their treatment
unjust and unbearable. Two of them
returned of their own accord within
three months. The colonel, having
knowledge of their former good con-
duct in battle, interceded for them
and they escaped with the stoppage
of portion of their pay for several
months. During the remainder of the
war there were no better soldiers in
the company. The third one was cap.
tured and brought back at the end of
seven months. He had escaped three
great battles in that time. This count
ed against him. He was found guilty
and sentenced to be shot. The same
colonel, aided by other officers. made
a gallant fight for the mans life and
saved him. l never saw n more CRATE
full person. At the end of his three
able during the last yeas of the war
that he was given promotion from
time to time until he became first
sergeant and was about to be recon-
mended for n commission when Appo-
mattoN came"
"Did You ever see n man shot for
desertion?"
"Yes, several of them. The first
one was man of our brigade. He
deserted while we were near Freder-
icksburg and joined the confederate
army. A few weeks before we started
for Gettysburg confederate deserter
reached the lines of another brigade
and was placed under guard. A sol.
dier of our brigade passing that way
saw the confederate and was sur
prised to find that he was the man
ho1 Iii
a few weeks before. Found guilty, he
was sentenced to be shot. The day
upon which he was to die we were on
the way to Pennsylvania to help fight
the great deciding battle. The de
serter was placed in an ambulance, by
his coffin, that morning. At noon,
after hardtack, pork and coffee, the
brigade formed three lines of square
when the deserter was marched from
right to left of the line and seated
upon the coffin. Twelve men were
marched two or three rods from him.
The officer gave the commands:
Ready, aim, fire!" The criminal fell
back on his coffin, pierced by five or
six bullets. The burial followed i'm
mediately, without service, and the
brigade pulled out, the band playing
n quickstep.
after the battle of Gettysburg, and
when the Fifth corps was camped near
the Rappahannock river, in Septem-
Der, the whole command was formed
on three sides of a square, the GUS
tomary formation, and witnessed the
shooting of five deserters All OF