The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-03-21
peas and when they were rigged out in
army blue, there were only two men
In the company who could tell which
was which."-Chicago Inter Ocean.
How One Deserter Escaped De,

| was W Nhi'f-p oIedD
How One Deserter Escaped Death.
AT Stone River" said Captain
Rothaker. IA Young fellow about i
years of age, and strong in neither MIND
nor body. deserted from the Fifty sec
ond Ohio. Ii was his first fight and ht
could not stand the pressure. The men
of the company believed that the boy
was not responsible. and they gave III,
matter little attention. but in due time
| he was arrested. tried before court mar
tial found guilty of desertion. and was
sentenced 10 be shot. As usual in sucl
eases n detail from the deScrtcrs own
regiment was ordered 10 carry out The
sentence.
This was in the spring of 1863. The
order was delivered at brigade head
quarters on the evening before the day
| fixed for the execution. Colonel Dan
McCook of the Fifty-second was then
in command of the brigade. He could.
MT sleep. and at breakfast the next
morning his wife asked him what the
trouble was. He replied that one of
the Fifty-second regiment was 10 be
shot by men of the Fifty-second. and
he declared that he would rather lead
the regiment in the hardest battle of
the war than order it to take part in
such an execution. He felt the dis
grace himself and he knew that every
man in the regiment would be humili-
ated. Mrs McCook asked questions
until she was In possession of all the
facts bearing on the case of the young
deserter.
"After telling his story the Colonel
went to brigade headquarters TO issue
his order to Colonel c. w. Clancy. COM
manding the Fifty-second Ohio. to have
the guard detailed. one man from each
company. While the Colonel was doing
this his wife took an ambulance. drove
down into Nashville. went to the tele-
graph office. and insisted that she be
put into immediate communication with
President Lincoln. As soon rs COM
munication was opened with the White
House she stated the facts and pleaded
for the life of the boy. In about two
hours she returned with a full reprieve
and l never saw on Colonel Dan Me
Cooks face happier look than it Wore
as he dashed past the camp on his way
to General Mitchelrs headquarters.
The order of execution was recalled.
and the men of the Fifty-second did not
shoot n deserter from the Fifty-second
The story illustrates at once the sensi-
tiveness of Colonel Dan McCook and
his pride in his regiment"
"The same spirit" said the Colonel
was exhibited in the very last act Of
Colonel Dan McCook'S life. In the as
sault on Kenesaw mountain June 81,
1864. Colonel Dan McCook and his
brigade and Colonel Harker and his
brigade were selected as the column of
direction. In McCook's brigade We're
nois in the front line. with the Eighty
fifth and Eighty-sixth Illinois. the Fif.
ty-second Ohio. and the Twenty-second
Indiana. following in the order named
Just before the One Hundred and twen-
V-fifth Illinois reached the rebel works
the color bearer was killed. Colonel
Dan McCook, leading his brigade.
caught up the colors. and waving the
flag went forward at the apex of the
thin assaulting line.
with the flag in his left hand he
climbed up on the rebel breastworks on
his hands and knees. and when he got
to the top stood erect waving the colors
with his left hand and with his right
hand striking down the bayonets of
the men inside of the works who were
pressing close about him. At the same
time. one of the Illinois BOYS had hold
of the Coloners coattails. trying to pull
him down on our side of the works. The
Colonel was using vigorous language
to the man who was holding him back,
and turning partially around called out
to his own men: Bring up the colors of
the Fifty-second.' In doing this he
lost his guard, was mortally wounded.
and fell back among his own men, Col
onel Harmon of the One Hundred and
twenty-nfth Illinois succeeded TO the
command of the brigade, bur was in
stantly killed. The brigade then fell
back seventy-five feet and intrenched.
and held the line until the rebels re-
treated from their position.
Colonel McCook died two weeks
later. A curious fact is that after the
war Mrs. Colonel Dan McCook married
General Frank Cheatam. who was in
command OF the rebel forces which we
assaulted on that day. The Eighty
sixth Illinois recently purchased the
ground over which McCook's brigade
charged that day and have organized
the Kenesaw Battle Field Memorial
for the purpose of erecting
a monument TO the memory of the men
who fell In the assault.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.