The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-06-24
DESERTED TO SEE HIS MOTHER
Returned for Trial and Gave Signal
for His Own Execution.

But there is one incident that happen
ed near the end of the war that keeps
coming back to memory, and every time
I think of it wish 1 had been some
where else on the morning it happened"
said the veteran confederate, and then
continued:
You know near the close of the war
the poor, half-starved devils got to de-
sorting pretty frequently. 1t was war
and there was but one way to remedy it
"a wooden cross, the deserter, and the
firing squad.
zone morning I left my command and
started over to talk to some old friends
in a Mississippi regiment. I got about
eyes blindfolded and their arms tied be-
hind them The first fellow couldn't have
been more than 25 He was tall, straight
as an arrow, with dark, curling brown
hair, and his face was the handsomest
and the saddest ever saw. He was
walking quietly and steadily. I couldn't
see his eyes, but not muscle of his face
was twitching, and his feet were plant
ed fairly and squarely on the ground. I
noticed that he wore the uniform Of
captain.
1.-The second fellow had to be held up
by four mem. Every few step he would
fall to the ground perfectly limp and, 1t
seemed, lifeless. When the men would
get him up he would scream and cry like
scared child. He was a great, big,
raw boned North Carolinian, and his ter
ror would have been disgusting if it had
not been so pitiable.
II followed the little procession for 100
yards to where the line of crosses stood.
The captain was to be shot first. AS they
placed him with his back against the
cross he said: "Men, you know me. I
have led you in thirty fights, and you
have never seen me shy from gun muz-
zle yet, have you? just want you to take
| this bandage off my eyes, and as long as
| I've got to die let me die like a mann. I
| have given you the order to fire many a
time, and I'd like to give my last order
if you'll let me- The lieutenant hesitat-
ed And then he said: Jack, I'll do 1t,
| if get shot for it,
! "They unbound his eyes. He straight
| ened himself for a minute, took long
look all about him, and then facing his
men said in os steady voice as ever
listened to, Ready! Aim! Fire!'
| ''They fired, and he pitched straight
| forward his full length, dead before he
struck the ground. Then they tried to
bind the tarheel to the cross, but he
writhed and moaned and twisted away
from it like snake with broken back.
They gave it up and he was shot while he
| was crawling along the ground, scream
ing out prayers for mercy.
| II heard afterward that the captain,
hearing that his old mother was dying,
| had asked leave to go to his home, which
was only 2 miles away. We needed ev-
cry man then. and the permit was refus-
ed. He slipped away. but before he got
back Grant made one of his attacks on
our lines. The captains company went
| into action for the first time without him
at the head of it. He returned for
court-martial DESERVING had become too
common for any excuse to be taken FOR
it. and he was ordered to be shot the
next morning. By some chance detai
of his own company was selected to see
him shot, l wish I hadn't.