The times., 1901-04-21
THE FATE OF DEsERTERs.
Pathetic story of n Witness to a
Military Execution.

(From the Louisville Courier -Journal)
In the four years l served in the Army
OF Northern Virginia, said the old Con-
federate, in a reminiscent mood, Il saw
more men killed than I'd care to count.
In the course of the war three out of
the four men who were tent mates with
me were killed Each one went down
within ten feet of me, one with his head
torn away by a shell, the second with a
minie-bal that tore great hole in his
1ugular vein, and the third from an over
dose Of Dayonet when we got at close
quarters with the Yankees one afternoon
at Seven Pines My command lost So per
cent in one battle. and. as we usually came
pretty near evening things up with the
other fellows, | have been a witness at
pretty fair share of violent demises.
In battle, after a man gets over his
nrSt scare at going into the line of fire.
the brute in him usually makes him for
get that he is a coward When he sees
the fellow next to him fall he Sorter feels
sorry and has pretty strong desire 10
come to close quarters with the man that
did Ii and let a little daylight into him
Fighting as we had to, | got so that
could see a man killed in battle with as
little worry as if he had been a partridge
in hunting field
But there is one incident that hap
pened near the end of the war that keeps
coming back to memory, and every time
! think of it | wish | had been somewhere
else on the morning it happened.
You know, near the close of the war
the poor, half-starved devils got to de-
serting pretty frequently II was war time,
and there wasn't but one way to remedy
it-a wooden cross, the deserter, and the
firing squad
'On morning l left my command and
started over to talk to some old friends
in a Mississippi regiment. | got about
half of the distance, when I ran into
little body Of men. Two of them had
their eyes blindfoIded and their arms
tied behind them. The first fellow couldn't
have been more than twenty-five 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 /
cOuldn see his eyes, but not q muscle
OF his face was twitching, and his feet
were planted fairly and squareIy on the
ground. ] noticed that he wore the uni
form of a captain.
THE second fellow had to be held up
by four men. Every few steps he would
fall to the ground perfectly limp and il
seemed, lifeless. When the men would
get him UP he would scream and cry like
a scared child. He was a great big raw
boned North Carolinian, and his terror
would have been disgusting if it hadn't
been so pitiable
Il followed the little procession for a
hundred yards to whore the line of crosses
stood. The captain was To be shot first
AS they placed him with his back to the
cross, he said: Men, YOU know me I've
led you in thirty fights, and you've never
seen me shy from gun muZzle yet, have
yDuE i Just want YOU to take this band
age Oh my eyes, and. as long as I've got
to die, let me die like Il man. I've 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 in command
hesitated, and then he said: Jack III
90 1t, If | get shot for it
They unbound his eyes. He straight
ened himself for minute, took a long
look all about him, and then, facing his
men, said in as steady a voice as | ever
listened to, Ready. Aim, fire.
They fired. and he pitched straight for
ward his full length dead before he struck
the ground. Then they tried to bind the
Tar-heel TO the cross, but he writhed and
moaned and twisted away from 1t like
snake with a broken back. They gave it
up. and he was shot while ne was crawl
ing along on the ground, screaming out
prayers for mercy.
Il heard afterward that the captain,
hearing that his old mother was dying.
had asked leave TO go to his home, which
was only twelve miles away. We needed
every man then, and the permit was re-
fused. 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 a court
martial. Deserving had become too COM
mon for any excuse to be taken for il,
and he was ordered 70 be shot the next
morning. BY some Glance q detail of his
own company was selected for the work.
BY another chance. / happened to see him
shot l wish | hadn't