The National tribune., 1901-03-21
BRANDING IN THE 4th u. S. CAV.
Reminis cences Called Up by Comrade Peck s
"Rough Riding"

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | have
been greatly interested in Robert Morris
| Peck's account of his five years in the
lst U. S. Cav, the more so as / served
20 years in the same regiment. 1t is
| the 4th Cav. now.
That account which he gives of the
| branding of those two deserters reminds
me Of the last ceremony of that kind that
| took place in the 4th Cav, and, SO far
| as | know, in the Regular Army.
| The regiment was stationed in San An
tonic at the time. We were camped in
| THE Big Yard" about square below the
| Military Plaza, and near the Arsenal.
We had been having a great many
desertions all Winter and Spring. This
was in the Spring of 1866.
Nearly all of these deserters were re-
cruits. Why they left L don't know. We
| certainly had an easy time of it there;
easier, in fact, than | ever saw it after
wards in the next 1S years. The regiment
was under command of our senior Major,
Gen. John p. Hatch; but he had nothing
to do with the branding; that was ordered
approved by Gen. Reynolds, the Depart
ment Commander. at Austin, Tex.
L have forgotten the, name of the man
who was branded. but he was a fine-look-
ing, well-built Irishman, about % years
old, and, by the way, I missed having to
brand him myself by just one inch and
half. This man had been in the guard
house ever since his trial. and one morn
ing, soon after guard mount, the officer of
the day came to the guard house and
asked if there was barber in the guard.
There was one, "a man named Murphy,
belonging to Troop H. Murphy was or
dered to shave the one-half of this mans
head, and did so.
1 was Corporal OF the guard, and
to be ordered to do the branding.
| did not want the job, but, of course,
would have branded him if told to do it.
The Sergeant of the guard took three
straws, two long and one short one, and
told us to draw. The other two Corporals
drew first, according to rank, and one
drew the short straw; that let me out.
AT 10 o'clock in the forenoon the whole
regiment was marched ON the parade
grounds and formed in a hollow square;
then a blacksmith, coming to the guard
house, cut the shackles off this man, and
| was told to take u file of the guard and
a trumpeter and march the man up for
punishment.
| halted him just in rear Of the square,
then waited for the Adjutant to read
his findings and sentence, and as the mans
name was called | marched him inside of
the square and halted right in the center
of the square, then told this man to strip
his right thigh. He did so, and this
Corporal who had been detailed to do the
branding now came forward with ID
Troops horse-brand that had already
been heated, and with quick motion put
that ID on his thigh; the man never moved,
although it must have panied him. Then
putting the trumpeter in front, who struck
up the ROgues March, we marched the
man through the gate and let him go.
The citizens now took charge of him,
and taking him TO a doctor in town, had
the brand dressed: then they raised a
purse of about $500 for him, and sent
him off. This was the first deserter who
had been branded i'll the 4th U. S. Cav.
in several years, and was the last one.
This man was branded to furnish an ex-
ample to stop deserting, and it stopped
it. The young trumpeter who furnished
the music that day was mischieyous
young fellow about IA years old.
l had been making pet Of him and he
always came to me when in trouble. He
came to me the night before the branding.
He had to sound that Rogue's March next
tactics. | whistled it, but he could not
catch it.
Then, taking his trumpet, sounded it
as near as | could, and at last he got it.
He had proposed 10 give us March
ing Through Georgia" instead. he said
II you DO, told him, "and the officer
of the day don't order you tied up, I'll
tie you up. We don't want Marching
Through Georgia" in front of deserter"
good many of the men who We're in
the 1st Cav. when Peck belonged to it
were still in it when | joined il in Feb
ruary, 1865. Baldwin, of Troop X; julius
X. DayenpOrt-"BuckD Davenport II.
and old Mclaughlin, of III, also; he served
30 years in the regiment-JoHN A.
Brooks, Troop III and f, 4th U. S. Cav,
Soldiers Home, Erie, Pa.