The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-06-13
Went Braxelx to Hi. Death.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
Went Bravely to His Death.
In the four years l served in the
army of northern Virginia" said the
old confederate, in reminiscent
mood, while chatting with friends in a
Louisville hotel, II saw more men
killed than I'd care to count. In the
course of the war three out Of the four
men who were terminates with me
were killed. Each one went down
within ten feet of me, one with his
head torn away with a shell, the sec
ond with mimic ball that tore great
hole in his jugular vein, and the third
from an overdose of bayonet, when he
got at close quarters with the Yankees
one afternoon at Seven Pines. My
command lost So per cent in one bat
tie, and as we usually came pretty near
evening things up with the other fell
lows have been a witness at a pretty
fair share of violent demises. But
there is one incident that happened
ing back to memory, and every time
think of it l wish had been some
where else on the morning it happened.
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. One morning l left
my command and started over to talk
! to some old friends in a Mississippi
Regiment. got about half of the dis
tahoe when ran into little body Of
men. Two of them had their 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, curl
ing brown hair, and his face was the
handsomest and the saddest l ever
saw. He was walking quietly and
steady. l couldn't see his eyes, but
not a muscle of his face was twitching,
and his feet were planted fairly and
squarelyson the ground. I noticed
that he wore the uniform of a captain.
The second fellow had to be held up by
four men. Every few steps he would
fASAAA W SllO 61OuAu pC1LCNIly I'LL anu
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 Carolini-
an, and his terror would have been dis
gusting if it had not been so pitiable.
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 to the cross he said: Men, you
know me. I've led you in thirty fights,
and you've never seen me shy from a
gun muzzle yet, have you? l just
want you to take this bandage off my
eyes, and as long as I've got to die
let me die like man. I've given you
the order to fire many time, and I'd
like to give my last order, if you'll let
me- The lieutenant hesitated, and
then he said, Jack, I'll do it, if get
shot for it. They unbound his eyes.
He Strengthened himself for a 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 pitch
ed straight forward 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 it like
a snake with broken back. They
gave it up and he was shot while he
was crawling along on the ground,
screaming out prayers for mercy.
heard afterward that the captain,
hearing that his 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 refused. He slipped away, but be-
fore 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. De-
sorting had become too common for
any excuse to be taken for it, and he
was ordered to be shot the next morn
ing. BY some chance a detail of his
own company was selected for the
work. by another chance happened
to see him shot. wish hadn't"