The National tribune., 1902-12-18


that unless soldiers find that they endan-
ger their lives by running away from the
front i'm time of active service. many Oh
them will prefer to go in that direction, IN
stead of moving forward where death con-
fronts them.
Gen. Washington said truly. that while
there We're soldiers who were controlled
by desire for glory or by a high sense
IF patriotism. so that they could be de-
pended on for going into action as mat
ter of duty or of honor, regardless OF
selfish considerations, the great majority
If men We're held to their place as sol
,Iicrs by their knowledge that the danger
Of running from the front was greater
than that of moving forward In battle
line. This was as true of soldiers OF the
Union army in our civil war as of the
Continental troops IN the W ar Oh the
Revolution.
Yet there was, for a long time, the same
reluctance in the latter war as in the
earlier to shoot down in cold blood de-
serter from the ranks. 1t was not al
ways easy TO retake deserter. therefore
many deserted with impunity. Even when
one was taken, and tried and sentenced,
his punishment was commuted. or he was
pardoned by the President, on the petition
of civilian friends. So it came TO pass
ehat the war had been fully a year and
half in progress before the death penalty
Fas executed on q deSerter. according to
the records of the War Department.
Meanwhile thousands had deserted from
The army with small danger of harm to
themselves; and the danger to those who
remained at the front was steadily in
rreasing through the diminishing of the
force for duty by these desertiODS. III
hero had been the prompt execution of
one deserter TO a division. in the first few
nonths of the war. this evil would have
been measurably checked with compara-
lively small loss of life. But, as it was.
ihe magnitude of this evil was not realized
until il was evident that the choice must
aow be between shooting towards who ran
to the rear or having true men shot down
at the front by hundreds or thousands be
cause of the criminal failure of those who,
Gas well as themselves, were bound in duty
Ito defend their Government against all
enemies.
My FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A DEsERTER.
Desertion to the enemy was naturally
Hooked upon. both in and out of the army.
as more heinous offense than desertion
to the rear; hence there wOuld be less re-
iuctance to the execution of a soldier
found guilty of that crime than to the
shooting of a man who merely ran away
for his own safety. My first experience
rs an Army Chaplain with n deserter was
with one of the former sort. and his case
was. possessed of remarkable features.
4 soldier OF a Massachusetts, regiment,
which was brigaded with my regiment for
the entire four years of our army service,
escaped from confinement, incurred by in
differentiation, and deserted through the
fines to the enemy, in>Nerth Carolina, in
the Summer of 1862 After serving in
he Confederate ranks for nearly twoj
years. he deserted his new command in
he Army of Northern Virginia, and came |
through the Federal lines at Deep Bot
tom. on the banks of the James expecting |
10 be sent North and to be free from mill
tary service theneeforward.
Strange to say he came through the
picket line of bis own old regiment. there
Ia another State two years after his de-
eertion, and, although he WAS III Confed-
erate uniform. he was recognized by a
Erember OF his former company, who hap
pened to be at that picket post at the mo-
sfnent he came in. Overpowered by sur
prise at his discovery, he WAS held, given
5a,yer for trial, convicted. and sentenced to
hiani.
My first meeting with this man was the
Hay before he was shot. as he sat ON the
banks of the James, handcuffed and fet-
cred and closely guarded. Conscious of
seing watched by curious eyes of his old
comrades and others, he was evidently in
an attitude of defiance, striving to ap-
pear unconcerned. Although not repelling
E3rith rudeness my proffers of interest and
sympathy. he plainly said that he was not
going TO break down DOW; he had '.liyed
Hsame' and he would die game" Even
f there were a God and n hereafter, ii
WAS too late to think of that now" He
had 'pnt it OFF too long" Then he spoke
bitterly of those who had been over him
10 his earlier campaigning, and insisted
that he had been sinned against rather
than been a wrong-doer. in his army life
| saw that, just then. he was in no state
0f mind for such service rs could render
him; and / left him with assurances of
my prayerful interest in him. and with
2proInise to cone back in the evening
When l came to him later. while we
were no lenger under the eye Of observers.
! found him less defiant. As i questioned
him about the past l found that he had
a mother living. 1 found also that he
had been ON guard at Libby Prison year
before, while L was confined there As
be soffened down in his tone and manner
asked>if | might pray with him. He as
sented. As l prayed with and for him
prayed also for his poor mother. AT
the mention of her name. he uttered a
piercing cry and fell forward on his face.
his whole frame conynlsed with agony and
Win sobs that seemed as II his very heart
were breaking. Stretching myself along
side him on the grass, under the quiet
stars. put my arm over him, and waited
IN silent show of sympathy.
Ills hardihoOd was all gone He was a
child again. He was glad 10 have me
talk with him. and TO talk TO me of him.
self lie no longer blamed those who had
aided in bringing him to this state. He
blamed only himself. Finding that he
WAS Roman Catholic, and would natural
~ desire the ministratiOns of a priest of
that church, made request OF our diyi-
SION commander to telegraph to Gen.
Aleade's headquarters. before Petersburg.
for priest, and soon l received word
That one would be with US in the early
morning.
THE EXECUTION.
The next afternoon | had my first sight
OF miiitary execution. L wish il could
have been my last. The entire brigade
was ordered out to witness il. As. the
d command stood waiting, in three sides of
hollow square, with an open grave in
the center Of the fourth side. n deem.
solemn. oppressive stiffness weighed down
upon all hearts.
This stiffness was broken by a low. soft.
piaintiye strain of music. which came
boating Oh the sultry air across the plain.
fEfrom beyond the rise OF ground IN the di-
rection of the camp we had left. 1t was
the sound of n funeral dirge from mnffled
drums. with the subdued notes of an ac-
companying band. A fuaeral dirge. for
living man. Hearts quickencd aud