Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-25
THE Last TRAGEDY or THE WAR.

ExeeutIon of Tom Martin at Cincin-sI|
natl.
Captain James Dinkens writes II the
New Orleans ayune.)
During General Hoods cam paign Into
middle Tennessee IN Noyernbe &,
young cavalrynan by the name OF
Thomas Martin, whose home was in Ken
lucky, decided to steal away and pay his
family a visit. he army passed within
fifty miles Of his home, and he dou..less
thought he would be able to visit the /
parents. and get back before being missed.
Soon after his arrival at home however.
the Feaerais made him a prisoner, and
charged him with being guerrilla.
he was sent to Cincinnati aid confined
In a cell. Not long afterwards heAwas
brorght before "a court martial and con-
yicted Of having been a guerrilla and
sentenced 10 be shot
Tom Martin was a mere bog. and was
i!H,erate, una Bic TO read or write, but
he protested his innocence and insisted
that he m-ss regular Confederate soldier.
At the time the sentence was rendered
no one expected $50 it's clained1 that 1t
would be CARR edzrinto execution.
The Dle7nDers..of tf1eaGourt,s as we'll as
General Which tat that time military
conaU?andant OF Cincinnatil did not for
a MON ent expect that the boy would he:
executed
The Federal authorities stated that che
sentence, had been rendered in order to
Geter. the guerriHas IN Kentucky, who.
often raided the Ohio border.
As an evidence that General Willich
did not think the sentence would be car
ried out, he gave the boy his freedom.
under promise that he would not leave the
city. After wandering about Cincinnati
for few days, and finding no one whom
he knew, Tom Martin returned to Cen
eraI Which and asked permission to re-
main around his headquarters :. he Gen
eral readily assented, and soon became
attached to the boy. He used him as a
sort OF messenger, for which service he
gave him board and small remuneration
in money.
Previous to this time Major General
Joseph Hooker, Of the Feredal army, had
been relieved of his command by Sher-
man, and was assigned to the Depart
1nent In Ohio. Hooker was In an ugly
frame of mind, due doubtless to his own
deficiencies. He had failed to meet tha
expectation Of his superiors. and was de-.
fea ted on every turn. He realized that
naught remained to him but retirement
Time passed on. the surrender occurred.
and the day when Hooker would leave
the Department was approaching.
He called one Of his staff officers and
asked him to read over the papers on ME,
SD that he might dispose Of them.
In going over the papers those relating
to the boy, Martin, were found, The
| case had passed out Of Hookers mind,
but he inquired to know whether the
sentence had been executed.
Learning that 1t had not. he sent for
General Which and asked for all the
facts, and General Which related them
IS above described.
The following day. a short time before
| his removal, General Hooker issued an
order directing that Tom Martin be shot
on the 5th Of May, then only a few DAYS
off.
General Which. be it said in his praise.
was dumfounded. TO shoot the boy who
had been his attendant for several
| months to whom he. had become much
attached because OF. his faithful conduct
and reliability, was too much for the
brave and just old soldier Of many wars
and many battles.
With tears in his eyes. It was said, and
| distress IN his heart, he rushed to tha
ef1lce Of Judge Stallo subsequently United
| States minister to Romeo and sought his
aid in saving the boys life. Judge stailo
in turn sought Judge W N. Dickson. and
| beseeched his interference
| Meanwhile. General Hooker had left tbs
city to attend the funeral Of Mr.. Lincoln
| at Springfield. Ill, and the day set for the
murder was near at-hand. General Hook
! er. could not be rea ched, SO it was decided
! by General Which and his friends to an
| peal to the President They sent a tele-
gram to prominent. man in Washing
I! ton, Urging him tc go at once and lay
| the matter before Mr. johnson. requesting
hin, to pardon the BOY.
To this. there was no reply, and no re-
! lief came.
Preparations were made for the exec,l-
! ton. and when the day arriven, Tom
Martin was carefully dressed in a nice
suit Of clothing, provided by General Will
| Itch, and after being bound hand and foot
was placed in a wagon, which was guard
! ed by company OF cavalry, and started
| for the place of execution.
It was a 1nournful procession. The len
| detailed to guard the boy had been ac-
| customed to see him daily about head
quarters. and they all loved him. They
had listened to his stories about the great
Forrest, and Of the bravery of his COM
rades in the Confederate army.
They looked upon him as an ardent lit
| tie Southern boy. and tree ted him with
all tenderness. Each of them felt as It
| he was about to commit a crime which
| he could not avoid, and for which they
were not responsible. s..
! Tom Martin expressed the greatest re-
sret at his fate but said he was not
| afraid.
| Father Garesche, a priest in charge Of
one Of the churches in Cincinnati as soon
as he heard Of the awful fate OF the boy,
repaired to him, and was his faithful COM
| forter during all that ordeal Father
| Garesci1e was distinguished prelate; his
| brother, Colonel Garesche, was chief Of
staff to General Rosecrans, and was kilI-
| ed at Stone river. near Murfreesboro, He,
| therefore, fell. more than an ordinary in
| terest in the little soldier.
The procession moved out on the road
| leading to what is known as Walnut Hill
To the south Of the road, md in g ravine,
as the cortege turned to the right, stood
in solemn silence regiment OF infantry,
facing the road. and two companies on
either flank. thereby forming g hollow
| square. 81
| Within this SQUARE stood squad OF six
| teen soldiers at carry arms. The wagon
moved up opposite and the poor boy was
taken out and told to kneel. Tom Martin
asked that he be unbound. and the cords
were removed and his hands fell by his
side but there was not a tremor in his
body HIS eyes were bandaged with q
handkerchief, and the squad Of soldiers,
/ with fifteen loaded rifles, faced him ct
eight PAGES distant.
! General Which, early that morning.
! telegrap Pied to- Mr.. Staunton. Secretary Of
\ HkSs IL Sr,.c. u, f>r,r S>yN n