The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-27


Among the Member. of the SOUND
That Shot Him to Death.
"It Is a curious fact" said a men, |
Der OF Company A, Third Maryland. |
that military execution had a peculiar |
fascination for men who were daily !
accustomed TO see hundreds slain I'm |
battle. Men who shovel a breastwork
I'm on a trench full of slain comrades
and chew hardtack or eat salt pork
while at the job with a callousness
which only such frequent scenes or oc-
currences would make possible in the
human heart became peculiarly sensI-
tive and alive to the solemn parade
and formalities of a military execution.
''In our regiment we had a private
soldier sentenced to be shot for desert
ing to the enemy. His name was
Thompson, and he belonged to Com
pany X. This man Thompson had de-
serted OF vedette post one night and
some two months afterward came into
our lines, where members of his own
company happened to be on picket
duty. Thompson did not calculate on
this. His idea in coming i'm was to sur
render as a Confederate soldier and be
sent north. II happened near to the
Weldon railroad. where our division of
the Ninth corps was then posted OF
course, on being recognized, he was
taken to headquarters, and court
martial was Immediately convened. 1t
leaked out somehow that Thompson
was not the humble soldier he seemed.
but Confederate officer and spy. He
had been an officer In the United States
navy before the war. He resigned and
went south, where he secured the COM
mission Of colonel of infantry.
Being a Marylander of family, ef-
| forts were made to save his life. but in
a quiet way. as his relatives feared to
disclose his real identity for fear he
would be hanged as a spy instead of
| shot as a deserter. Friday, the day
set for execution in the Army of the
Potomac, came around too soon for
Thompson and his relatives. The night
previous he had been informed that all
efforts had failed at Washington.
was on guard duty over him, and my
brother was one of the detail of twelve
men selected as the firing squad. My
brother didn't like the job. and came
to the tent where I was on guard to
consult with me how to get out of it.
Thompson overheard our conversation.
and. knowing my brother by name. he
broke in: Say, Tip, you must not back
out I want you in the squad, as
know you are a dead shot and will
save me from the sergeant
J TT was the practice for the sergeant
IL the firing squad failed to kill the
doomed man with a volley to place the
muzzle of his rife against the temple
Of the prisoner and blow out his brains
after Tip had consented the officer
of the guard permitted US to play cards
with the prisoner He had a roll OF
bills, and we were soon In a stiff poker
! game. Two guards, including myself
my brother Tip and Thompson. com
posed the quartet. We played unit
gray daylight, and Thompson skinned
the party of every dollar. He hat
. phenomenal luck and watched thu
game closely.
'In the afternoon he was to die. and
! about noon he asked to see the lieuten
!. ant OF the firing squad. Handing tn
officer $500. he asked him to divide 1
I equally among the men detailed Z
: shoot him.
"The division was drawn up ant
formed three sides Of a square, thu
I fourth side being open, where the grav'
J OF Thompson was freshly dug. Th'
band played the dead march in Saul,
! and Thompson. at the head Of the fir
I ing squad, marched around the thre'
. sides Of the square, with the coffin IL
| which he was to be inclosed carried inn
mediately behind him. Reaching tn
4 open space, the coffin was set down
. | Thompson seated himself on the end o
|. II, facing the firing squad, about twelv
PAGES distant. The death warrant wa
read, and the chaplain tied his hand
. kerchief over the prisoners eyes.
watched Thompson, curious to note
he would hear the reports of the mus
\ kets that killed him. Presently hear
!. the lieutenant's low voice: Ready
Aimi Fire.
"In the next instant Thompson toI
\ pied back into his coffin a dead mar
I. The reports of the muskets he neve
4 heard. as I saw him swiftly fall owe
v before l heard the guns crack. and 6
y settled this disputed point to my ow
satisfaction. and TO that extent the e1
ecution of Thompson Interested me an
no more Washington Post.