The National tribune., 1906-11-08
Stories Emineny Worth Telling Of Experiences and Adventures
in the Great National Struggle
SAD SCENES.
Execution of Eight Deserters From the
Second COrus.

Second Corps.
Editor National Tribune: I have con.
cluded that the good old National Trib.
une is the place to secure information
concerning anything that occurred dur
ing the war. In fact, my own expert.
ence demonstrates that fact, as yor
will see.
Some weeks ago I asked for informa.
ton as to the men executed in rear OF
Fort Fisher during the last Winter o!
the war. 1 knew they We're of the Sec
| ond Corps. but was not informed as to
the crimes for which they were hung
Comrade Frank Reynolds. Co. z, 18th
N. Y. II. A, answers fully and COM
pletely, and his information comes di-
rect, as he was a member of the grand
old Second Corps at the time. Com
rade Reynolds is now living in Schen-
ectady, N. Y, and I forward his inter-
esting letter, believing that there are
many who would be pleased to haze
the particulars of those ,xecutions.--
Chas. Porter, Co. E, 18th VT, Grinnell
Iowa.
Dear Comrade: I saw your inquiry
regarding the executions which toob
place in the rear of the Second Corps
IN 1864, and will gladly tell you wha:
know about it. They We're all for
desertion, and there We're seven hung,
instead of eight, as you thought.
was a member of Co. E, 4th N Y IL
A, First Brigade, First Division, Sec =
ond Corps, which was drawn up in a
hollow square to witness all the execu-
tions, as the seven deserterS belonged
to that brigade. They deserted at the
siege of Petersburg, and joined the
Johnnies. going with them to the .'hen-
andoah Valley. There they We're cap
tured by Hancock's Veteran Reserve
and being recognized by some of their
own comrades We're sent back 10 their
command to be tried by court martial
One of the men shot was innocent of
the charge of desertion. He was a
boy, and was on picket the day he was
arrested. While he was on his beat he
noticed a large walnut tree about So
feet in front of him with lot of nuts
on the ground, and when he was re-
lieved he made an agreement with his
relief to give him half the nuEs If he
would let him go out and get them.
This was satisfactory to the relief, so
the boy went back to the reserve post,
took off his accouterments, and Went
back to get the nuts. When ne went
by the relief he said, "Now I will go
out and get those nuts" and the relief
replied. "All right" but when the boy
got out pretty near the tree the relief
challenged him, and calling the Cor
pOral Oh the Guaru, nad MIN arrested
for desertion. After the trial and sem
tence, some one tried to get President
Lincoln to reprieve MIN. but the pardon
did not arrive till an hour after he had
been shot. You remember this was at
the time of the order giving any man
a 80 days furlough for capturing any
one trying to desert. This is the stor.
as 1t was told at that time. The names
of those executed and the regiments to
which they belonged / do not remem-
Der now. There were three separate
hangings, three one week, three the
next and one the next. I was witness
of them all, and hope 1 may never see
any more.-Frank Reynolds, Co. E, 4th
N. Y. H. A. Schenectady, N. Y.