The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-25
THE 4TH MO. STATE CAV.
The Execution of an All-ArOund Bad
Man.

Editor National Tribune: Will you
| kindly publish few lines from an old
veteran of three years service and a
subscriber of The National Tribune who
reads with intense interest i'll the col
umns of the Soldiers Friend" many
things occurring in those dark days of
the rebellion which brot mourning to
many homes. When look back to AZ
years last March and think of what
happened that month at Upton, Mo-,
a little town then on the Missouri Pa
cific Railroad, l wonder If the other
comrades would not be interested in
hearing about it. The 4th Mo. State
Cav, or the larger part of it, Geo. G.
Hall commanding, was camped at this
northeast direction about 10 or II
miles. Why, 1 know not, unless it was
on account of getting forage for our
horses-a matter of great Importance
to all cavalry misunderstanding be-
hind us First Lieut.. Walters, of Co. F,
as Provost Marshal, with body guard
to look after the post. After We had
gone about two miles end were passing
thru come timber, the woods being
open, We could see out on both sides
for quite a distance. The head of the
column discovered a man lying down
on the ground about 400 or 500 feet
from the road. Some of the boys rode
out to him and called to him, but he
made no reply. when they got down
from their saddles and struck him. He
walked up at this and pretended to be
in sleepy stupor, and made no very
satisfactory answer to their question as
to what he was doing there. They
searched him and found a revolver
buckled to his side, and the pair of
saddlebags he had with him were also
gone thru. He gave his name as Gill
hor cai1 IA had hppn travelling
thru the night, and, becoming weary,
had Jain down to rest, going to sleep.
1t was pretty cold night in March to
spend on the ground, and the boys did
not believe what he said. They ar
rested him and took him back to Tip
ton, and on the way they searched him
again and found another revolver. Ar
irving at camp they turned him over
to the Provost Marshal. When 1t was
known that we had a prisoner under
guard the people began to come into
camp to see who ii was, and several
citizens recognized the man at once as
a certain Denny Mullen, and a hard
case in general way. He lived out
about six miles to the southwest from
Upton, and would lie in the brush and
shoot at all the Union soldiers he could,
as well as the Union citizens, besides
committing all sorts of depredations,
such as robbing stores and dwellings.
When his character was thus proven,
the Provost Marshal had a 50-pound
ball and chain fastened to his leg to
keep him from getting away, and he
then began a correspondence with the
President and Secretary of War as to-
what he should do with the man. A
court martial was ordered, and the man
was tried, found guilty, and ordered to-
be executed. The Provost Marshal sent
to the regiment for a detail of Is men,
and happened to be one of them. We
none of us knew why we We're detailed,
but supposed 1t was for some scouting
service, but when we were drawn up in
line we were told to report to the Pro-
yost Marshal in Upton. When we re-
ported we were informed that We were
to execute by shooting the prisoner
whom we had captured two weeks be-
fore, and the Provost Marshal picked
out 10 of us, of whom / was one, took
our guns away from us and gave us old
Enfield rifles, some Of which were load
ed and some not. That morning Denny
had sent word to his mother and three
sisters that he was to be executed that
day. The Provost Marshal cut the rivet
that held the ball and chain to his leg,
and the prisoner was then put into a
wagon, with his coffin for a seat and n
man on either side of him. The guard
followed behind, trailing arms from
there to the graveyard, a half mile
north of town. On the way he looked