The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-10-31

that drastic measures were necessary
TO break up this bushwhacker KIND OF
warfare. and decided to make an e1'
annie of the two officers who were
leaders of the band. A military court
martial was organized. 1t old not take
1ono 10 6u the Jury in such cases.
The two prisoners were Drousnt
before the court and the prosecutor
briefly stated the case.
mo hypothetical questions WeIe
asked. The man who had Deeh
hanged swore positively that the prls-
oners we're the men who had put
the rome around his neck and helpeu
null him up. The prosecution soon
rested and the defense had not much
to say in rebuttai. -,
.Without leaving their seats the jury
nromntly returned a verdict of guilty
of murder in the first degree ana rec
commended that the prisoners pe
hanged by the neck until dead deau'
dead. -.
"In q few days a gallows was erect.
ed on the commons near the city anu
our camp and the two men were pup
licly hanged in the presence OF prop
ably 10000 citizens and soldiers:
Everybody was invited; no ticket OF
admission was necessary.
"That was the only necktie party
of the kind the writer ever sought 10
witness. and yet there was some
thing in the conduct and death of the
captain, or leader, of the outlaw Dahu
that to a degree commanded our au-
miration, for any soldier admires braV'
cry, even in his foe. This man during
his trial and at his execution showed
no signs of fear.
81 stood within 90 feet Of him when
he stood on the death trap, and ne
walked as deliberately and firmly up
to the scaffold as if he was going up
to make a speech to his friends.
when the executioner asked him II
he had anything to say before the
blackcap was pulled over his eyes, he
promptly replied: No, sah' lie
then took quid of tobacco out of his
mouth, threw 1t away, took pick out
of his vest pocket, picked his teeth
pushed his broad-brimmed hat back
on his head and said to the eXecu-
toner: I'm ready, sah.'
His companion was just the oppo-
site. He had to be helped on 80 the
scaffold, held up while the rope was
being adjusted, and begged piteously
for his life until the drop fell. Both
men dropped about five feet, and 1t
looked as if they rebounded about the
same distance.
"a Shrek of horror went up from
the assembled crowd, and dozens OF
women tainted The captains neck
was broken and he died without a
struggle, while the other man died in
horrible struggles.
"The hanging Of these bushwhack-
ers had a good effect, and that kind
of guerrilla warfare was never SO
popular in the southwest after that,
and I believe the confederate authori'
ties afterward declared that the band
of robbers thus broken up was never
regularly in the confederate service.
Shortly after the incident record
ed above confederate spy was cap.
tured inside our lines at Little Rock.
He had plans of our line of defenses,
reports of our forces, etc. He was
condemned as spy, and was publicly
hanged on the commons of the city.
think this occurred ON the cold New
Years day, 1864.
"The writer served on a military
court-martial some six or eight weeks
while in Arkansas, but was not on the
juries that sent these three men to the
gallows. Forty-odd years of peace
has smoothed most of the wrinkles out
of 'grim-visaged war but it can never
efface the memory of those strenuous
days from the minds of the old sol.
der"