The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-26
Civil War Stories
shot to Death with Musl<etry."

ment of military law in the execution
OF an offending soldier.
Such scenes were not rare in our
great armies; but the men never be-
came familiar with them. On such oc-
casions all the troops at hand were
paraded at the place of execution, in
order that they might be impressed
with the solemn example. Nobody
craved such exhibitions, and the in
Fiction of the dreadful penalty was
always regarded as a painful neces-
sity.
Many a bad soldier who richly de-
served such a fate was saved from it
by the clemency of Abraham Lincoln.
His great sympathetic heart could new
er resist the fearful but pathetic APP
peals made to him for condemned SOL
diers by their wives. mothers and chill
dren. There are men living to-day
who owe their lives to the pity of the
great man who became himself the
victim of blind hatred to the triumph
ant Union.
But while the trade of war taught
soldiers to be kind and charitable to
each other, the martial spirit and the
soldiers regard for honor and duty led
them to despise a shirk and to hate a
deserter
During the last year of my service |
was several times a member of a gen.
eral court-martial; and l do not hest
tate to say that in more than one we'll
proved case of desertion l voted 70 in
flict the death penalty. 1t usually hap
pened that the necessary two-thirds
vote for this purpose could not be OBJ
tanned; but that majority of dozen
officers could be brought to favor it,
shows how quickly the spirit and ira
ditions of the old army were imbibed
by the volunteers.
Those of my comrades who knew of
such things during their service. as
well as those who did not, will be in
terested to read how military justice
overlook one bad soldier in Louisiana.
The facts were perfectly familiar to
me at the time, and the official record
is before me as / write, together with
a description of the final awful closing
scene, taken from the New Orleans
Era of Dec 90, 1868. The name of
the man who thus suffered will be
slightly disguised as Private Charles
Turpin.
The man was a bully and lawless
fellow from the start. The idea that
such characters make good soldiers
was very quickly dissipated in the
early battles of the war. The bruiser
and rough, whose prowess with his
fists is the pride of his own class. will
grow white at the smell of burned
powder. and will run from the battle.
field, while the slim. weak boy with a
soul of courage In him can be trusted
every time to stand up and face the
storm of destruction.
Turpin' showed the white feather in
the very first engagement at Bisland,
western Louisiana, in April. 1863. The
pounding of the artillery sent him fee
ing to the rear. He was found hidden
in ditch.
IN the midst of stirring and fierce
campaign. cowardly soldiers often es-
cape punishment, because in the midst
of the marching and fighting, there is
not time nor opportunity for a court
martial Should such a soldier redeem
himself by good conduct before the
campaign is over. he is pretty safe
from punishment. Turpin's captain
probably thought that it would be well
to give the delinquent another chance.
The chance was not long coming.
On the 31st of the next month the
regiment reached the lines outside
Port Hudson, where che bloody and
Intellectual assault had already been
delivered. We all knew what awaited
us there Brave men marched into the
rifle-pits. knowing that the chances
were large in any case that the soldier
would never see home again. The pros
pect was too much for Turpin. He de-
serted on the way. / have seen men
who were in the crowded hospitals at
Baton Rouge at this time, who tell me
that Turpin was skulking about the
town. More than one who knew him
warned him of what was In store for
him, and advised him to return to the
regiment. But he did not.
/ Port Huron fell July 8. A few days
after Turpin was arrested and sent
to his regiment under guard. During
the balance Of the summer, and in the
fall to near the end of September, he
was a prisoner under charges. Then
he was brought before a court-martial
and tried. 1t is popularity of the
administration of military justice
that. after his trial. the accused is not
permitted to learn his fate until a
long interval has elapsed. when the
order of the commanding general is
published, reviewing the case. This
painful interval lasted, in Turpin's
case. till December 7th. Then the
order of General Banks was promul-
gated, confirming the proceedings.
The accused had been tried for misbe-
havior before the enemy, disobedience
of orders. conduct to the prejudice OF
good order and military discipline, and
desertion. He was found guilty of each
charge, and was sentenced ito be shot
to death with musketry"
Only a few weeks since | was con-
versing with the Colinel of Turpin's
regiment about the case.
HE was a worthless fellow" said
the Colonel, yet l hated to have him
shot. | knew what his offense was,
and after he had been court-martialed
| anticipated what was coming. For
more than two months he was nom
inally in confinement with the regi-
menl; but you know that man in
that situation, with his regiment in
the field moving about, has many
chances to escape. | must say now
that | hoped Turpin would realize the
situation and put himself somewhere
far out of reach