The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-01-27
Abraham LincoIn's CIemency
A Prose Version of Francis De Haes Janivers
Famous Poem, The Sleeping Sentinel"

had laid special stress upon the
Importance of obeying to the very
letter the injunctions laid down, but
habit breeds contempt for infraction.
An all-day scouting trip had tired the
men, and Will Scot felt that it would
not matter if for few moments he
sat down to rest his tired limbs. He
was almost at the end of his tour of
duty, but it seemed to him that he
could not remain standing until the
relief came when he could rest in
the guard tent.
He only meant to rest for a mo-
ment, but almost on the very instant
his head sank forward, and forgetful-
ness from his WEAKNESS came in
blessed sleep.
He was back again on the green
Vermont hillsides, and presently he
would go back to the old homestead,
where a huge cut of apple pie and a
draft of milk would assuage hunger
made the more keen by his tramp
through fields and woods. He was
just in sight of his home, as he
thought, when shot was heard
perhaps Dick Hoe was shooting squir-
rils with the old long-bore rifle that
had been his grandfather's before
him.
"Post number seven!"
That impression had no part in the
Vermont picture. Post seven! Why
that was his post; the beat he had
been set to guard. He sprang to his
feet, rubbing his sleep-heavy eyes,
and for moment his heart seemed
to cease it's beating. Before him
stood the sergeant and the relief pa
troll. Wills own gun still smoked
from it's recent discharge, and far
down the line, he could hear repeated
the call: Corporal of the Guard!
Post number seven!"
The camp, aroused by the alarm
shot, was quickly astir, and the red
sashed officer of the day came hurry
ing to the scene. At command, Win
stepped in between his comrades, and
he marched off to the guard tent, not
as a member of the relieved party,
but as a prisoner charged with being
asleep on post.
Court martial convened in the
morning, The Judge Advocate made
his plea with wealth of forensic
eloquence, but he knew that he urged
a hopeless cause. Will Scott had
been caught asleep on post, and
Post seven" at that, which was the
direct approach to Chain Bridge, the
road to Washington from the Vir-
ginia shore. Just beyond the lines
were encamped the Confederates. so
close, indeed, that tobacco from the
Southern ranks was daily exchanged
for sugar, tea and -four from the
North. The fraternizing of the out
posts of the two armies was a thing
before unheard of. Strong measures
were needed to stamp it out before
serious consequences resulted. For
the good of the discipline of the en-
tire army, Will Scott must die, and
not even Will himself was surprised
when sentence was pronounced. He
was to die within the week.
There was time for the administra-
tons of the regimental Chaplain,
time to get letter to the dear old
Mother in Vermont, and with keen
eve for effect, General Smith
Badly Smith, as he was
known to his men-argued that the
lesson for the others would be the
stronger if the execution of the SEN
tence was delayed. The men were
used to the instant snuffing out. OF
life. and the sight of Scott waiting
day after day to meet his doom
would be vastly more effective.
1t was night. On the lots back Of
the White House rose a white city OF
war. The tents, newly issued to the
recruits, still were white in the moon
light, for these latest volunteers hao
not seen service and were waiting
impatiently for oredrs to move South
when some discipline had been in
stilled into the unframed companies
In the library of the White House
tall, quaint man, whose face was
beautiful for it's very nominees
looked down upon the row of tents
Upon the strong, homely face there
was look of anguished sorrow, sucf
as the face of Christ might have worI
in the garden of Gethsemane; TO
Abraham Lincoln, stern of face bu
tender in heart as any woman, knew
that many of those who slept beneath
the white canvas soon would sleel