The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-15
A DEATH RATTLE OF CIVIL WAR
HOW SEVEN MEN FROM AMONG TWENTY.sIX PERSONS WERE
sENENCED TO DIE TO GET EVEN WITH CUSTER.

to see VIII should take his place. The
guerilla leader consented and again
the hat went down the line, now a
shorter line. A blank was drawn and
another and another and now at last
only the two officers We're left. This
is the story as Captain Brewster wrote
it years later:
Lieutenant Dissoway and I ex-
changed glances. which virtually said
each to the other, One of us must
CO. Being on the left, his turn came
first. Then for the instant l knew
his thoughts We're far away with loved
ones at home; but firmly and deliber-
ately he placed his hand in thu hat.
Without waiting to see the result I
turned to look at the bright sun and
the distant woods and thought, Is
this to be my inglorious end-to be
hung up by guerillas? This same sun
will perhaps shine down tomorrow on
our lifeless bodies suspended from
the trees"
THE next instant I discovered the
~lieutenant's fatcful drawing. He had
drawn the last number. Raising his
hat with n hand he passed the 9TH
er hand over his fevered forehead and
half turning to me, he simply said:
This is tough"
Then the lieutenant asked hat he
might be permitted to write a letter
to his wife and that his watch, q ring,
case be sent through the lines to her.
Mosby consented. But Lieutenant Dis
sosway was not to die. He was march,
ed away with the other six toward a
place within the union lines where
they were to be hanged. But on
the way they We're met by a Captain
Mountjoy of Mosby's command who
recognized in Dissoway a brother Ma
son. Mountjoy had prisoners with him
and he brought out n of these, a
sergeant of General Custer's COM
mand and ordered him substituted for
the lieutenant. And 1t is a real Joy
to be able to tell how the sergeant
struck up the revolver with which the
guerilla guards had decided to kill
him. after hanging several of his COM
rades, and %plunging away into the
woods. escaped and returned in safe
ty to the union lines.
In an old homestead at 709 West
Tenth street, almost at the edge Of
Charles Brewster. widow Of hat Cap.
tain Brewster who stood next to Lieu
tenant Dissosway and with him twice
ran the gauntlet of death. The lower
floor of the house is closed and up
stairs Mrs. Brewster lives alone with
only a little dog for company. She
has than one interesting relic
Of the past, u none more interesting
than Captain Brewster's narrative of
the drawing of the death slips in Vir-
GINA almost n half century ago. To
Captain Brewster's narrative the Star
is indebted for much of the informa-
ton regarding this almost forgotten
drama Of the civil war. After his
comrades had been marched away to
death Captain Brewster succeeded in
making his escape from the guerillas.
With Captain Brewster at the time Of
his capture was his brother. Henry
Brewster. an attorney Of New York
city. who had formerly been an off,
Ger in the army. The fact that he was
a noncombatant made no difference.
He. too, was made a prisoner, because
he was with federal soldiers, but lat.
er escaped.
Before the drawing took place,
Captain Brewster writes:
About that time a man wearing a
broad rim hat rode TAP to my side
and lifted my cap from my head and
placed in it's stead his old SLOUGH hat.
1 concluded that hi sold hat vas just
about as good as to be hanged in
and made no remark"
Captain Brewster's description Of
the Mosby clan is interesting, toe. He
wrote.
after being quartered that night
In a log cabin under guard we yer