The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-15
(Kansas City Starr

Twcnty-four men and two half
grown boys. clad in the blue of the
northern army, stood in a long line in
a little clearing near the village of
Rectortown, Va, upon a morning in
1864. Around them, standing or sit
up the men Of Colonel John Mosby's
guerilla band. 1t was summer and
the woods We're beautiful and the
sun was bright and warm. But for
seven Of the men Of the ragged little
line the SUI would never rise any
more and when the e morning came
they knew that their bodies would be
hanging stiff from the trees in the
Virginia woodland. while rabbits per-
haps peered at them and wondered
why they swung SO silent and notion
less and hurried away frightened
through the rustling underground.
Seven of the twenty-siX must die,
and no mar or boy had n way of
knowing whether or not he was to be
one Of h seven, for Colonel Mosby'
had ordered that seven OF the TWEEN
ty-six prisoners. all of whom were
members of General Clusters COM
mand, were to be taken u and hang
ed, because at Clusters orders seven
of Mosby's fighters had been put to
death. It made no difference that lone
of these twcnty-siX had had anything
to do with the carrying out of that
first bloody command-they were Gus
ter's men and on their heads vene-
geance was to fall.
A southern ranger took off his hat.
Twenty-six folded slips of paper were
placed in it. On seven of them num-
bers were written. The remaining
each man was to draw a slip and
those who drew slips with no writing
should live. The men who drew from
the hat the seven numbered slips must
die.
The officer with the hat went down
the line, holding it above each mans
head. where he might reach in, but
could not see the slip he drew. There
we're men who went pale and bit their
lips until they bled, as they drew the
fatal slips, men who were young and
for whom life had held much. Back
there in the north wives we're waiting
for them and little children. There
were grizzled veterans. their necks and
faces bronzed by years of service in
the regular army who stood, stole
and un%finching with never a tremor
Of nervousness as they reached for
the slips that mea life or death to
drummer boys. AS the man with the
hat drew nearer n of them Shrek
ed and groaned and prayed loudly to
God to deliver him. wailing for his
mother. The other stood as though
dazed. with his lips pressed tight to.
gether and the whiteness of death
upon him. The screaming boy drew
a slip from the hat and as he unfold
ed it an dsaw that it was unmarked
he yelled and jumping into the air for
got his prayers and cursed loudly.
A shudder of revulsion swept down the
line at his unholy glee.
Then the silent boy reached into the
hat and unrolling the slip he had
drawn out. saw that it was marked.
! AS If he had been shot, he crumpled in
a heap to the ground.
There stood at the far end of the
line W officers. Capt. Charles Brew
ster and Lieutenant J. G. Dissosway
Of the Fifth New York artillery. The
lieutenant was a young man and had
been recently married. Both officers
drew blank slips.
A stiffness of horror had swept
over the whole group, northern men
and southern, when the little drummer
boy had drawn the slip thai meant
death. Now there was q Whispered
consultation between tho federal sol.
diers who had drawn unnumbered
slips and Lieutenant Dissoway step
ped forward. He asked Colonel Mos
by to spare the life of the boy and
let the men who had one free draw