Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-04-04
!. Il !. i. !. j. i. !. !. i. !. J. !. !.
!. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE !.
!. BATTLE OF WILDERNESS. y.
s4s 90 y. =, o{> =. =. =. q. -. - 4 y n

!. BATTLE OF WILDERNESS. y.
!. - !. J. IL !. i. !. !. !. !. !. !. >.
(W. NJ. Middlebrooks, in Atlanta
Journal.)
Our regiment was encamped few
miles away at tho close Of a days
march to get there. | had charge of
the guard that was placed around
the camp that night AT 2 O'Clock,
when the relief went on duty. one
guard was missing. He had desert
ed and made his way to Georgia, his
native State. He was afterwards
captured and sent back to Virginia,
where he was tried by court martial
and the desertion being, as you
might say, In the presence OF the en-
envy, he was sentenced to be shot.
The army to which we belonged was
then on the Darby Town road, six
miles south Of Richmond. The exc
cution was set for day near to
come. His coffin, large, red box,
was sitting beside an old tobacco
house on Darby Town road. This
young man had been raised in the
same settlement with me. had
gone to school with him before the
war commenced. So | visited him
In prison, where he was confined,
with a ball attached TO his person by
a heavy chain. This was on Sunday
hn do
was to be the same week, on We'd
nesday, / think. I remember he was
sitting with his face buried in his
hands. weeping and moaning While
I detested a coward, one who dared
to leave when so near battle, my
sympathies overcame me. went
Immediately back to camp and pre-
pared an application for his pardon.
In person I carried the application to
colonel, brigadier and headquarters.
Applications Of this kind had to be
acted on by the President Of the Con-
federacy, I think. At any rate, the
application delayed the execution of
my former friend and in the mean
time the attack on Petersburg called
us on the south side OF the James
river and then on to Farmville and
to Appomattox Court House, where
Gen. Lee had us to lay down our
arms, and the doomed man was lib
Grated by force OF circumstances.
He is living now and has been
good citizen Of Georgia ever since.
have seen him twice only. Once I
met him near his home and another
time he called to see me while visit
ing in Atlanta. have never regret
ted my part in his behalf. There
were several soldiers shot the same
week that he was to have been shot.
Many old soldiers of Lees army will
remember the hollow square, the
stake in the shape Of cross, the cul-
prit's legs tied together, the arms
resting on the cross and tied behind,
the soldiers stationed on three sides
SO as to sec the shooting, the purpose
of which was to stop the idea of de-
oSitioH eIioI i'Nu pSSuH W SONhS "a
tent. Then twelve were stationed
with guns Immediately in front Of
tho soldier to be shot. Six were
loaded with blanks. The whole
twelve guns were aimed and fired di-
rectly at The poor man, neither SOL
der shooting knowing whether his
gun hld q ball in it or not. At the
shooting The fellows head would
drop and he hung upon the cross
dead, dead, dead.
The main army was true to the
Confederate cause, but few sold
iers here and there did desert, and
hcnce these stringent. heroic meas
ures to stamp out any little germ OF
sedition or disolyalty to the Confed-
crate government.
I loved JEFF Davis and the Confede-
racy, and almost hated everybody
that did not think as I did. The sur
render came. I came back to Geor-
gia, and while the name OF JEFF Davis
and the playing OF "Dixie" revives
the old enthusiasm Of war times, yet
I have tried to be loyal citizen,
ready to defend nv country-the