Year: 1865

I n


ALETLER FRola1aaAelAaN LoziER.


To as< Eaaor ees1l< Dsak yownel,
when I was Post Chsplain at Muir.


freesbcro, most remarkable case came


under my notice, that l believe his never
found publicity in our Indiana Journals
The particulars are these:


Soon after Rosecrans's army occupied


Murfreesboro, the famous Wilder brig


ade was sent on an expedition towards


Leabnon and Liberty, some forty miles


north. The 7Sd Indiana regiment


was in this brigade, and took part in the
expedition. When in the vicinity of


Smokey Hill, Tennessee, the brigade
bivouacked for the night, and Corporal


BENJAMIN Montgomery, Of Crawfords-


vile. and private John w. Vance, of


Culver's Station, Tippecanoe county,


were sent to picket one Of the extreme


outposts. During the night these two


men were surrounded and cut off by


detachment of rebels, and were forced


to surrender. As soon as they were


made prisoners they were ordered to be


shot by the officer commanding the reb-


els. They were accordingly taken Oft


into the woods and tied to . tree, when


two savage rebels stepped forward, and


each fired three shots into their heads at


close range. The men both sunk down


and were cut loose from the tree, falling


forward on their faces. The execu-


TONERS, not being fully satisfied that


life was extinct, each fired a shot into


the back of their victims heads, and left


them, as they thought, dead. Alas it


was too true in the case Of poor Mont


gomery He died almost instantly.


Strange to say, Vance was not killed.
and, what is quite AS strange. he retained
his Consciousness all the time, and when
he fell forward upward upon his face
bethought him that il he could only con
troll his muscles and .'play possum," he
might yet escape When, however, he
heard them determine to "give them an
other round" he said he Thought it
was all day with them" The fourth shot
came, however, and stili he retained his
consciousness, but feigned death so
thoroughly that the .'chivalry" after
muttering a curse upon them, rode away,
satisfied that they would "tell no tale"
When they were gone Vance cautiously
raised his head, and saw no one save
poor Montgomery lying dead beside
him


Being powerless to do any thing for his
dead comrade, he cautiously crept away
from that horrible spot and, bleeding
and faint as he was, travelled about eight
miles, avoiding the sight of everybody,
until he came up with q detachment of
our men. He was brought into MUIR
freesboro and placed In Hospital No. 5,
where found him and learned the fact
l have narrated. l WAS permitted to
examine his wounds closely. Two balls
had entered his right check, passing
through and carrying away some teeth
with fragments Of his jaws. The third
ball entered the right side of the neck,
below and near the ear, and, passing
through, lodged against the inside Of
the surgeon. The fourth ball, which
was fired while he lay on his face, enter
ed behind the left ear and canSe out at
the eye bringing the eye with it. Every
body expected Vance to die, and when
| was detailed to report TO Governor
Morton in May, 1868, he was still suffer
ing intensely, with no very fattering
prospects before him. He had then lain
about a month { being wounded April
4th J with scarcely any nourishment,
owing TO the nature Of his wounds.


Amid the excitements Of these times,
this man and his thrilling adventure had
almost been forgotten, when, during my
recent sanitary campaign in Tippe-
canoe county, / was surprised and de
lighted to meet Vance at one of my
appointments. He seemed almost like
one from 1.-The land beyond the river"
w it'll the exception Of the eye which il
still a running wound, he is but little dis
figured. He is young man of good
family, good education and excellent
reputation. The meeting selected him
as one of my agents, and he was one of
the most efficient that ever had. /
think he told me that he remembered the
name of the officer who commanded at
his execution and presume he is one
of those ''high toned Southern gentle
men who are being returned at the
National expense, to feed at the National
table in the South, and curse the Govern
ment while they fatten upon it. Camp
bell, the Congressman from Nashville,
is his representative in Congress no
doubt, and will connive with Northern
traitors to pension that whole nest of
yipers. / know that, As q Christian
minister, ought to be an example of for
in my humble judgment those statesmen
who are just now engaged in turning
out from the National Gloom" the fabric
of new Union, would add matereily
to its strength and durability, by using
a little less acooi than some desire, and
adding good deal more hemp.