Part 15 (1/2)
I was also suffering with malarial fever at that time, but rose to my feet oppressed with a nameless fear. A half-idiotic man who was among the Tennessee prisoners came to me and wanted to play a game of cards. I struck the greasy pack out of his hands, and bade him leave me.
Our terrible suspense was not of long duration. The door opened and George D. Wilson entered first, his hands and arms firmly bound, and his face pale as death, but with form erect and firm step. Some one asked in a whisper a solution of the dreadful mystery, for his countenance had appalled every one.
”_We are to be executed immediately!_” was the awful reply, whispered with thrilling distinctness.
Behind him came the others, all tied, ready for the scaffold! They were to be hanged at once. Not a day nor an hour was given for preparation.
From their hopefulness and fancied security they were s.n.a.t.c.hed in a moment to die as felons! Surely no rule of war, no military necessity, no consideration of policy, required such frightful and murderous haste.
I have never heard a word in defence of this military ma.s.sacre. Even Andrews, our leader, was given a week for preparation before the execution of his sentence. The most atrocious criminals are always allowed a short respite. For a long time I cherished the belief that some misunderstanding of orders, some terrible error, and not deliberate cruelty, led to this frightful haste. But the following death-sentence seems to leave no room for doubt. In the very centre of the Confederacy, with hundreds of troops at their disposal for guards, there could have been no military necessity for hurling these poor men into eternity without one hour's warning!
The following is a literal copy of the death-sentence read to the doomed men during the few minutes they were separated from us:
”HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT EAST TENNESSEE, ”KNOXVILLE, June 14, 1862.
”_General Orders, No. 54. VII._
”At a general court-martial held at Knoxville by virtue of General Orders Nos. 21 and 34 (Department Headquarters, April 15 and May 10, 1862), whereof Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. Bibb, of the Twenty-third Regiment Alabama Volunteers, was president, was tried George D. Wilson, private Company 'B,' Second Ohio Regiment, on the following charge and specifications, to wit:
”_Charge._--Violation of Section 2d of the 101st Article of the Rules and Articles of War.
”_Specification 1st._--In this, that the said George D. Wilson, private Company 'B,' Second Ohio Regiment, not owing allegiance to the Confederate States of America, and being in the service and army of the United States, then and now at war with the Confederate States of America, did, on or about the 7th day of April, 1862, leave the army of the United States, then lying near Shelbyville, Tennessee, and with a company of about twenty other soldiers of the United States army, all dressed in citizen's clothes, repair to Chattanooga, Tennessee, entering covertly within the lines of the Confederate forces at that post, and did thus, on or about the 11th day of April, 1862, lurk as a spy in and about the encampment of said forces, representing himself as a citizen of Kentucky going to join the Southern army.
”_Specification 2d._--And the said George D. Wilson, private Company 'B,' Second Ohio Regiment, U.S.A., thus dressed in citizen's clothes, and representing himself as a citizen of Kentucky going to join the Southern army, and did proceed by railroad to Marietta, Georgia,--thus covertly pa.s.s through the lines of the Confederate forces stationed at Chattanooga, Dalton, and Camp McDonald, and did thus, on or about the 11th day of April, 1862, lurk as a spy in and about the said encampments of the Confederate forces at the places stated aforesaid.
”To which charge and specifications the prisoner plead 'Not Guilty.'
”The court, after mature deliberation, find the accused as follows: Of the 1st specification of the charge, 'Guilty.' Of the 2d specification of the charge, 'Guilty,' and 'Guilty of the Charge.' And the court do therefore sentence the accused, the said George D. Wilson, private Company 'B,' Second Ohio Regiment (two-thirds of the members concurring therein), as soon as this order shall be made public, 'to be hung by the neck until he is dead.'
”The proceedings in the foregoing case of George D. Wilson, private Company 'B,' Second Ohio Regiment, are approved.
”The sentence of the court will be carried into effect between the 15th and 22d days of June, inst., at such time and place as may be designated by the commanding officer at Atlanta, Georgia, who is charged with the arrangements for the proper execution thereof.
”By command of ”Major-General E. KIRBY SMITH.
”J. F. BRETON, A.A.A.G.
”To Commanding Officer of post at Atlanta, Ga.”
It will be noticed that the sentence was to be executed as soon as made public. The time fixed was between the 15th and 22d days of June. This was the 18th. The sentence had been received the preceding day, and the time employed in clearing a spot of wooded ground then lying east of the city cemetery, but since included in its bounds, and in erecting a scaffold there. But no word of the awful preparations had been allowed to reach us. According to the orders of General E. Kirby Smith, several days' respite might have been allowed; but in a communication to the Confederate Secretary of War, Colonel G. I. Foreacre, post-commander at Atlanta, says, ”General Smith only sent from Knoxville instructions and orders to have seven of them hung, which was promptly attended to by myself.”
After the sentences had been read came the farewells,--which, in their full meaning, we could scarcely realize,--farewells with no hope of meeting again in this world! Our comrades were dear as brothers to us, and to stand helpless while they were dragged away to the scaffold froze our blood and crushed our hearts.
These doomed men were brave. On the battle-field they had never faltered in the presence of danger. They were ready to die, if need were, for their country; but to die on the scaffold,--to die as murderers die,--this was almost too much for human nature to endure.
Then, too, they were dest.i.tute of the best support a man can have in the presence of death. Although most of them had been of excellent moral character, yet they had no firmly-grounded religious hope. The near prospect of eternity, into which they were thus to be hurled without a moment's preparation, was black and appalling. Wilson had been a professed disbeliever in revelation, and many a time had argued with me for hours at a time. But in this awful moment he said to me, ”Pittenger, I believe you are right now! Oh, try to be better prepared, when your turn comes to die, than I am!” Then laying his hand on my head, with a muttered ”G.o.d bless you!” we parted. I saw no more the one I had loved and trusted as few others in the world.
Shadrack was profane in speech and reckless in action, but withal exceeding kind-hearted, lovable, and always merry. Now turning to us with a voice the forced calmness of which was more affecting than a wail of agony, he said, ”Boys, I am not prepared to meet my Jesus.” When asked by some of us, in tears, to trust in His mercy, and to think of heaven, he answered, still in tones of thrilling calmness, ”I'll try!
I'll try! But I know I am not prepared.”
Samuel Slavens, who was a man of immense strength and iron resolution, turned to his friend Buffum, and could only articulate, ”Wife--children--tell--” when utterance failed.