North Carolina Newspapers

0 .. i, . u t i - . U AW',,: , A, - , If ' . ' : '' 2io Lpiscd? y - - ciint l. 1 i Ueorl'iii c - re of a .oiiornt Camp, T . .owd, and it's of the Lender f i's iicfptlon, wbilo iu the -) it sought and i.i v Kuhlime.- i OFFICIAL Kit 'S Or ' ' a ' t! 1 I a t-e . c... L- : (Atuixta, C.), . fn J at a i ,-iie i:i A merer- jam Civn, Wab ""A2T ESCAPE. I t ... 3 as lost in useless regrets. All ! oar comrades resolved to carry out the ; " 1 of escape which was their "leader's ' chance of life probably? their own i . Andrews was separated from them t same evening and put down Into "the I An." Thero was a knife in the party and t 7 at once began work. On Saturday j ' '.t they cut into the plank overhead, as 1 i could be the more easily concealed. It was fearfully difficult. One man stood on the shoulders of two others who leaned against the walls, for there was no other means of reaching the ceiling, and carved at the heavy oak plank till weary, when another relay of three would take their place. The cutting was not very noisy, but a little shuffling' about, talking, and especially singing, effectually drowned it. A piece was thus worked out -during the night large enough to admit the passage of a man's body and the work suspended till the morning and afternoon visits of t ..e jailer had been passed. After they had returned from their daily tiring on Sunday they went Id work with fcsw vigor. Now they did not need to con ceal the evidences of their work, for be- . 4 1 1 - r ijio mo jiuicr uue ngam.un monuny mornissg they meant to be free. They knew that dangers were ahead, but the thought of liberty, and their leader's life, was enough to inspire them. They worked hard and sang long that Sunday evening. Swims afterward said that he ought to have known that something was the mat ter by their singing so mournfully I They hoped to finish all that was to be done by midnight; but they had miscalculated their task, - . They had to cut iie lock out of the trap door in order, to bring Andrews up from below; then to pick their way through the end brick wall above the ceiline. slowlv and carefully, so as not to alarm the guard outside. Their garments had to Lo twisted into ropes to lift Andrews from below and the last of themselves up to the ceiling, as well as to make a longer rope for tho per ilous descent from the gabled snd of the ja.il to the ground outside. , When all was done day was just begin ning to break faintly in tho east. No time was to be lost. In half an hour it would be so light as to render their escape im possible. They were all in the loft and Andrews was given the first phance. Of course all fetters had been removed. The rope was passed out, and Andrews crawled through, and in a moment was swinging outside; but in getting out he happened to push off a loose brick, which fell to the trroond and gave the alarm. The nearest a.jr l raised his musket and fired at the mail hanging on the rope, but missed his Rim. Andrews had his boots in his hand, but in the excitement let them fall and could not stop to pick them up. He after wards sorely needed them.- But in hie stocking feet he flung himself over the fence and through the cruvrd line, repeat edly fired at but unhurt. John Wollam followed, and while he was in the air he was fired at by other guards, but suc ceeded in getting out of the yard unhurt. Those who had failed to get out crawled down and got on their irons again, and it was a great mystery how the two men alone had been able to effect their escape. 1 Andrews and Wollam separated as soon m they left the prison. The former ran a short distance beyond the skirts of the town, after having "taken precautions to throw the dogs off his track, and finding it too light to travel further in safety, climbed Into a tree with dense foliage, which stood in plain view of the railroad. All day long he watched the running of the trains so close that he could have tossed a pebble on them, and once heard a party in pursuit talking about his mys terious disappearance. The search was patient and complete, but they did not tlifnk of looking over their heads! tie aescenoeq at nigiittau ana swamtne deep and rapid river, feeling that his best course was to get into the loyal moun 1 1-3U3 country, through which be would ( "7 led to journey acort ciistence "to r. h the Union liue3. ' His pre Tcct'ncrw would havo been pood but for the los3 oi -Ih and hat in the first rash, end the a .litional loss of his coat in swimming t' srher. His coir.ja was-'ia t-l main tfie river, 1k& hec:.l not make V progress.- The shar stoned hji the i.. ijiead soon cut a way hi, stockings -and l.-u the bleedingr feet unprotected.- He bound tl, "i up with por-.jns of his' gar t.tr.t3 as well as lo could, and continued oq his desperate aiul "painful-way. -' Bui he ats a littlb too long in-finding a hiding place, end was observed i in the morning twilight just as ho was. crossing an oj?n field heyondy In" whieir 13 "'nteiided"-,tc take shelter, as he had done the day be fore. Jnstantly the alarm was given and pursuit made by men- and "dor3,- With boots and other -clothinac he mi -':t ive c.-c'L "w!, for lie cbvdd I iobav!y 1 .-axle such ii -c of the stream as V tl .. "o -.'.otn. As it- v. r-s l.n, put fun Ii. c jry or'-. Xiv '.'ins through the "Woods I.o renamed the nvcr bank much lower down thai h had crossed the ni'.-ht -before.. Believing that L ,..,.' now i , ,'. tn u!, l.e bwam 4 narrow c! mnel tj - a tn..dl island, and carifu.. tciiccileJ himself among some drt wtod Tit i uppr-end. - y But'the hunters 'were determined to l...veBj ' ot unsearched. A party -with bloodhounds now crossed over from the. mainland and - explored the whole island, lie w;xs soou found, but broke away from them and ran around the lower end of thai !a 1, wadis" in the shallow watei to throw the hounds 'off the "track; -then he 'plunged into- a' dense - thicket with which - tiie is?-.nd was covered, 'and again ascended ' tree, -.for long time he found secure concealment here, his" foes beinij- frequently .under the very tree. T. '"y f.r.ally concluded that Le must have got baclt over ihe sfrlp of water to the infiii.l.trd, and Flowly , returned to seek liim the r5. -Two little boj's who had only followed for curiosity were all - that . lin gc ed behind. ------ - K ae of the boys happened to look uplj V ...t &Uj.d to tlte other tliathe eaw a, great bunch on a tree. The second- looked to St a what it was shifted . Lis position Looked a'v' i and excluaned t' t it fas a mAii! 'ihey cried out in alariii, and thus announced their discovery to their friends 6h fchore. Th.8 latter instantly returned, fid Andrews," seeing bin". self discovered the btory is alnrost too - ":lful tile told dropped from tbe rtree, ran to -the lower end of the island, seized a small, deHd lor;, and with a Ii:r.U f :r a ii Aa fushed into the strea.n," hoping to rtuch thcpp-'te ' i.ore brf-.i-e Lo could 1 s overtaken. :5o far aa V ' l:."A jven Tvere ccuccrncd 1 e Tr,;-I.i, i nve EveccJed;- but there w;.s tht-r p''ty w ;Ja a tkiI i wer dovi . the etream, ' ho shoved out toi.,cet Lhn. The helple man could do no more, and wa3 taken. ."..-.' - - r . - The struirsle had bezi one Of l" iot't hr- (h. f-;ony. IT? had r-aten ncu..ir. t-'. , e Sun ' .j 1 fti - -00T!, a:id if was 1. :? 2 (. CjuC t red 1 T .J.y. - His h; was 1.1.5- nprotee ovc-red ,Vt: with ' the 1 V.. . , 1 .time more fortunate and skillf ul than that of Andrews. lis . broke through the guards and ran the gauntlet of hasty shots without injury. Soon he reached the river bank and not wishing to attempt the passage in the growing light, hit upon the happy expedient of making the enemy believe that he was across. To this end he threw off his coat and vest, dropping them on the river bank and then waded a little way in the water to throw the hounds off the scent; then quietly slipping back, hid himself in a dense thicket of canes and rushes. He soon heard the hounds and men who were pursuing on the bank above and all about him. He Could hear the words they uttered, they were so close.X At length they found the clothing and concluded that he had taken to the river. They crossed over and searched with their hounds along the water's edge on the other side for tie place he had come out. As might be expected . the dogs failed to find the exit, and after due consultation they concluded that he was drowned, which being a satisfactory termination, they returned. Escape of Andrews and wollam. But Wollam was not drowned. He spent the day in much anxiety and sus pense, and when night came he cautiously left his hiding place and worked his way along the river On the very front of Chatta nooga, till he came across a canoe which ho borrowed for the occasion without seeing the owner and rowed down stream all night. This was a swift mode of pro gression. As soon as he saw a sign of dawn he sought a retired place, sunk the canoe, and hid in the woods till night al lowed him to proceed. This he did daily for. a week. Twice he was saved if he had but ' known it. Gen. Mitchel had constructed an extemporized gunboat with which to patrol tho river, and twice Wollam passed within hail of it. But he had heard nothing of any such Unioa craft being on the river, and imagined it to be some Confederate boat, perhaps searching for him. Jn the dark it was not easy to see any indications of its char acter. So the poor boy crept cautiously by in the shadow of the shore without be ing discovered. But at last he made the mistake that Wood and Wilson had made long before. He imagined that he wa$ safe, and went boldly forward in the daytime. One more night's journey by boat, or half that time put in on foot directly northward, would have carrted him safely beyond the border. -But as he was going forward, congratu lating himself on having succeeded so well, a band of Confederate cavalry, who were makin a raid into Mitchel's terri tory, saw. him," and, procuring a boat with several pair of oars, came out to meet him. Wollam saw his danger, and there was a hot chase, but the advantage was all on their side. He was retaken, and as usual tried to deceive them as to his char acter; but a IJeut. Edwards, who had been with the party who captured him the first time, identified him, and he was re United with his comrades in Atlanta. . '-'-Wheu- AnSrewazwas brought .bacfc to Chattanooga seeno of uniclt apparent barbarity . followed. " Hia scape Lad" ex cied great mge and produced most ter rible consequences at- Knoxville,' which will he narrated hereafter. Unt ' they were .now. determined- to nv.o inm" na further opportunity of iSnatching their Dhcrtshed. 'yengeance,' from,- their hands. Ele was put lowri. in jLha'-hole with th. other prisoners, and sl access to the yard, was denied. , Of course; not other visitors': could see. them. The- guard was stimu-" latcd to renewed dUigeuce.". But as chains and ' handcuffs .had proved "ineffectual,' something, more - secure -was .devised. From the shop of William XeVis,. a col- ored blacksmith, -a man was brought over and taken lowri into the dungeon, -who riveted a pair-T)f "heavy irori fctterB around hia . ankles" TJOrsey - and Wilson, "who 'ii'i- "- - DCTXGor; ErYETINO CHAINS 12 THE were present, describe the scene as omin ous and terrible thd dimness of . the dun- geon, the poor, death sentenced man, half reclining with hi3 feet, across the black smith's anvil, the 'blows of the heavy hammer as the work of riveting went m. A strong chain", only eighteen inches long, united the two heavy fetters, so that "only half a step could be taken at once.- The feet were thus fastened in the same man ner aa hands are by handcuffs, and the latter were also replaced. Whciuall these arrangements were -completed- he. waa once more left to himself .- ' " 4 A '" " CHAFTER . IXIX.' -' ' LAST DATS. '""., ", i - Andrews had now but four -days more of dungeon life between himself and. eter nity. ' Escape, was impossible unless there should be a rapid advance of the Federal forces a possibility which .did come very near being made a fact.-,- He .applied him self, to the great badness of preparing to dje. Most unexpectedly a letter written at this "'time and ii some way carried through thfe lines fjhas ' come to hand, and throws great lilit upon his character and thoughts at this period. He managed in some unknown manner to get writing ma terial end wrote two or three letters. One, no dc - "hi, was written to his betrothed ii I'lemL. .-sburg, but never received. -"cr was written to. 'his -mother in I -iiri. The contents of tho latter can o: .y be .icn a-i they are femembered r en i-tiTvj-l c-l many years by or ? fluOTOttdtiie I-ltJE, tulj-l 'j "" " ' " that he was to die, and that all to re gretted was that he had been able to.do so little for his country; that many other sons "had left their bones bleaching on southern battle fields; that he had tried to do his duty, and was now seeking tle pardon and favor of God. There were many other half remembered expressions similar to those which are given in the letter below. The following communication addressed to a trusted friend in Flemingsburg, Ky., and which from some references to property in contains has been called "the will of Andrews," needs a word of ex planation. The gift bestowed upon Miss Layton was of trifling value, though most pathetic a mere empty trunk. But the full significance of this was no doubt given, with probably more substarul bequests, in one or other of the missing letters. This letter, which reached Flem ingsburg, Ky., in August, -two months after it was written, being mailed- at Louisvillo, is recorded in the Flemings burg book of wills, while the original i3 most carefully preserved. Andrews had directed his friend to draw out his money in the Flemingsburg bank some $2,000, with gold premium and interest in caSe he never returned, giving him a check for that purpose, and to lend it on good, se-? curity, paying the interest as' a' perpetual bequest to the town poor. The - friend was faithful to his trust, and though the money was afterwards squandered in a pitiful way and gave rise to vexatious law suits yet this secured the careful preservation of the letter. In all probability Andrews wrote first to his betrothed, giving those sad re membrances and bequests which would not be repeated in a letter to another, and followed with this -more general and business like communication. The 'orig inal is terribly misspelled, far beyond the ordinary misspelling of ignorant persons. This is probably intentional, as a few lines at the first have no errors.. ' CHATTANOoaA, Tenn., June'6, 1862. D. S. McGavie, Esq., Flemingsburg, Ky.: Dear SibYou will be doubtless surprised to hear from me from this place, and still more sur prised to hear taat I am to be executed on the 7thinst. for attempting to capture and run a train of cars from the Western and Atlantic rail road to Huntaville for the use of Gen. Mitchel. I had a parly of twenty-one detailed men from tho Second, Twenty-first and Thirty-third Ohio - regi ments with me. We succeeded in getting posses sion of the train and traveled with it some eighty or eighty-five miis, when, on account of an extra train being on the road, we were compelled to abandon the train, the party scattering and trying to make our way back on foot. The whole party, however, were captured. I was" taken on the 14th of April I am satisfied I could very, easily have got away had they not put a pack of dogs on my trail. It was impossible to elude them. I was tried by court martial and received my sentence on the last day of May, just one week from the time set for my execution. On Monday morning, June 2, 1 made an escape. I succeeded in getting out of the prison and run by the guard, they shooting at me but not hitticg me. The whole country was immediately swarmed with soldiers. I succeeded in eluding them till on Tuesday, about 2 o'clock, when I was recaptured and will be executed on Saturday. The sentence seems a hard one for the crime proven, but I suppose the court that tried me thought otherwise. I have now calmly submitted to my fate, and have been earnestly engaged iu preparing to meet my God in peace. And I have found that peace of mind and tranquillity of soul that evn surprises myself. I never supposed it possible that a man could feel so complete a change under similar circumstances. How I would like to have one hour's chat with you; but this I shall never have In this world, but hope and pray that we may meet in heaven, where the troubles and trials of this life never enter. What the fate of the bal ance of the party will be I am unable to say, but I hope they will not share the fate of their leader. If they return, some two or three of them will call on you and the rest of the friends, and I hope you will receive them kindly. They are Doble fellows, and will give you a whole history of tho affair. Please acquaint my friends with my fate. will try to write to soine two or three more before my execution. Tell J. B. Jackson, should there be any little c'aima that I neglected to set tle, to pay them, and keep the horse. I don't 'think there are ny, but there r - .', In re gard to other matters, do exactly instructed before I left." 'I Tote several lei" hut nevei received ny. Please read this t r to Mrs. Eckles, -and tell tr that I have t htof hex kindness feiaqyj mes, and : that I i- womaj meet in boaveni k" here we shall er' v the pres ence of the Lord forever. Give r Kindest re gards to Mr. Eefetes also. Accord ii the course of nature, 1t will not be long till v ol meet in that happy oounry. Blessed tho i ! Remem ber me also to the young ladies of . . ulitgsburg, especially; to Mias Kate "Wall in 1 and Misi Nannie Baxter, ilopmg' we m i -et in that better country, I bid you a long an : -t farewell. -- . i -t' ' ' 'i-NnREWS.; .The following was added c. the same .sheet: . '.': :'" ; .'."': r -Chattanooga, Tenn., J e 6, 1862. D. S. McGavie, Esq;, J. B. Jackson Irs. Sarah Eckles, Tleniingsburg, Fleming i ..ty, Ky. : . You will find one trunk and obs ick valise; tho valise has my name In red leuf n the end, the other had my name on a papt"! " ted on the end; these are at the City hotel t ashvflle, in care of the old porter qtf the -.third or. - These, with contents, I present to. you. Hawkins, yoq willfiod at the Louisville hot-! rge lady's trunk, no mark on-it, and is t ly empty! ;Pleaso take it to Mr. Lindsey'Sv t dill Creek church,o6 the MaysviRe and Fly 'ourg turn pike, and request him to prest- it to- Miss Klizahetb Laytan for me, and obi:. . - .- - - . . J. . Indrkwb. v , (This was ttroved and rec1-" . as a will at Flemings ;)urs u the od d 19th of i January,. 18o3; " The money i -red to in the clause, "do exactly as ii ucted be fore I left," was duly drawn om bank ai;d loaned fov the bene at cf . poor.) After writing these letters . irewshad but two days to live. He w'. ed for op portunities to send them by i iful hand through to .the Federal Hue.-. Ic was in vain to ask permission of the nfederate authorities, as they had apr- atly tried to keep everything relating to i from the Federal forces. -V - Tho' erection of the sca.T iegart at Chattanooga, but cm the r , day the movements of the Federals h-' ecome so threatening as to prow ace qti . i panic at Knoxville, suspending the c t martial there, and' leading to - the "noval of everything which coul 1 be f; 1 further south. On the 6th of Jirui e day be fore that fixed for the exec , Gem E. Kirby Smith wrote no less i i thirteen dispatches from Itncvlllo : different directions, the gcr.cr-.i purr- cf which was that the er.er y v. - j ' jing with overwhelming foxvcs, jn- 1 i Chatta-' nooga would fall aud 1 ".ast T ssee have to be abandoned, and .-i ving ' ctions for lines of retreat and for r ;ving the Stores., Of .course, to arrar . r an exe cution on; the 7th, in the i of an ad rancins enemy, .might have ' I too very sudden, pardon; and, accoriiii, ,-, Andrews and his companions' vrere " oi red to At lanta nee more on tLa. e y morning train. ; .There . .was again o excited crowds, an invariable acco" rdment of our frequent transits over thi road;, but, la addition, the fact that An; w3 was to die was published,and he n -s taunted -frequently with references tc approach ing doom. These he bcra t his usual calm, sad patience. - . - ; -:. Aninstauce in tor .-recti-- with these persecutions is especially pail lie. A Mr.: Whiteman came on the cars, i 1, advanc ing to where Andrew s wras, osted him.: Parro-t, who riv s th3 mnt, was t ; oa tLc k ' i, . could not" The merchant san v nut. ua-jt.u., Mr. Andrews, about tttft $10,000 I let you have for the purchase of quinine and other things?" , : Andrews replied, Mr. Whiteman, this is no time to talk about money. If you had done as I wished you to do in Chat tanooga, you would have had all that back, and twice as much more." (Parrott understood Andrews to refer to some pro position that Andrews had made to Mr. Whiteman oh his trial, and the failure to accept which was the greatest disappoint ment that Andrews had then experienced.) Whiteman continued, "Is that all you have to say, Mr. Andrews?" - "Yes, sir, that is alh," responded the doomed man. With a gesture of deep disappointment, Whiteman turned on his heel and walked rapidly away. The death procession reached Atlanta a little after noon, and; the prisoners were conducted by their guard to a room used as barracks, two squares from the depot. Here they were kept under close guard awaiting the completion of the arrange ments for the military murder. The foot chains ' had not been removed, from An drews, and as he walked up into his room with the short, halting step that they re- jguirjuy 4TEe clanking was horrible. Not very much was said in these few sad moments. Andrews did speak in his quiet way of the better life, and his wish to meet all his comrades in heaven. His words could not fail of making a deep impression, though hope of vengeance for the coming deed would have been sweeter to the poor boys than almost any kind of a prospect beyond the grave. But soon a body of strange soldiers came up to the building. - Their commander entered and asked Andrews in a very respectful tone if he was ready now. The latter answered in the affirmative, and then bade "Good by" ' to the comrades- who had passed through so many dangers with him. The procession moved out Peachtree street, the most fashionable and beautiful street of Atlanta, and continued for about two miles from the depot. On the way, the 'provost marshal ' -asked , Rev. W. J. Scott, a Methodist clergyman, to accom pany them and act as chaplain. He almost refused, but Andrews spoke in his ginning, courteous manner, saying, "I tfould be glad to have you go, sir." Such en appeal Scott could not resist, and at1.' tended him to the last, writing many years after his recollection of the affair. A great crowd, in addition to the strong guard, went along, but there appears to have been no unseemly taunts or disorder. To Mr. Scott Andrews gave substantially the same account of the enterprise that has already been given, colored a little by the fact that he did not wish even fii death to say one word that might in any way injure those comrades who had been so true to hira. . . No .element of pathos in the terrible scene was lacking. A few scores of yards from the road, iu a little valley, a scaf fold was erected. There were thin woods around, and ; night was coming on. A rope cirele fenced off the spectators to a respectful distance. - Mr. Scott spoke the words that he judged fitting; Rev. Mr. Conyers led in prayer; Rev. Mr. Connor a'dmimstered some religious counsel to the patient t prisoner, who probably thought that all the sins of which he re pented were less than the sin of rebellion of which they were guilty. No coffin was provided, but a few hundred feet away the grave was already open. The signal was given, snd the not uncommon bung ling of an execution added new horrors. The cotton rope - stretched so that the shackled feet reached the ground. "From motives of humanity" the ground was shoveled away ,and the soul liberated. The pathos of this death is indescrib able. The drop falls and tho mere physi cal agony is soon over. The body, weak ened by the last terrible struggle for life made not so much for self as for th loving heart in far away Flemingsburg cannot long resist. Then the corpse is taken down; the horror bound spectators still linger. . The poor remainsof a man of superb beauty and princely endowments are carried to the shallow grave on a little hill "crest, and there, near a large stone, ' "which may mark the grave, if any friend ever wants to know where it is," as a spectator charitably said, he is -laid to rest. - There is no shroud. The only grave clothes are the tattered garments left from the last sad race for life. Can the reader conceive anything more pitiful than the view presented just before ther damp earth is thrown on the cold, up-5 turned face? The busy brain, from which came daring enterprises and cool action, is quiet forever. The limbs that toiled, so far for patriotism, fame, perhaps for ven geance, and at last for life, labor no more.' The heart so true to country and com rades, so faithful under forms of false hood, is stilled. The utmost depths of adversity have been sounded,, and the enemy can touch him no more.- Even the welded shackels, which seem to bind in the grave, have lost their power. T' It is well that man has one refuge from every earthly misfortune; and as evening gath ered its shadows over the little heap of freshly turned earth in the wood a spot long unrecognized was he not better off than the comrades from whom he had just parted, or those more distant, whose fate was. trembling in the balance at Knoxville? - . - Some days or weeks after the comple tion of this mournful tragedy a man came to the old depot at Stevenson,-Ala., which was then used as a storehouse by the Federals. He seemed to be a stranger, and went cautiously to Sergt. William Hunter. Myers, of Company K, Thirty-, third Ohio, and asked to speak with him alone. Myers at once assented and took him into the room. The man looked to see that no one was near the doOr or win dows, and then said: "I have papers in my possession which would cost me my life if the Confederates should discover them on me. I want to get clear of them." , Myers took the papers and glanced over them, finding the letter of Andrews to his mother, and his "will,", already quoted. He was perfectly familiar with our expe dition, belonging to the same company as Parrott. This made if easy for .him to recognize therreat interest of "the papers, for up to this time only scattered and partial information had been? brought through the lines. ; On inquiry the man said he was a fireman on the Georgia State railroad, and that he had been em ployed for several years in that capacity. His native . place, however, was Hagers town, Md., and he had stood the ways of the rebels as long as he : could, and was now anxious to get home. Myers wanted to know how he came in possession of the papers, but he declared that he dared not tell. Finding that he had nothing more to say, he was sent under guard to Hunts ville, from which place it was easy for him to reach his old home; and the papers also, after considerable detention, arrived at their destination. The account of the escape and recap ture of Andrews was published in The Cincinnati Commercial, about the 10th of June, and reached the Sister of Miss Lay ton, with whom that, lady then made her home. ' J 'e was already in 'deep dis- - a - '' ..: 's "" " - T tell her the perilous situa lover was placed. " But near tho end of June the full account of his execution was copied in the same paper from The Soflfthern Confederacy of June 8, 1803. As the end of all her hopes had come (less than a week before the intended wedding day) her brother and sister judged it best not to keep her longer in suspense, and the paper was handed to her 4, Her eyes rested on the following paragraphs: . Yesterday evening's train brought from Chat tanooga "to this place to be executed, Andrews, the leader of the engine thieves, under sentence of death, convicted by court martial of being a spy. He was carried out Peachtree street road, accompanied by three clergymen, and escorted by a guard. A considerable crowd followed to witness the execution. f : ; He was a native of Hancock county, Va., born In 1829, brought up by pious Presbyterian parents, who now reside in southwestern Missouri. A good portion of his life had been spent in Flem ing, county, Ky. He had no family, but was en gaged to be married during the present month.: She did not shriek or cry out, but read it through to the end, and went silently to her room, from which she did not emerge for hours; and when she did rejoin the family her face was drawn and pale, and the light had gone out of her eyes. From this time forward she took little interest in anything until the letter to Mr. Mc Gavie, printed above,- arrived. Many months after, the empty trunk, so pathetic an emblem of her blasted hopes and the great tragedy that had fallen on her life, was recovered. - In the absence of any explanation, for the letter to her was never received, it seemed like a cruel mockery I Not long after she died, thus rejoining the man she had loved so faith fully through such hopeless sorrow. No brave man perishes that some tender woman's heart is not crushed! - j CHAPTER XX.. COURT MARTIAL, f I Why twelve only of our number were carried to Knoxville, where a Confederate court martial had convened, I ; have never learned. It may have been thought that this number was large enough for'ven-j geance, or more probably it was intended when they were disposed of to bring the others also. Gen. E. Kirby Smith coni-j manded the department, and all the pro-! ceeding3 were under his authority. What seemed to us very remarkable was that a single one of our number at a time was brought before the court and all the pro-j ceedings in his case were gone through with before another was brought out.) Thus each trial was just : the copy of the ope that went- before, and, short as they were, must soon have become very mo- notonous to tho members of i the court.? We employed two eminent Union men of KnoxvUle as counsel -Judge O. P. Tem-i pie and Judge Baxter but they were not allowed to hear the plea of the judge ad-j vocate, the prosecutor against us. Neither had we that privilege, and cannot jthore-j fOre give the points that were most relied on for our conviction, i In fact, members of the court visited us and said that wo would be acquitted of the charge against us, which was that of lurking about Con federate camps at Chattanooga, Dal ton and Marietta as spies, and only held as prison-; era of War. This inspired in us a strangOj and, as the issue proved, an unwarranted, degree of hopefulness. Our own ackhowl-j edgment.of what we did, which we linkec j with the statement that we had been de-j tailed from our commands without ou'i ; consent and with no knowledge of th : nature of the expedition on which we were sent, and the evidence of some of those who bad seen us on the train or aided ir! our capture, constituted the evidencej irt; the case. But we have reason to think! the whole result Was predetermined, although our r attorneys .1 were confident that we could ; not be convicted of being spies. The fact that we were not placed In irons here for the first time during the nearly two months of our imprisonment tended to increase our hope. ; ' But another element of far greater im portance than the mere, machinery of the trials entered now into the determination of our destiny. The trial of one of our men there was no apparent order in the selection was finished each day. The next day another was taken. I have never doubted that the enemy's intention v was to go through the whole list in the same way, and we were not at all solici tous as to who should come first or last. But that did prove to be of tremendous importance; for a vigorous advance of ; the Federal armies upon both Knoxville .and 7 Chattanooga caused Gen. Smith to give up East Tennessee for lost, and to dissolve the court and send us all in hot haste to Atlanta, Ga. Seven had then been tried. A delay of five days in this advance would Have finished the whole twelve including the writer at the rate they were proceeding. But the whole twelve were sent away together, having seen or heard nothing to show a difference in the position of the five and the seven, and arriving in Atlanta just a week after the execution of Andrews. We had heard of that terrible event in Knox ville; but, while our sorrow was deep and poignant, our hopefulness either for the seven who had been tried or the five whose trial had been interrupted was not diminished, for Confederates had always been saying to us that bis case was much more aggravated -than ours. . In Atlanta we were placed in the upper room of a large brick building, surround ed by guards. -. The remainder of the party who were with "Andrews were placed in another room of the same build ing, which was the city jail. Two great cvonts of the most opposite character, upon which turned the fate of our band, are associated closely with this jail. They will now be narrated. " CHAPTER XXI A DAY OF BLOOD. . The 18th of Juno was a bright summer day. Our party in the jail wero making merry with games and songs, utterly un suspicious of immediate injury. But one of our number, looking out of the win dow, saw a squadron of cavalry approach ing and called attention to it. There was nothing unusual about this, for we often noticed bands of troops-on the streets; but they now halted f-t our gato and sur rounded our prison. This was unusual and startling. " ,. The doors down stairs opened. We heard tho shuffle of feet in the hall and the clink of officers' sabers as they ascended 1 tho stairway. We held our breath in painful attention, while they paused at pur door, unlocked and threw it open, and then one of the number, stepping before the others, read the names of the seven tried at Knoxville. They were ordered to respond and stand in a line before him, winch they did. . Robin son was sick with' fever, but a guard as sisted him to rise, and he stood with ihe rest. Then they were all told to follow over into the opposite room, while the Tennesseeans there were brought in re turn to us. ; ' " ' With throbbing hearts we asked one another the meaning of these stracsa p c c"s"1 "---. p-v." f1"1 --od e""r cwml I .change.. . lut we.-. tj these- suggestions even while we them. It would not have been, necessary to surround the prison for such purposes; and the faces of the officers who had en tered our room were solemn and stern. -I was sick, too, having snflered a good deal recently with malarial fever, but .rose to my.feet oppressed with unutter able fear the mos"t deadly I ever remem ber feeling: A half witted fellow who had been put in with the Tennesseeans came to me and wanted to play a game of cards! ' I had been fond of the game, but never played it after this day! Now I struck the greasy pack from his hand and bade him leave me. From over the way we heard the sound "of voices, muffled and indistinct because of the two iron doors between; then the opening, and shutting of doors, the passage of several persons up and down, the stair way, and last the sound as of solemn reading. A little while after I cannot judge of the length of time spent in such fearful agony the ministers . in the other, room think it must have been more than -an hour the door opened and out comrades came back, one by one; but the change in them was fearful. My own friend, George D. Wilson, was leading, his step firm, his form erect, but his hands firmly tied, and his face pale as death. "What is it?" some one asked in a whisper, for his ap pearance silenced every one. ; "We are to be "executed immediately," was the appalling reply, given in a low tone, but with thrilling distinctness. The others followed him into the room, all tied ready for the scaffold. The ofiicers were standing in the door, and barely granted them the privilege of. taking us once more by the hand before : death. Then camo the farewells, hopeless in this world. ; It was a moment that seemed an age of measureless, heart breaking sorrow. What had occurred in the other room while we were separated? The narrative of the ministers will make that plain. Rev. W. J. Scott was requested by Cob G. J. Foreacre, then provost marshal in Atlanta, to visit some Federal prisoners at the city jail who were about to die. On his way Mr. Scott called on Rev, ' George G. N. MaeDonell and asked him 'to go along. At the jail they were taken into the room where our -comrades ' were. Scott says: ...-:'! --": "They impresssed me at once as a body of remarkably fine looking young men. I could but notice also their cheerfulness under such painful environments." . He told them that he was the bearer of un welcome tidings. This arrested their attention, but ,they were still unprepared for the bipw that followed. Then Scott, with the brevity which was the best kind ness, with a few questions answered, gave tho full truth, every word being like an added stab, telling them that they had been found guilty at Knoxville of being spies- that they were to die to die by hanging and at once! Their natural and indignant protests were waved aside as something with which the ministers had nothing to do; their only business was to help the doomed men by prayer and counsel to prepare for death',' and the hour, was nt hand. Anxiety and even horror was In an instant depicted on every countenance. When they asked, "How soon?" he answered, "In less than two hours." This was probably a merciful overstatement. The hearts of the preach ers, upon whom had been rolled the fear ful task of first communicating this ter rible intelligence, were very heavy. c Scqtt adds: "They VAere gallant men, who would have stood unshaken in the immi nent deadly breach. They were picked men, chosen - for their soldiery qualities; yet in a moment every cheek blanched to tho lily's whiteness. In anot her moment however, they rallied end -": If 1 and unflinching." Scott end I' :L i then gave them such counsel as tLa d;: ; need, recited to them approprlats f. .1 ture passages, and prayed with the 1. What followed is so extraordinary t'.&t it is fully given in Mr. Scott's own lan guage with only two remarks. The "! v hours' notice" was virtually no notice rt ill, as, according - to Mr. Seott's own words, all the time was taken up wiij slerical and official preparation. Frcn the moment the awful news was con mnnicated there was no pause save f. r the prayer of the minister, the readir r the sentence, the binding for the ecz i tnd the clasp of hands with frienda. V. 1 was alL b-r- W -'- BtXUSL SLAVXm. . A2VlKC1r9 . ffn&XAM CAXPBEU. t ( FIVE OF THE SAlDZr.S IXECTTTT . We had often said to each oticr ' ' matter who else, might perish, : some way would.escape by reas: . high standing as a Mason, i r . . the following narrative shows bc'...r t anything else the fearful resell.: : 1 which this deed of blood wss c through. Mr. Scott continues: ' As we rose from our knees one cf t - aot sure at this late day whether l o? -'' boll gave me a Masonic sircalwLka re only permitted to use i c f e peril. I recognized it tr-st aside and satisfied myself Vl i L s light- No one who has never t - 7 dead level to a living perpenwc- r date my feelings. I said with a i "My brother, I will do' what I cm. t r ; aistectly with my obligations to L a ; to which. I owe allegiance. ' He replied: "I ana for Both.? ? r- -. -. ' about to bo executed with oc a i notice. "We had no intimation of Ii t formed us. Now, can yon not r r . Itary authorities to re" ::e os c r - I replied: "I will mr , 9 f - 1 - The other prisoners 1 1 1 of tho conversation, f r t 7 -. I knew that I t- t ', brother KacDoneU to - - cell and went ccv - ." wfcer as""" "--- - ' 1 .x " i .If oflt all positi.i.y ci -generous impulses, a..,.i I e troubled and perplexed. He ret1- : "I agree to all you say. I wou. i r afford them relief, but," heconi nu i, . are peremptory. I am required to e today and have not the slightest di. -. disobey my orders lam liable to la and disgraced. - He proposed to show me his orders, Lit hira his statement was sufficient. I was compelled to return and a--failure. I was Chen asked If I wor ! t some messages to their friends. Ie ir if the military authorities would t . . r .. then dictated their messages, broi ... r I writing three In his memoranda; -i t-. t . writing fouf in mine. There we.e 1 -verbal differences in their messa s, e - 1 1 lowing may be taken as a samf le cf t : 9 v "I am to suffer death this afteruoc 1 s -loyalty. I am true to the old sg tta i 1 God's mercy for salvation.; The name of the party and nuKifi :.r cZl ment was attached. - The messages were not sent foecau -s t k technical objections at the war depart n - :. Immediately after this failure t - ' leasti respite in the inexorable cr , officers read. the sentence of t' ' martial, which directed the t Ti the accused "as soon as this order i made public;" "between the 15i.h 1 . , days of June inst." When this cruel clause wss f. . -serted, it was probably thought tl. : - . the band would be convicted in tLa t manner, and then in one terrible t : ; would .be swept away with no o: . nity to leave any word behind! 'XL 3 1 -fusal to send a harmless messr j i. friends a privilege that would net 1. 3 " -nied to the most infamous crLr . 1 agrees with this" view. It was the manner of death rather T - 1 death itself which seemed sj horriV.3 t ? our comrades as they took their last 1 " v. ? of us. Most of them were also will -. i any clear hope beyond the grave. A c. even, to have sought divine favor vc have been a priceless boon. Wil3c:i t a professed unbeliever, and many a had argued the truth of the Chr ligionjwith me half a day at a time; ; he said, "Pittinger," I believe you i right now! try to be better prepared v ? you come to. die than I am." I cc . . scarcely release his hand as he rouitci: ., "God bless you," and turned away. Shadrack was careless, generous pr. 1 ir.orry, though often excitable, and some lines profane. ' Now he tur&eoto us wiih a forced calmness of voice which - was more affecting than a wail of agony t 1 l.o said: ; . "Boys, I'm not prepared to meet my Jesus." . When asked by some of us, whose te5' 3 were flowing fast, to think of heaveci 7 mercy, ho answered; still in tones . J thrilling calmness "I'll try, I'll try, Tcvt I know I'm not prepared." Slavens, who was a man of immer. 1 strength and iron resolution, turned iy his friend -Buff um and could only art -late, "Wife children tell"- when v.... .--ancc failed. John Scott was well educated, anl 1 left a very pleasant home in Findliy, t . Father and mother, brothers and f... have always been among the most 1 -spected of the citizens there. 113 1 b-en married but three days before c " -ing, and now the thought of his 3 and .sorrowing wife nearly drove hh 1 ' despair. He could only clasp Iuj L. .. in silent agony, ; ' t Campbell had a half smile on Lis t . face, but . it was terribly unreal, w i . light in it, as he pressed our han ' even muttered aft unconscious oa'.I., . ing, , i'es, boys,", this is hard." But Ross was a marvel and v -. us all. rtloud had long seen-.: 1 1 , Masses a. 1