Dear Mr. Watson:
I am requested to write out the details of the execution of a
Confederate soldier at Morton, Mississippi, in July, 1863. I will
endeavor to do so to the best of my recollection; and I think that what
I shall write will be substantially correct, because the incident is
frescoed upon my memory.
During the siege of Vicksburg, General Joseph E. Johnson was placed in
command of the Army in Mississippi which was being organized outside
to relieve General Pemberton. General W. H. T. Walker commanded a
division in said Army. His command consisted of the brigares of Guist,
Wilson, McNair, Ector and Gregg. I was on the staff of General Gregg.
We were for some time at Yazoo City preparing to move on the rear of
General Grant, who was then closely besieging Vicksburg. When we got
ready and our large supply train prepared (which we expected to take
into Vicksburg), we marched from Yazoo City towards the Big Black Creek
and encamped some days at a little hamlet called Vernon, a few miles
West of Canton. While in camp there, one day a regiment of cavalry
passed along the road, by the side of which the 46th Georgia Regiment
was encamped. This regiment was commanded by Colonel Peyton Colquitt,
who was afterwards killed at Chickamauga. Some one recognized a man in
the cavalry who formerly belonged to the 46th Georgia. The soldier had
deserted from the latter regiment whilst it was on the Georgia coast,
and joined this regiment of cavalry. He was arrested—charges preferred
against him for desertion. He was tried by a court martial which was
sitting at Vernon.
The man was convicted, but no publication was then made of the results
of the trial, but the findings were regularly forwarded to General
Johnson’s headquarters, and then we broke camp and moved down to the
Big Black for the purpose of crossing to attack General Grant. Indeed,
we reached the point to cross on the night of July 3rd, and the
engineer corps was preparing to throw the pontoons across, when news
came that Vicksburg had surrendered. Then we commenced our retrograde
movement towards Jackson—passing through Clinton, Mississippi, en
route. Sherman was sent in pursuit and we reached Jackson one day ahead
of him and went into the works which had been prepared for the defense
of Jackson.
Sherman immediately extended his besieging lines with both flanks
resting on Pearl River, forming a semi-circle, leaving the Eastern
side of the city open for our retreat. I think we remained there one
week before retreating. General Johnson found it impossible to keep
Sherman from crossing the river and getting in his rear and, therefore,
evacuated the works and took up his line of march one night towards
Meridian. After we were some distance on the road beyond Brandon, a
terrific rain-storm came on, with heavy thunder and lightning. The
rain was so heavy and the night so dark the troops scarcely march,
encountering here and there wagons and artillery stuck in the mud.
We reached Morton about daylight and went into camp. The sun rose in
all its brightness and intensity of July heat. The troops were drying
off and preparing their camp for cooking, etc., when this convicted
soldier struggled up to the provost guard and said to the Major in
command: “Well, Major, I got lost last night but am up as soon as I
could find you.” The officer turned over to the guard and said: “I am
sorry you came up for orders have been issued that you must be shot
today at one o’clock p. m.”
When General Walker learned of this incident, his sympathies were
aroused and he and Major Cumming mounted their horses and rode to
General Johnson’s headquarters. General Walker dismounted, recited
the facts to his superior officer and interceded for the poor fellow.
The only reply was: “General Walker, my orders must be obeyed.” The
latter saluted and replied, “General, they shall be,” and mounted his
horse. With tears in his eyes he instructed Major Cumming to have Major
Schauff (I do not know that I spell this name correctly) make a detail
for the execution and carry it out at 1 o’clock promptly.
He then ordered the division out to witness the execution. The brigade
formed three sides of a square in a large old field flanked by second
growth of pines; the grave had been dug in the center of it, his coffin
resting on the further side from the firing squad. The condemned man
asked not to be blindfolded; his hands were tied behind his back,
he knelt on his coffin, and in the presence of the whole division,
including his old 46th Georgia Regiment and his comrades therein, and
was shot to death, placed in his box, or coffin, and was buried right
there in that old field.
The saddest part of it was that the testimony showed he had been so
good and gallant soldier in his adopted regiment, and he stated the
only reason he left the 46th Georgia was that he got tired of inaction
down on the coast and wanted to be where he could do some fighting. He
also stated that he had a wife and child at home in Georgia.