"We have had considerable trouble in having our guards learn their duty
as sentinels. This week one of our sentinels was found asleep on his
post. We sentenced him to be shot, at a court-martial, but recommended
him to clemency; at the same time privately having the colonel
understand it was merely formal to make the soldiers more careful
hereafter.
"So yesterday at dress parade the regiment was thrown into a hollow
square, the prisoner brought out and sentence pronounced with great
gravity, making to all who did not understand it a very solemn scene.
The prisoner was remanded to confinement to await execution. This
morning the members of the companies all cast lots to decide who should
be in the unfortunate squad to shoot him. The ten men who drew the
_black beans_ were brought up before headquarters this morning and
notified that to-morrow morning at daylight they would have a terrible
duty to discharge, without telling them what it was, they readily
imagining it.
"To-day the young man was suffering greatly, but he would not tell
where his father or family are, for fear we should write them about
it. He says his father told him if he died in battle he would be
satisfied, but never to disgrace himself. And he promised that if we
would only release him, he would give a good account of himself on the
battlefield. He will be released in the morning, and we won't have any
sleepy sentinels soon again."