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guilty； for simply obeying； as literally as possible； the orders of his
superiors。
He denied all the specific acts of cruelty alleged against him； such as
maltreating and killing prisoners with his own hands。 The prisoners
killed for crossing the Dead Line； he claimed； should not be charged
against him； since they were simply punished for the violation of a known
order which formed part of the discipline； he believed； of all military
prisons。 The statement that soldiers were given a furlough for killing a
Yankee prisoner； was declared to be 〃a mere idle； absurd camp rumor。〃
As to the lack of shelter； room and rations for so many prisoners；
he claimed that the sole responsibility rested upon the Confederate
Government。 There never were but two prisoners whipped by his order；
and these were for sufficient cause。 He asked the Court to consider
favorably two important items in his defense： first； that he had of his
own accord taken the drummer boys from the Stockade； and placed them
where they could get purer air and better food。 Second； that no property
taken from prisoners was retained by him； but was turned over to the
Prison Quartermaster。
The Court； after due deliberation； declared the prisoner guilty on all
the charges and specifications save two unimportant ones； and sentenced
him to be hanged by the neck until dead； at such time and place as the
President of the United States should direct。
November 3 President Johnson approved of the sentence； and ordered Major
General C。 C。 Augur to carry the same into effect on Friday； November 10；
which was done。 The prisoner made frantic appeals against the sentence；
he wrote imploring letters to President Johnson； and lying ones to the
New York News； a Rebel paper。 It is said that his wife attempted to
convey poison to him； that he might commit suicide and avoid the ignomy
of being hanged。 When all hope was gone he nerved himself up to meet his
fate； and died； as thousands of other scoundrels have； with calmness。
His body was buried in the grounds of the Old Capitol Prison； alongside
of that of Azterodt； one of the accomplices in the assassination of
President Lincoln。
CHAPTER LXXXIII。
THE RESPONSIBILITYWHO WAS TO BLAME FOR ALL THE MISERYAN EXAMINATION
OF THE FLIMSY EXCUSES MADE FOR THE REBELSONE DOCUMENT THAT CONVICTS
THEMWHAT IS DESIRED。
I have endeavored to tell the foregoing story as calmly； as
dispassionately； as free from vituperation and prejudice as possible。
How well I have succeeded the reader must judge。 How difficult this
moderation has been at times only those know who； like myself； have seen；
from day to day； the treason…sharpened fangs of Starvation and Disease
gnaw nearer and nearer to the hearts of well…beloved friends and
comrades。 Of the sixty…three of my company comrades who entered prison
with me； but eleven； or at most thirteen； emerged alive； and several of
these have since died from the effects of what they suffered。 The
mortality in the other companies of our battalion was equally great；
as it was also with the prisoners generally。 Not less than twenty…five
thousand gallant； noble…hearted boys died around me between the dates of
my capture and release。 Nobler men than they never died for any cause。
For the most part they were simple…minded； honest…hearted boys； the
sterling products of our Northern home…life； and Northern Common Schools；
and that grand stalwart Northern blood； the yeoman blood of sturdy middle
class freementhe blood of the race which has conquered on every field
since the Roman Empire went down under its sinewy blows。 They prated
little of honor； and knew nothing of 〃chivalry〃 except in its repulsive
travesty in the South。 As citizens at home； no honest labor had been
regarded by them as too humble to be followed with manly pride in its
success； as soldiers in the field； they did their duty with a calm
defiance of danger and death； that the world has not seen equaled in the
six thousand years that men have followed the trade of war。 In the
prison their conduct was marked by the same unostentatious but
unflinching heroism。 Death stared them in the face constantly。 They
could read their own fate in that of the loathsome； unburied dead all
around them。 Insolent enemies mocked their sufferings； and sneered at
their devotion to a Government which they asserted had abandoned them；
but the simple faith； the ingrained honesty of these plain…mannered；
plain…spoken boys rose superior to every trial。 Brutus； the noblest
Roman of them all； says in his grandest flight：
Set honor in one eye and death in the other；
And I will look on both indifferently。
They did not say this： they did it。 They never questioned their duty； no
repinings； no murmurings against their Government escaped their lips；
they took the dread fortunes brought to them as calmly； as unshrinkingly
as they had those in the field； they quailed not； nor wavered in their
faith before the worst the Rebels could do。 The finest epitaph ever
inscribed above a soldier's grave was that graven on the stone which
marked the resting…place of the deathless three hundred who fell at
Thermopylae：
Go； stranger； to Lacedaemon；
And tell Sparta that we lie here in obedience to her laws。
They who lie in the shallow graves of Andersonville； Belle Isle； Florence
and Salisbury； lie there in obedience to the precepts and maxims
inculcated into their minds in the churches and Common Schools of the
North； precepts which impressed upon them the duty of manliness and honor
in all the relations and exigencies of life； not the 〃chivalric〃 prate of
their enemies； but the calm steadfastness which endureth to the end。 The
highest tribute that can be paid them is to say they did full credit to
their teachings； and they died as every American should when duty bids
him。 No richer heritage was ever bequeathed to posterity。
It was in the year 1864； and the first three months of 1865 that these
twenty…five thousand youths mere cruelly and needlessly done to death。
In these fatal fifteen months more young men than to…day form the pride；
the hope； and the vigor of any one of our leading Cities； more than at
the beginning of the war were found in either of several States in the
Nation； were sent to their graves； 〃unknelled； uncoffined； and unknown；〃
victims of the most barbarous and unnecessary cruelty recorded since the
Dark Ages。 Barbarous； because the wit of man has not yet devised a more
savage method of destroying fellow…beings than by exposure and
starvation； unnecessary； because the destruction of these had not； and
could not have the slightest effect upon the result of the struggle。
The Rebel leaders have acknowledged that they knew the fate of the
Confederacy was sealed when the campaign of 1864 opened with the North
displaying an unflinching determination to prosecute the war to a
successful conclusion。 All that they could hope for after that was some
fortuitous accident； or unexpected foreign recognition that would give
them peace with victory。 The prisoners were non…important factors in the
military problem。 Had they all be