August 29—Returned to our companions this morning at 10 o’clock.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
August 29, Saturday. Have reluctantly come to the conclusion to visit the navy yards. It is a matter of duty, and the physicians and friends insist it will be conducive to health and strength. If I could go quietly it would give me pleasure, but I have a positive dislike to notoriety and parade, — not because I dislike well-earned applause, not because I do not need encouragement, but there is so much insincerity in their showy and ostentatious parades, where the heartless and artful are often the most prominent.
The President cordially approves my purpose, which he thinks and says will do me good and strengthen me for coming labors.
Chase has been to me, urging the dispatch of several vessels to seize the armored ships which are approaching completion in Great Britain and which may be captured off the English coast. The objections are: first, we cannot spare the ships; second, to place a naval force in British waters for the purpose indicated would be likely to embroil us with that power; third, the Secretary of State assures me in confidence that the armored vessels building in England will not be allowed to leave. This third objection, which, if reliable, is in itself a sufficient reason for non-action on my part, I am not permitted to communicate to the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a part of the government and ought to know the fact. It may be right that the commercial community, who are deeply interested and who, of course, blame me for not taking more active and energetic measures, should be kept in ignorance of the true state of the case, but why withhold the truth from the Secretary of the Treasury? If he is not to be trusted, he is unfit for his place; but it is not because he is not to be trusted. These little things injure the Administration, and are in themselves wrong. I am, moreover, compelled to rely on the oral, unwritten statement of the Secretary of State, who may be imposed upon and deceived, who is often mistaken; and, should those vessels escape, the blame for not taking preliminary steps to seize them will fall heavily on me. It grieves Chase at this moment and lessens me in his estimation, because I am doing nothing against these threatened marauders and can give him no sufficient reasons why I am not.
The subject of a reunion is much discussed. Shall we receive back the Rebel States? is asked of me daily. The question implies that the States have seceded, — actually gone out from us, — that the Union is at present dissolved, which I do not admit. People have rebelled, some voluntarily, some by compulsion. Discrimination should be made in regard to them. Some should be hung, some exiled, some fined, etc., and all who remain should do so on conditions satisfactory and safe. I do not trouble myself about the Emancipation Proclamation, which disturbs so many. If New York can establish slavery or imprison for debt, so can Georgia. The States are and must be equal in political rights. No one State can be restricted or denied privileges or rights which the others possess, or have burdens or conditions imposed from which its co-States are exempt. The Constitution must be amended, and our Union and system of government changed, to reach what is demanded by extreme men in this matter.
29th. Aroused at daylight. Saddled and waited two hours for “forward.” Hornets’ nest by road. Bees after Gen. Shackleford and others, occasioned considerable fun. Moved 5 miles and stopped for breakfast and to feed horses. More big hills. Air cool and bracing. Nice day for marching. 30 miles from Montgomery, where we camp. Four companies left with wagons. Ours at head of Batt. Rode some with Major Nettleton and Robertson. Camped about dark. Found hay and corn. In the woods.
Vicksburg, Saturday, Aug. 29. Mail arrived. Received a letter. John enclosed the receipt of box from express office. Express one day before mail. Nineteen furloughed men left for home on the “J. C. Swan”. On detail in the afternoon for foraging. Loaded 166 sacks of oats and 21 bales of hay after dark, when we returned rather tired.
Saturday—Remained in camp.
Saturday, 29th—We had a heavy rain during the night and the day opened cloudy and dismal. Our entire expedition started on the return journey for Vicksburg. We covered twenty-six miles and camped for the night on Oak Ridge. Some of the men had found too much of the “Southern bay rum,” and imbibing quite freely, became so top-heavy on the way that they had to be hauled all day.
[August 29]
One of the beautiful features of a soldier’s life in active service is the love engendered for the flag, the symbol of what we fight for. In time it becomes to the regiment a fetish, and it would be ashamed of any of its men who would hesitate to go to its rescue, if it was certain death to do so, and I have yet to see a man of that sort. I have frequently seen tears come into the men’s eyes when the flag was waved aloft, and it is pleasant to think that there are at least in the army any number of men whom the Roman axiom, “dulcet et decorum est pro patria mourior,” is still applicable.
During the afternoon of this day, orders were received to hold the division in light marching order, with three days’ rations; we hear the enemy have sent a couple of gunboats up the Rappahannock, and that Kilpatrick, with his cavalry division, is moving down upon them. We were to march in support in case of emergency. It seems a novel proposition to attack ships with cavalry, but the Dutch fleet in January, 1794, was actually captured by Hussars of the French Republic, and so perhaps in these modern times we may be permitted to capture gunboats.
(New York Times article.)
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, SATURDAY, Aug. 29, 1863.
The execution of the substitute-deserters sentenced to the penalty of death in General Orders No. 84, took place to-day. More than ordinary interest was exhibited in this execution of military law, and it is estimated that not less than 25,000 persons were present. The ground was well selected, and every arrangement so complete that no accident occurred to mar the solemnity of the proceedings.
The position of the spectators was upon a semicircular elevation partially surrounding the place of execution. Previous to the execution the scene presented a remarkable view to the spectator.
Two of the sentenced persons were Protestants, two Catholics, and the fifth a Hebrew. The spiritual advisers of each were present, administering the last consolations of religion. The criminals were sitting upon their respective coffins, with the yawning graves in their rear. The troops were drawn up in close column by division, covering the complete semicircle, and separated from the spectators by a creek.
The order for their immediate execution was issued by Gen. GRIFFIN at 3 P.M., and the officer of the day, Capt. CROCKER, of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania, recalled the clergymen from their spiritual duties.
The rest is briefly told.
At the order to fire, thirty-six muskets were discharged, and instant death was announced by the surgeons in attendance as the result. The bodies were then placed in their respective graves, and the clergy performed the last religious rites over the deceased.
The spectacle was an unusual one — the Protestant, the Hebrew and the Catholic stood side by side, each uttering prayers for their souls.
The names, ages, residences, etc., of the deceased are as follows:
GEORGE KUHNA, Hanoverian, 22 years old, Pennsylvania — unmarried.
JOHN FELANE, Italian, 26 years old, Pennsylvania — wife and family.
CHARLES WALTER, Prussian, 28 years old — wife and child.
GEORGE KEINESE, Italian, 24 years old — wife and child.
EMIL LAI, Prussian, 30 years old — wife.
The clergy who attended these unfortunates were the Chaplain of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Pennsylvania regiment; Rev. C.L. EGAN, of St. Dominick’s Church Washington; and Rabbi B.S. SCOLD, of Baltimore. They were unremitting in their attendance upon the deceased from the time of their sentence until the final hour.
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Image information:
Top image:
- Procession for the execution of five deserters from the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1st Division, 5th Corps, Beverly Ford, Va.; drawn by Edwin Forbes.
- Library of Congress image.
Second image:
- Execution of five deserters in the 5th Corps; drawn by Alfred R. Waud.
- Drawing on brown paper : pencil, Chinese white ; 17.8 x 25.9 cm.
- inscribed below image in pen and pencil: The Army of the Potomac – Execution of 5 conscripts five deserters in the 5th corps for desertion/ [sketched] by Mr A R Waud.
- Inscribed upper left: half this sketch missing.
- Library of Congress image.
Bottom image:
- Execution of five deserters from the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1st Division, 5th Corps, before the entire 5th Corps, Beverly Ford, Va.; drawn by Edwin Forbes.
- “The fatal volley” on mount.
- Library of Congress image.
August 29.—Five deserters, belonging to the Fifth corps of the army of the Potomac, were executed according to sentence.—General Wistar’s cavalry returned to Yorktown, Va., from an expedition to Bottom’s Bridge. The force engaged were parts of the First New-York Mounted Rifles, Colonel Onderdonk, and of the Fifth Pennsylvania cavalry, Lieut-Colonel Lewis. They left Williamsburgh on the twenty-sixth instant, and pushed through New-Kent Court-House, directly to Bottom’s Bridge. At the latter place, they found one regiment of infantry in rifle-pits, supported by a squadron of cavalry. A charge was immediately made, which carried the rifle-pits, and drove the enemy across the bridge, which they took up. The Union troops lost one killed, and one wounded. They captured five prisoners from the enemy, who left dead on the ground one officer, one sergeant, and two men, besides those they carried off. The bridge being rendered impassable, and the object of the expedition being entirely accomplished, the troops returned.—(Doc. 159.)
—Correspondence between Major-General Dix and Governor Seymour, relative to the draft, was made public.
by John Beauchamp Jones
AUGUST 29TH.—After all, it appears that only a few hundred of the enemy’s cavalry came up the Peninsula as far as Bottom’s Bridge, from whence they quickly fell back again. And this alarm caused Gen. Elzey, or the government, to put in movement nearly 20,000 men! But something else may be behind this demonstration; it may be the purpose of the enemy to strike in another direction, perhaps at Hanover Junction—where, fortunately, we have nearly a division awaiting them.
The Hon. Mr. Dargan’s letter, received at the department a few days ago, saying that the reinstatement of Gen. Pemberton in command would be the ruin of the cause, was referred by the Secretary to the President, with some strong remarks, to the effect that popular opinion was almost universal against Pemberton. It came back to-day, with the following indorsement of the President: “The justice or injustice of the opinion will be tested by the investigation ordered.—J. D.” If the President desires it, of course Pemberton will be exonerated. But even if he be honorably and fairly acquitted, the President ought not to forget that he is not a ruler by Divine right to administer justice merely, but the servant of the people to aid in the achievement of their independence; and that their opinions and wishes, right or wrong, must be respected, or they can deprive him of honor, and select another leader.
