honor of such society. He promised, however, to sustain me in any
measures to enforce discipline, and but a few hours elapsed before the
fulfillment of the promise was exacted. For some disorder after tattoo,
several "Tigers" were arrested and placed in charge of the brigade
guard. Their comrades attempted to force the guard and release them. The
attempt failed, and two ringleaders were captured and put in irons for
the night. On the ensuing morning an order for a general court-martial
was obtained from army headquarters, and the court met at 10 A.M. The
prisoners were found guilty, and sentenced to be shot at sunset. I
ordered the "firing party" to be detailed from their own company; but
Wheat and his officers begged to be spared this hard duty, fearing that
the "Tigers" would refuse to fire on their comrades. I insisted for the
sake of the example, and pointed out the serious consequences of
disobedience by their men. The brigade, under arms, was marched out; and
as the news had spread, many thousands from other commands flocked to
witness the scene. The firing party, ten "Tigers," was drawn up fifteen
paces from the prisoners, the brigade provost gave the command to fire,
and the unhappy men fell dead without a struggle. This account is given
because it was the first military execution in the Army of Northern
Virginia; and punishment, so closely following offense, produced a
marked effect. But Major "Bob" Wheat deserves an extended notice.

In the early summer of 1846, after the victories of Palo Alto and Resaca
de la Palma, the United States Army under General Zachary Taylor lay
near the town of Matamoros. Visiting the hospital of a recently joined
volunteer corps from the States, I remarked a bright-eyed youth of some
nineteen years, wan with disease, but cheery withal. The interest he
inspired led to his removal to army headquarters, where he soon
recovered health and became a pet. This was Bob Wheat, son of an
Episcopal clergyman, who had left school to come to the war. He next
went to Cuba with Lopez, was wounded and captured, but escaped the
garrote to follow Walker to Nicaragua. Exhausting the capacities of
South American patriots to _pronounce_, he quitted their society in
disgust, and joined Garibaldi in Italy, whence his keen scent of combat
summoned him home in convenient time to receive a bullet at Manassas.
The most complete Dugald Dalgetty possible, he had "all the defects of
the good qualities" of that