make an
example of two captured deserters in one of his regiments. His offer was
accepted, and a morning or two later the whole army was notified to
witness the execution of these deserters. Such extremities had not been
resorted to for simply running away home (for they had not attempted to
desert to the enemy), and we could not believe that they would be shot.
But we did not know Phil Sheridan.

"Who could have dreamed on that morning that this trim little man, who
sat his horse like a centaur as he watched with critical eye the
carrying out of the horrible details of this double execution, was soon
to take rank among the greatest generals in the world's history?

"At the appointed time we gathered informally in a great mass in an open
plain south of the town. The brigade to which the doomed men belonged
was formed into the three sides of a hollow square, two ranks, open
order. Two graves were dug in the fourth side of the square, and there
the execution was to occur. Soon were heard the unearthly wailings of
Dead March in Saul, played by a brass band. Behind the band were two
coffins in a hearse, draped in black. Following these walked the
condemned men, surrounded by guards with fixed bayonets. The firing
party brought up the rear of the procession. They marched slowly around
the three sides of the square between the silent ranks, finally reaching
the graves and upon the edge of each was set its respective coffin. The
two men were marched up beside the coffins, and who can imagine their
feelings as they thus looked down into their deep, cold graves, where
they were to lie a few moments later, until the trump of God should
resurrect their dishonored dust to stand before his dread tribunal! One
would have thought that under these awful circumstances they surely
would have cried to God for mercy! One of them did; and kneeling near
his coffin the poor wretch received the last rites of the church of
Rome. But the other scornfully refused the consolations of religion in
any form, and cried out a few moments later, as he sat blindfolded upon
his coffin and heard the ominous clicking of the cocking of the muskets
that he knew were aimed at him, 'Boys, take me there!' Accompanying
these words he tore open the bosom of his shirt, exposed his bare
breast, and a moment later each fell upon his face to the ground--a
corpse! Thus ended the most tragical event I ever witnessed.

"And so the weary siege dragged on. We made a nig