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On December 13, 1861, the first execution of a deserter in the Army of the Potomac was carried out in a field just outside Alexandria near the Fairfax Seminary, now known as the Virginia Theological Seminary.
The drumhead court-martial and execution of Private William H. Johnson, of the First New York Cavalry ("Lincoln Cavalry"), received widespread press coverage and served as a stern warning to the potential, though relatively rare, fate that awaited deserters.
While desertion plagued both armies throughout the war, the actual number of executions for this crime were relatively low. The total number of such executions on both sides during the war is estimated at about 500. President Lincoln, knowing that the public would not tolerate large numbers of executions, showed leniency in pardoning many condemned deserters. Only 147 Union deserters are known to have been executed during the war.
The first in the Army of the Potomac was Pvt. William H. Johnson. William H. Johnson enlisted as a private in Company D. of the New York First Cavalry in New York City on August 25, 1861 at the age of 23. Although a native of New Orleans, Johnson had been living for a number of years in New York where he was employed as a clerk when war broke out. Once the regiment reached Washington, Johnson displayed an aversion to military obedience and was absent from camp several times without a pass. A regimental historian recalled in 1902 that Johnson "was a peculiar man whose actions at different times had proved him unreliable."
On the evening of December 4, 1861, Pvt. Johnson was on picket duty near Benton's Tavern, located on the south side of the intersection of the Little River and Columbia turnpikes, approximately seven miles west of Alexandria. After dinner, Johnson mounted his horse and started down Braddock Road towards Centreville, ostensibly to water his horse, but with the real intention of making it to the rebel lines. After riding several miles, he encountered a group of horsemen whom he presumed to be rebels. He identified himself to them as a Union deserter and offered to provide them the locations of his regiment's pickets. Unfortunately for Johnson, he had actually ran into a returning reconnaissance patrol from the 1st New Jersey Cavalry. A Colonel Taylor promptly placed Johnson under arrest and delivered him to the Provost Marshal.
A general court martial was convened at the camp of Franklin's Division, located near Fairfax Seminary. In his defense, Johnson claimed that he had "not the slightest intention of deserting up to a few minutes before I started in the direction of the enemy's lines." He added that his desertion was motivated by a desire to visit his mother in New Orleans, spend a few weeks in the South and then return to his regiment, "perhaps with some valuable information." The Court was not buying this and believed Johnson had long contemplated desertion. Johnson was found guilty of desertion and sentenced to be shot by a firing squad.
Major-General George B. McClellan approved the sentence on December 11th, noting in his special orders that "for simple desertion, the penalty is death; for desertion coupled with such treachery, there can be no mercy." The published order was read to troops throughout the Army of the Potomac in order to make a strong and lasting impression.
Franklin's entire division, numbering approximately 10,000 men, was ordered to watch the execution, which was held on a wide plain just north of the Fairfax Seminary on the afternoon of December 13th. Lieutenant Colonel Robert McAllister of the First New Jersey volunteers wrote home to his wife describing his mixed emotions regarding witnessing the execution:
"I feel sad this evening from the fact that an order has come down for us, and the whole Division ... to turn out tomorrow afternoon to witness the execution of a poor soldier. He has been condemned to be shot ... no doubt the sentence is all proper and right. But I do not wish to be a witness at his execution.... I feel for him, yes, and pray for him... Gladly would I be far away from these sad and solemn scenes which we are ordered to witness."
Johnson's request to make a final statement was granted and in a low voice, he stated, " "Boys,—I ask forgiveness from Almighty God and from my fellow-men for what I have done. I did not know what I was doing. May God forgive me, and may the Almighty keep all of you from all such sin!"
The eight-man firing squad "fired when Johnson fell on his coffin, but life not being extinct, the other four in reserve fired with the required effect," according to a newspaper account of the execution.
This warning on the electric chair controls was the scariest part for me. Why do you need this?! Who is going to be operating these that they might not have been properly taught how to use them? If this is so important, why not print the instructions right on the control box itself--it has an enormous amount of white space.
A good exhibit, making you think. That is the last photo of our Columbus trip.
Manila, Philippines
Painting by Carlos "Botong" Francisco.
Photo taken on the 119º anniversary of the execution of José Rizal.
Find the amazing and high-performing warehouse robots that can work more efficiently than humans without causing any trouble and save you a lot of resources and money.
NIS, Serbia — Brig. Serbian Gen. Milan Mojsilovic, leader of the MEDCEUR 2009 Host Nation Planning and Execution Team, greets Maj. Gen. Robert Bailey, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe, as part of the MEDCEUR 09 distinguished visitors' day here, Sept. 10. MEDCEUR is an annual joint and combined medical exercise with a focus on major disaster response and mass casualty situations. More than 700 exercise participants from 15 countries are taking part in this year?s exercise, which is hosted by Serbia. ((U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Markus M. Maier)
A firing squad in Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) disposes of an "unwanted" person in this photo from a Vietnamese museum.
ugh, no One Piece next week. things are coming to a head in impel down! can ace be rescued?!
scanlation by FrankyHouse.
Detail from original image There's a hairy ass fair in the County Clare from National Library of Ireland on The Commons.
*the image and title of this cropped derivative are taken from a note left on the original image by Flickr user O Mac. The image was cropped from the highest resolution version, but may still be of very poor quality.
The original comment read "Cheap Executions"
This image has been created as part of an experiment by James Morley. To see all the images created so far from notes left on Flickr Commons images, see the tag CommonsNotes
They ate every part of the pig, except the hair which was shaved off immediately after slaughter.
This was a disturbing death for me, and you don't want to know how it actually died.
Kilmainham Gaol; Dublin, Ireland
Execution site of James Connolly. Mr. Connolly, sentenced to death, was already suffering tremendously from wounds due to fighting doctors gave him only a day or two to survive. Regardless of this, he was taken to Kilmainham Gaol by ambulance, brought in on a stretcher, tied to a chair as he was too weak to stand on his own, and was executed by firing squad. His death caused much uproar and controversy.
www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16669.shtml
Wrong wrong wrong
I feel so powerless sometimes
Stanley 'Tookie' Williams, due for execution 13 December 2005 12.01am
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book
Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs
Bob Marley
Jeff Zimmermann
ArtPrize 2010 Artist
Kendall College of Art & Design
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Wall Prime Set
ift.tt/2gPSZie #Lithuanian Jews are forced onto the back of a truck to be taken to the forests outside of Šiauliai, Lithuania for mass execution by German Einsatzgruppen (”task forces”, or “deployment groups”) SS paramilitary death squads (29 June 1941). [1177 × 759] #history #retro #vintage #dh #HistoryPorn ift.tt/2gZcPvF via Histolines
One Bekasi official read the excution order form Bekasi Major to lockdown Al Misbah Mosque, Ahmadiyah Bekasi
Execution Dock was used as a hanging site for over 400 years, and acted as visible warning and deterrent to other seafarers who would pass through the area.
The executioners would not cut down the bodies after hanging but instead the custom was to leave them until at least three tides had flowed over their heads.
The last executions to take place there were in December 1830, where two men who had been charged with piracy met their fate.
Nobody knows the exact location of Execution Dock, but it is believed to be near the site of the Prospect of Whitby pub, where a noose now hangs from the back to commemorate the dock.