An Incident At Shiloh

Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Location
Kingsport, Tennessee
In a letter dated April 17, 1862, written to his father from Corinth, Mississippi, Confederate Private David King Company G 19th Tennessee Infantry tells of the following incident:

"Last week I witnessed a scene which though just seemed too horrible to contemplate. It was this: After the fall of Fort Donelson, whilst our troops were falling back from that place to Nashville, a young man named Rolling, (actually Roland), deserted from the 54th Tennessee Regiment and returning to the fort was enlisted into the ranks of the enemy. On Sunday of the ever-memorable Battle of Shiloh, the regiment in which he was captured, and he was identified. A court-martial was held and he was condemned by General Beaugard "to be shot to death". On the 12th this order was carried into effect. At four in the evening all the Tennessee troops in this place, numbering ten or twelve thousand were brought out into a large field. An immense hollow square was formed, open at one end. At the end were the grave and the coffin which the traitor must soon occupy. At a little before the hour of his doom, he was conducted by a guard to the grave. He was allowed a few moments to speak, but the wind was blowing, and I was so far away that I could not understand one word that he spoke. This being done his hands were bound behind his back, his eyes blindfolded and he was placed upon his knees behind his coffin. The fifteen picked men marched up to within thirty paces of him. At the command, "Fire" his soul was ushered into the confines of another world. It was horrible. Two balls entered his breast, one his head, carrying away the top of it. Such is the traitors' doom."

David died of disease on July 1, 1862.

david king.jpg


"Joined Invaders' Army"
william c roland.jpg

w.c.roland.jpg
 
Good letter. Where did you find it and do we have more letters by King? Lacking any reports from Statham's brigade, anything about them at Shiloh is important for understanding that outfit. In particular, we barely have anything in terms of letters, newspaper articles, and recollections from the 28th and 45th Tennessee.
I learned of David in the book "Between The States, Bristol, TN / VA During The Civil War". A photo of David is part of this review.

 
I learned of David in the book "Between The States, Bristol, TN / VA During The Civil War". A photo of David is part of this review.

Thanks! I will have ILL get me a copy.
 
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