Execution.

[Rebforever]

These guys probably needed the money.


WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., August 27, 1863-9 a. m. (Received 10. 20 a. m.)

Major-General MEADE,

Warrenton, Va.:

Walter, Rainese, Folancy, Lai, and Kuhn appealed to me for mercy, without giving any ground for it whatever. I understand these are very flagrant cases, and that you deem their punishment as being indispensable to the service. If I am not mistaken in this, please let them know at once that their appeal is denied.

A. LINCOLN.

--------------

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

August 27, 1863.

His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

President of the United States:

Walter, Rionese, Folancy, Lai, and Kuhn were to have been executed yesterday. Their execution was postponed by my order till Saturday, the 29th, that time might be given to procure the services of a Roman Catholic priest to assist them in preparing for death. They are substitute conscripts who enlisted for the purpose of deserting after receiving the bounty; and being the first of this class whose cases came before me, I believed that humanity, the safety of this army, and the most vital interests of the country required their prompt execution as an example, the publicity given to which might, and, I trust in God, will, deter others from imitating their bad conduct. In view of these circumstances, I shall therefore inform them their appeal to you is denied.

GEO. G. MEADE,

Major-General, Commanding.

https://ehistory.osu.edu/books/official-records/049/0103

 

[Copperhead-mi]

These guys probably needed the money.

Not after Saturday the 29th they didn't.

 

[Drew]

Catholics - hang them, quickly.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

This has always bugged me. Yes, understand all about discipline, discouraging desertion and enlisting for bounty. This thing where we piled death on top of death makes no sense anyway.

 

[connecticut yankee]

What are the odds that these five men who were to be executed were all Catholic? Very, very small chance.

From what I understand when the war began, there were 2.2-million Catholics in the United States. And about 7 percent or so of all Union soldiers were Catholic. If this is true, than we can determine mathamatically the chances of five random soldiers all being Catholic. I can't do the math, maybe you can. But I know the chances are very small.

On a human note does anyone know if indeed these five men were executed?

 

[John Winn]

What are the odds that these five men who were to be executed were all Catholic? Very, very small chance.

From what I understand when the war began, there were 2.2-million Catholics in the United States. And about 7 percent or so of all Union soldiers were Catholic. If this is true, than we can determine mathamatically the chances of five random soldiers all being Catholic. I can't do the math, maybe you can. But I know the chances are very small.

On a human note does anyone know if indeed these five men were executed?

Sure sounds like they were executed on the 29th.

As to the math, well that could be a bit complicated but, if the men were just chosen randomly - and their presence in the Army is a random distribution - then the probability of all five being Catholic would be: .07 x .07 x .07 x .07 x .07

However, as they were all substitutes it might be an error to say that the population from which we should measure the probability is the general population of the Army (e.g. what percentage of the substitutes were Catholic vs the percentage of the entire Army ?). Also, do we know if Catholics were evenly distributed amongst the Army ? If not, then it gets more complicated.

And do we know if they were all the substitutes captured or, instead, if they got segregated because they were Catholic and required a priest ? Anyway, it does seem unlikely they'd all be Catholic.