Sleeping on duty.

[alexjack]

I am reading ' Company Aitch ' by Sam Watkins. Early in the book he mentions how a young soldier was discovered asleep at his Post and put on trial for his life. I believe I've read that the death sentence was only regularly used by both armies very late in the War for the crime of desertion but I was wondering how often it was applied for sleeping on duty.

 

[John Hartwell]

About 500 men were executed during the ACW (total for both sides), about 3/4 of them for desertion. Sleeping on guard or picket duty during time of war was liable to the death penalty, "or any such penalty as the Court shall deem sufficient." In most cases, this last phrase usually applied.

There is the case also of Vermont's "Sleeping Sentinel."