The Alabama in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Capture of Yankee Recruiting Officers

C. S. MILITARY PRISON, Richmond, Va., July 11, 1863.
General J. H. WINDER, Commandant of Richmond:

GENERAL: We have the honor to address you a brief note in reference to a matter to us of great interest. You are aware in obedience to your order we were by lot selected from among the Federal captains for execution. No crime is charged against us, nor have we been guilty of any. It seems our lives are demanded as a measure of retaliation on our Government for the execution of two persons in Burnside's department of our army. Of these persons we know nothing, nor of the circumstances attending them. We never had any connection with that part of the army. We submit that under no circumstances should we be held to punishment for the alleged offenses of any other department of the army than that in which we served. Your authorities now hold in close confinement at Atlanta, Ga., two Federal officers, as follows: Captain N. T. Kendrick, Third West Tennessee Cavalry, and Captain D. E. Boharnace, for recruiting in Tennessee. These men were arrested and held, we understand, for the same persons we are held for. In addition to these you already hold other officers of like rank from Burnside's department. Innocent as we are of any offense against the rules of war, in the name of humanity we ask you if our lives are to be exacted for the alleged offense of other men in other departments of the army than that in which we served? We ask you to consider well our request.

We are, respectfully, your most obedient servants,

H. W. SAWYER, [died 10/16/1893 in Cape May, NJ]
Captain, First New Jersey Cavalry.

JOHN M. FLINN,
Captain, Fifty-first Indiana Volunteers.
[Sentenced to be executed while in Libby in retaliation for execution of Confederate spies; sentence later
reversed]
OR Ser. II, V6, p. 107

Note: Officers indicated with 3rd West Tenn. Cav. are incorrectly identified, see other replies in this thread

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Capture of Yankee Recruiting Officers
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