Re: 10th Mississippi Pvt Newton J. Mullin,
Weekly Mississippian, November 27, 1861.
The title of the article is, "Execution of Young Mullins."

Dear Jeff ,

Thank you very much for the scan of the 1861 newspaper article, it provides more details while collaborating what I have about 10th Miss Inf Regt soldier Newt Mullin's death (also witnesses by two of my g.g.grandfather’s paternal cousins John and Orsamas Nash of the 10th MS Inf... They, maternal cousin J. Newton Mullins, my g.g.grandfather J.J.N.Nash, and two of his brothers were all serving at the Confederate defensive works facing Fort Pickens near Pensacola in late 1861):

The letter I have describes first taking part of the day to observe the yankees across at Ft Pickens and to visit his first cousins in the 10th MS (stationed some distance from his own 5th MS Infantry Regt) before turning to a brief account of Newt's death... "Pensacola, Fla, Nov xx ... Today is a fast day and we don’t have anything to do - I did not know it was a fast day until I had breakfast - but if I can’t fast I can pray –and intend to pray. It appears that some of the soldiers forget to pray, but I don’t nor do I intend to. Cousin Newt professed before he was shot and said the Lord had forgiven him and that he wasn’t afraid to die - They said he went and sat down on his chair with as much grace as anyone would to eat – when he sat down he pulled off his hat and sat it down by him and then told them to get through with it as soon as possible – he said that God had forgiven him & that he deserved death – and from all I can gather he was to blame … “

Census data shows that Newton was 17 or had just turned 18 at the time of his death. Confederate records show that Newton Mullins had appealed for clemency to CSA President J. Davis and that Gen Bragg temporarily suspended the order of execution until the appeal was considered. When the appeal was denied, Bragg reinstated the order for his execution.

As to the offence, Bragg’s order only mentions that Pvt Mullin was sentenced to die for falling asleep on watch and killing his sergeant. I do not know if the regimental court martial records exist or if they do where to look for them.

NOTE: In the first paragraph of the newspaper article that you sent me, the article seems to reference an earlier article on the same subject : “ … Pct Mullins who it will be remembered , fatally stabbed the Orderly Sergeant of his company (Capt Wade’s Columbus) a few months since”.... so there seems to have also have been something in the paper sometime between the July killing and Mullin's Nov 8, 1861 execution. So please let me know if you are aware of anything else written on the subject.

Thanks again very much for sending a copy of the Nov 1861 newspaper article.

Sincerely, L. Reinker
Lenrein2@yahoo.com