George H. Gordon, From Brook Farm to Cedar Mountain

“I will order them,” replied General Banks.

I thanked him, and retired, to meet Colonel Webster approaching General Banks's headquarters for an interview.

Next morning, and but a few minutes before the appointed hour for the execution of the sentence, an orderly delivered to me a note from General Banks, substantially as follows:--

Sir,--Since publicity is no part of the sentence of the court-martial in the case of a man to be tied up, I would suggest that the remainder of the sentence be executed in a less conspicuous place.

Instantly I directed Major Dwight to lay before General Banks the result of such a concession to a mutinous demand, and to protest with all his power against any change whatever in the punishment. Major Dwight returned in a few minutes, to say that General Banks, as soon as he had despatched my note, had ridden rapidly away, leaving no word at his headquarters of his movements. It was but a brief time before the hour,--not enough to make pursuit of General Banks possible. The commanding General had shirked the responsibility. Like Halifax, once the notorious Speaker of the House of Lords in England, General Banks was a most sagacious trimmer. If there was bloodshed, he had suggested a prevention; if there was no affray, he had not ordered a concession. Neither battery nor cavalry had reported, and now the hour for the execution of the sentence had arrived. Sending for the officer of the day, I ordered him to make no change in the mode of its execution; and none was made. At the appointed hour, while the sentence was being carried into effect in the same place as before, the Colonel