The Patowmac Guardian, And Berkeley Advertiser

A Major's cruelty punished.

Proud, impatient
Of aught superior, even of heaven that made him!
Fond of false glory, for the savage power
Of ruling without reason, of confounding
Just and unjust, by an unbounded will.
Rowe's Tamerlane.

As nothing is more amiable and God-like, than a humane and tender disposition towards our fellow-creatures, so, on the contrary, nothing is more hateful and detestable than cruelty. But how dangerous and dreadful is the latter of these, when it possesses the heart of a person in power and command, either in the navy or army : where they can exercise their fellow subjects (perhaps better men than themselves) with miseries too gross even for a brute beast to bear. And it is to be observed, that a hardened cruel man, is seldom a man of common sense, or a man of common courage. But, as it is not my design to dwell upon arguments and points of this nature, but only to inform, instruct, and entertain my readers, in the best manner that I can, without offering the least offence to any order of men. I shall submit the following story to the censure of the public.

In queen Anne's reign, a soldier belonging to a marching regiment, that was quartered in the city of W---, was taken up for desertion : and being tried by a court martial for the same, was sentenced to be shot. The colonel and lieutenant-colonel being both of them in London, the command of the regiment devolved, in course, to the major, who was accounted a very cruel and obdurate man ; and which, indeed, is obvious enough from the following relation. The poor man above mentioned being sentenced to be shot for desertion, and the day of his execution being come, the regiment, as usual upon those occasions, was drawn up to see the execution performed; but when every body there that knew the custom of those executions, expected to see the corporals cast lots for that ungracious office, they were surprised to find it fixed, by the cruel major, upon the prisoner's own brother only ; who being a soldier in the same company with him, was taking leave of his dying brother, and both, with flowing eyes, hanging upon each other's necks, were bathing one another with their tears, when the news of this unnatural and heart-breaking order was delivered to him. Who that has any bowels of pity, or brotherly love, can speak, or even conceive the agonies of those poor parting creatures, at the sound of this most cruel and unnatural disposition of the major ? who could not be moved, or any-ways prevailed upon to revoke his inhuman orders ; but tore them by force from one another, before they had spoken half they had to say. The one fell down upon his knees, begging, with all the prayers and entreaties that he could, that he might not have a hand in his poor brother's death ; and, at the same instant, the poor prisoner neglecting the few remaining moments of his life, to petition heaven in his own behalf, employed them to join with his afflicted brother, to petition the savage major, that he would please to let him receive his death from any other hand than his. But all their tears and supplications were in vain. He was inflexible and not to be moved. He swore that he and he only should be the man, purposely for example-sake, and to make the execution the more horrible. When they had wasted some time in supplication, to no purpose, (and though several of their officers had joined in their fruitless petition ) they, at length, both of them, submitted : and the prisoner having gone through the usual service with the minister, he kneeled down at the place appointed, to receive the fatal shot: while the cruel and obdurate major stood by, to see the afflicted brother load his instrument of death : which being done he ordered him to observe the third signal with his cane, and at that instant to do his office, and dispatch the prisoner. So. after once more embracing each other, they parted with a flood of mutual tears. But here, my reader, behold the justice of Providence ! when the cruel major was dealing his fatal signals for the prisoner's death, at the last motion of his cane. the soldier inspired by some juster power, suddenly turned about his piece, and shot the inhuman major in a moment through the head; repeating these words, he threw down his piece : 'He that can shew no mercy, no mercy let him receive. Now I submit ! I had rather die this hour for this death, than live a hundred, and give my brother his. '-At this unexpected accident. nobody seemed to be sorry : but the officers ordering him into custody. some of the chief citizens (who came there to see the execution, and were witnesses of all that passed) prevailed upon the next commanding officer, to carry them both back together, and not to execute the other prisoner, till further orders ; and promised to indemnify him for so doing, as far as their whole interest would go with the Queen. This request being complied with, the city-chamber, that very night, drew up a most pathetic and moving address to their sovereign, humbly setting forth the cruelty of the deceased major, and praying her majesty's clemency towards both the prisoners. The Queen, upon perusal of this petition, (which was enclosed to, and presented by one of the city representatives) was pleased to promise, that she would enquire a little further into the matter ; which she did : and finding the truth of the particulars confirmed in all its particulars, was graciously pleased to pardon both the offending brothers, and discharge them from her service. For which mercy in the Queen, she received a very grateful and most dutiful address of thanks from her loyal city.--And thus was the cruelty of this brutish officer. the very means of his sudden, unexpected, and deserved death; and the preservation of one who was otherwise that moment to have died.