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a hollow square, facing inward.
The man was placed in an open wagon, seated on his coffin and accompanied by a provost marshal and chaplain.
The band which led the way played the Dead March, while files of soldiers, with arms reversed, marched on each flank and in front and rear of the wagon.
The man smiled and bowed to those of the Nineteenth whom he recognized as he passed, and when he reached the scaffold in the centre of the square, alighted from the wagon and ran up the steps.
Before the black cap was pulled down, he said: ‘Good bye, comrades, officers and men of the Nineteenth.
May you live long and die a happy death.
I die an innocent man.’
The next event was on April 22, when Lieutenant General Grant, with other general officers, reviewed the Second Army Corps.
After the general review, the Nineteenth Massachusetts, under Lieut. Col. Rice, and the Twentieth Massachusetts under Major H. L. Abbott, were selected by Major General Hancock to drill at Headquarters, Second Division, in the presence of the commander-in-chief.
The many generals present, including Lieut. Gen. Grant, and Generals Meade, Hancock, Humphreys, Warren, Sedgwick, Gibbon and Sheridan, expressed much satisfaction with the admirable discipline and perfect construction of both regiments.
After the Nineteenth Massachusetts had been drilled in the manual, the Twentieth Massachusetts gave an exhibition drill in fancy batallion movements in heavy marching order.
General Meade said that in all the years of his service in the regular army he had never seen the proficiency of the Nineteenth Massachusetts regiment in the manual of arms equalled.
After the drill General Grant dined with General Gibbon, the division commander.
The day had been perfect, but the parade ground was very rough.
After these events the monotonous life of the camp was not broken until May 1, when orders were given to prepare to march.
Five days rations were to be carried in the haversacks and ten days in the teams.
Each man was to carry 60 rounds of ammunition.
Salem Press. Co., Salem, Ma., 1906.
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