"…It has come to the knowledge of the major-general commanding that some of the few men among us who are evilly disposed have attempted the commission of a crime which will justly draw upon the troops universal condemnation…The punishment for rape will be death, and any violence offered a female, white or colored, with the evident intent or purpose to commit rape will be considered as one and punished accordingly." (Gl order N°12, may 1862 by command of gl McDowell- OR S2 vol III)

_According to the _"List of US soldiers executed by the United States military authorities during the late war"_ (established in 1885 - National Archives) 24 US soldiers were executed :

Bell John, 23 years old, born in Va, farmer, pvt, Co I, 2nd Ks Cav, hanged 11 july 1862 for the rape of Mrs Elizabeth Haywood, (a soldier's wife of 9th Ks vol.), near Iola (Ks) on 4 july night.

Callaghan (or Callahan) John, 18, b.Ireland, Pvt Co.H, 2nd NJ cav. / Snover Jacob F., b. NJ 1823, farmer, married, 4 children, pvt Co M, 2nd NJ cav./ Johnson Thomas, 22, b. England, saddler, pvt co.D, 2nd NJ Cav. all three shot 10 june 1864 at Memphis (Tn) for the gang rape of Mrs Margaret J. Brooks (married, 2 young children) in the afternoon of 12 march on the road near Memphis. Carroll (Carrol) John

, 38, pvt, Co D, 20th Ws, shooted 11 november 1864 for attempt of rape on Mrs Mary Gidon (colored) and others crimes at Brownsville (Tx) 19 november 1863. Dawson Thomas, 32, b.ireland, laborer, pvt, Co H, 20th Mass., hanged at Stevensburg (Va) 20 april 1864 for desertion and rape of Mrs Frances West (60) near Morrisville (Va)**

Geary Daniel, 18, pvt, co G, 72nd NY Vol. / Gordon Ransom S. 23, pvt, Co E, 72nd NY vol. both hanged 15 july 1864 for the rape of Mrs Mary Stiles (b.1835, married, 2 children, seamstress) near Prince george Courthouse (Va) on the night of 18 june.

Preble James, 22, b.Batavia (NY), pvt, co K, 12 NY cav., shooted at Goldsboro (NC) 31 march 1865 for attempted rape on Mrs Rebecca Drake (23) and Miss Louise Jane Bedard, her cousin (17) and rape of Miss Letitia Craft her aunt (58) near Kingston (NC) on the afternoon of 16 march 1865.

Sperry Charles, 29, b. Ireland, printer, sgt, co E, 13th NY cav., executed in Old Capitol prison, Washington DC, 3 march 1865 for attempted rape of Miss Annie Nelson (15) in Fairfax county (Va) in the night of 18 june 1864.
Catlett Alfred, 20, from Richmond (Va), farmer, pvt, co E, 1st heavy Art. USCT / Colwell Alexander, 26, farmer from NC, pvt same unit / Turner Charles, 18, farmer from Charleston (SC), pvt same unit / Washington Jackson, 22, farmer from NC, pvt co K same unit / The four was shot at Asheville (NC) 6 may 1865 for the gang rape of "a young white woman" (in OR S1 vol XLIX part II). Brooks Dandridge, 22, driver, b.Va, sgt, Co G, 38th USCT / Jackson William, 24, laborer, b Va, cpl co G, 38th USCT / Sheppard John, 20, laborer, b Va, cpl co I, 38th USCT / hanged at Brownsville (Tx) 30 july 1865 (Sheppard 13 october) for the gang rape of Miss Eliza Harriet Woodson (14) and Mrs Fannie Crawford near Richmond (Va) during the night of 11 april 1865. The 38th USCT was transfered to Texas where the three men was executed. A fourth was never seized.**

Cook (or Cork) John Wesley, 23, b Wilmington (Del), laborer, pvt co B 55th Mass. inf. colored / Llyod Spencer, 21, b Wilmington, pvt same unit / Smith John M., 21, b Maine, pvt co A same unit / all hanged 18 february 1864 at Camp Shaw near Jacksonville (Fa) for the gang rape of Mrs Sarah Hammonds from Cedar Creek near Jacksonville in the morning of 17 february 1864. A fourth rapist was in the gang : Baker Wallace, 19, b Kentucky, farmer, co I same unit. Not identified during the rape but shot at Folly island (SC) on 18 june 1864 for mutiny.

Gripen (or Gripon) James, 20, b SC, pvt co F 104rd USCT / Redding Ben (or Rudding Benjamin), b SC, farmer, pvt co D same unit / Leaders of a plunderer and rapist gang, hanged at Hilton Head (SC) 20 or 21 november 1864 for the rapes of Miss Eusebia Heape in the night of 17 august 1864 at McPhersonville (SC), Miss Florence Mew and Mrs Mary E.McTier on 19 august. The others members of the gang escaped justice. Jay Henry, 20, b Mississippi, laborer, pvt co I 57th USCT, executed 21 june 1865 for the rape of a white woman from Dardanelles (Ark.).** Kemp Lawson, 19, b Alabama, farmer, pvt 1st Al inf of African descent (co A 55th USCT). Executed 19 november 1863 for the rape of a young white woman near Pocahantas (Tn). Perhaps the first colored soldier executed in the Union army…

Billingsley Charles, 18, b Indiana, pvt 7th Indiana battery vol. Art., shooted 22 november 1864 for desertion at Indianapolis. In a letter dated 17 december to the court, captain Morgan (7th Battery) wrote : "…His case was an aggravated one, committing rape on a defenseless woman, while our army was near Dallas (Ga) last summer…he deserted the day his trial closed…" . Billingsley was tried at Burnt Hickory (Ga) 30 may 1864 for the rape of Mrs Louise Smith on 24 may with an other man who stay unknown.

Cox William T, pvt co I, 8th Mo cav., shooted for the rape of Mrs Nancy Rose from Green county (Mo) during the night of 18 october 1862, in front of her small children and her ten years old negro servant.. Sentence approved by Pdt Lincoln on may 20, 1863.

Jones William, pvt, 3rd Wisconsin cav. shooted for the rape of Mrs William Martin in the night of 25 february 1864 near Drywood, Ks.

Nelson, George, Pvt. Co. F., 13th USCT. hanged for the rape of Indiana Rose from Dixon County, TN.

Johnson, William Henry, 23, Pvt. Co. E. 23rd. USCT, a negro, was executed this morning in front of the Jordan house, in full view of the enemy, for an attempt to violate a person of a young lady at the Kent Courthouse. ~Army of the Potomac, dispatch dated June 20, 1864.

Bork, Adolph, Pvt. Co., H. 183rd. Ohio, Shot for the rape of Susan a colored woman, nine months pregnant.

Vincent, John, Pvt. 3rd. US Cavalry, deserter at Little Rock Arkansas, attempted to rape Mrs. Martha E. Simpsom, widow, from Montgomery Co. Probably executed on October 13, 1865.**_

CRIME & PUNISHMENT IN THE CIVIL WAR

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