. Historic days in Cumberland County, New Jersey, 1855-1865 : political and war time reminiscences . Insteadof receiving the news of their release they were informedthat a special order had been issued from the ConfederateWar Department, directing that two captains should beselected by lot to be executed, in retaliation for the execu-tion of two Confederate officers by General Burnside. The order created great excitement in the prison. TheConfederate commander desired to know how he shouldmake the selection, when Captain Sawyer suggested that anumber of white and black beans should be placed i
. Historic days in Cumberland County, New Jersey, 1855-1865 : political and war time reminiscences . Insteadof receiving the news of their release they were informedthat a special order had been issued from the ConfederateWar Department, directing that two captains should beselected by lot to be executed, in retaliation for the execu-tion of two Confederate officers by General Burnside. The order created great excitement in the prison. TheConfederate commander desired to know how he shouldmake the selection, when Captain Sawyer suggested that anumber of white and black beans should be placed in a hat,while the captains advanced and drew out a bean. The firstblack bean was to be the first death prize, and the secondblack bean tlie second death prize. Captain Sawyer steppedforward, put his hand in the hat, and drew the first blackbean. Captain Flinn then came up. thrust his hand in thehat. and drew the second black bean. Deathly stillness pre-vailed during the drawing. In a few moments the matterof life and death had been decided, and Sawyer and Flinnwere marked for execution. (laii). WAR TIME PICTURES~l>ni-l>r,:.Major Henry W. Sawyer. First Reg. N. J. CavkLibby Prison FameCapt. Roswill S. ReynoldsCo. F. Fifth Inf. Lieut. Henry W. GaskillCo. K. Twelfth Reg. Inf. Vols. (1371 Vols. Major Josiah Shaw/Fourth Reg. Inf. John B. BowenSurgeon Thirty-fourth Reg. N. J. Inf. Vols. IJiS HISTORIC DAYS Lieutenant James W. Stradling, a comrade of CaptainSawyer, serving in tlie same company with him, in an articlewritten for McClures Magazine, in 1905, gives the state-ment of what followed, as he afterward received itfrom Sawyers lips. The captain was of German descent, andhis speech retained the quaint expression which he had in-herited from his ancestors, known as PennsylvaniaDutch : Mine G<itt! Jim, I never felt so weak in all my life asI did when I found I had drawn a death prize. ^Nly kindfriend. Captain Flinn, was very pale and mu
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