The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster – Part Three

Part Three

The Saga of Lieutenant Lancaster

In the previous post Leonard Lancaster had been tried before a court martial and convicted of mutiny against his commanding officer and had been condemned to death by a firing squad. He had refused to retract his statement calling for the resignation of Lieutenant Colonel Dale, the regimental commander. His story continues:

The jail that Lancaster was held in was a small pen, crowded with suffering soldiers, who had been convicted by court martial, or were being held for trial. Most of their offenses would have never been noticed outside the necessarily strict army discipline.

One small fourteen inches square window afforded the only supply of air. The captives would take turns and go to the window and try to sweep in a little breath with their hands, then give up the place to the next unfortunate soul. It was difficult to realize the suffering in that stifling pen on an intensely hot July day in Alexandria, Louisianna.

One evening, about midnight, Lieutenant Lancaster was summoned by the Sergeant of the Guard to go outside and stretch. Lancaster thought that this was unusual considering the condition of his death sentence; he was to be held in close confinement, shackled and closely guarded. However, being a rather trusting soul, he went outside into the cool air.

“Lancaster, the men of your squadron don’t want to see you harmed. They’ve raised over $800.00 dollars to aid in your escape. I’ve got a derringer, a colt pistol and a Spenser carbine in the saddle scabbard  and plenty of ammunition for your protection. They’ve tied two good horses outside the jail near the wood line for your escape. I’ll tell the Officer of the Guard that you managed to strike me and knock me unconscious while you escaped. Just strike me, but please not too hard,” stated the guard.

Lieutenant Lancaster, hesitated momentarily. The door to his freedom was wide open, he had the means and the wherewithal to make a clean get away. However, he turned to the Sergeant of the Guard and gave him back the money and the pistols.

“No boys; I can’t do it; I’ll stay here. I’m guilty of no crime, and I would die a hundred deaths rather than play the part of a coward; and I’ll never be called a deserter. I shall be shot tomorrow night; let them shoot me if they want to; I shall die with clean hands and a clear conscience.”

His guard was stunned.

“But, Lancaster the door is open. Take the horse and your freedom. Good god man they are going to shoot you tomorrow. Go west and make your fortune and call for your family to join you. If you don’t take advantage of this you’re a fool!”

“I may be a fool, but I’ll die as an honorable man who stood up to this villain and wouldn’t compromise my situation. Let my comrades know that I faced my unjust demise with honor and not as a coward!”

While Lancaster’s comrades were conspiring to free him by force if necessary, other cooler heads were working to get Lancaster’s sentence commuted. The men of the regiment had contacted his former commander, Major General Washburn, now a US Senator from Wisconsin, and Washburn had wired the President of the United States asking for a reprieve.

The Regimental Chaplain, Benjamin L. Brisbane initiated a plea to General Custer to have Lancaster’s sentence commuted. When Custer refused to hear his appeal the Chaplain went to Custer’s wife, Elizabeth, and asked for her intervention in the matter.

“Mrs. Custer, I beseech you to intervene with your husband, the General, in the matter of Lieutenant Leonard Lancaster. This young man was foolishly involved in a plot to replace his regimental commander. He and many of the men involved were inebriated and signed a petition that has been ruled as mutinous, and the young man was convicted and sentenced to death by court martial.

He’s a young man from Wisconsin with a sick wife and three small children to care for. He is a good soldier who has been wounded in action and has a spotless record up to this point.

I plead with you to talk to your husband and have him pardon this young man or at least commute his sentence and discharge him from the army.”

Mrs. Custer was moved by Chaplain Brisbane and went to her husband and asked for him to override the sentence of death that had been imposed on Lancaster.

“Libby, my dearest. I understand your concern, but you must understand that I have an entire division of cavalrymen that I need to command. The board has met and found this young man guilty of mutiny. He threatened the good order of his regiment and that of my command. I must make an example of him in order to maintain the good order and discipline of my entire command. His death will be a visible witness that such actions will not be tolerated.

As much as I’d like to please you my darling, I can’t undo what has been done.”

But the Chaplain was not finished. He sat down and composed a formal letter directly to the General

                                                                  Alexandria, LA, July 27^th, 1865

Maj. Gen. Custer

Comdng Cav. Div.

General

      We the undersigned commissioned officers of the 2^nd Wis Cav Vol. believing that Leonard L. Lancaster of Co. L,  2^nd Wis Cav Vols, sentenced to be shot for mutiny has been unduly influenced and wrought upon by Superior Officers and others more guilty and taken advantage of him while he was under the influence of liquor, and knowing that he has been a good and efficient soldier heretofore; and he being a poor man having a wife and four children entirely dependent upon his support; and having confessed his fault and seeming truly sorry for the part he had taken; We humbly petition, if consistent with good order and military discipline that the sentence be commuted. We promise to do all in our powers to enforce the good order and discipline in our commands as we have always endeavored to do.

Benj. L. Brisbane,

Chaplain 2^nd Wis Cav Vols.

The letter was signed by the majority of the officers of the regiment and sent to General Custer along with a signed confession from Lieutenant Lancaster:

I Leonard L. Lancaster of Co. L, 2^nd Wis, Cav. Vols. Do of my own free will and accord make the following confession:

     I did hear Thomas Stephens, Col. 2^nd Wis. Cav. Vols. At Memphis Tenn. In the month of June 1865 say that Lt. Col. Dale 2^nd Wis. Cav. Was not fit to command the Regiment and that he had advised Lt. Col. Dale to resign, and Col. Dale said he would resign. Col. Thomas Stephens did also encourage Officers and men of the Regiment to combine to get Lt. Col. N.H. Dale out of the Regiment.

     I did also hear Lt. Henry Tinkham, Co I, 2^nd Wis. Cav. Vols. Say words of the following kind: Col. Dale should be got out of the Regiment, and I want to see him put out. Lt. Tinkham did also urge on a petition and encourage a Spirit of mutiny in the Regiment. He also said a petition to have Lt. Col. Dale resign, signed by the officers of the regiment would be sent in before or as soon as the men of the Regiment concurred.

     I also certify that when I was engaged in the mutinous proceedings against Lt. Col. Dale of the 2^nd Wis. Cav. Vols. That I was strongly under the influence of liquor, and had it not been so I would not have engaged in any mutinous proceeding. That I have been influenced in this action by Superior Officers.

     I confess that I had no cause of complaint against Lt. Col. Dale, and I ask God and any that I have injured to forgive me for what I have done in this matter.

     I certify that Henry Tinkham aforesaid said to me in the jail in which I am now confined, “Lancaster Keep a Stiff Upper Lip, and I’ll stand by you and do all I can for you. You will not remain here long.”

     I certify that it was a general understood matter among officers and men that all would stand together and get Lt. Col. Dale out of the Regiment. That Lt. Col. Dale would not command it long.

     Dated this 27^th day of July 1865 at Alexandria. Louisiana

                                                                 Leonard L. Lancaster

General Custer’s only comment was that he would consider the matter.

While Custer was considering the matter, there were serious threats that were being made against  the General. It was rumored that threats were being made against his life by others considering mutiny. Custer doubled his headquarters guard and made sure that it was composed of men who had been with him back east; men he could trust with his life.

In accordance with military tradition, on the morning of their execution Lieutenant Lancaster and Private Wilson were taken out about a mile from Alexandria to the place where they were to be executed. Each man was given a shovel and ordered to dig his own grave. When the task was completed to the satisfaction of the guard detail they were then returned to the jail in Alexandria.

 Chaplain Brisbane visited Lancaster and Private Wilson and helped them to compose their last letters home to their wives and family.

“My dearest Rebecca,

     Today I go to meet my maker. I am with Chaplain Brisbane, a good minister and a fine Christian gentlemen. He is here to assist me in meeting my fate like an honorable soldier and a man of God.

Today is a day of agony, such as we cannot comprehend. In this terrible war I’ve faced death from many sectors, and I was defending my country with the daily knowledge that if need be, I might perish battling for my beloved home.

Today I reflect on my life, thoughts of my happy childhood, my darling mother—that mother, now so feeble, so soon to get, perhaps, her own death-blow, as the cruel news reached her ears, that dear mother, now doubly dear, so lately widowed.

I pray for my dear brothers and sisters, waiting so anxiously for “news”. And then, in waves of agony sweepingover my tortured soul came thoughts of that “nearer one and dearer one.”

Rebecca, the wife of my bosom, in our far Northern home. In my thoughts I recall that wonderful bridal morn, when you so trustingly gave your life in my keeping, and I, so happy, gladly promised to cherish and protect you “till death doth part.”

I pray for each of my dear children; that lovely maiden Julia, just budding into young womanhood, that needs her father so sorely; and my darling daughter Bethany, just old enough to realize what it would mean to lose “papa”; and the dear little pet girlie Charlotte, only old enough to “love papa”; and my sturdy little son, Paul, my little soldier boy.

I pray that each of you remember your Father as an honorable man, a soldier and a patriot. I wish that this fate would not occur and that I could spend the rest of our lives together in our home in Eau Clair. I wish that I could be there to see my family grown, my children married and grandchildren at my feet. I wish that I could once again hold my beloved wife in my arms and tenderly kiss her lips and feel her tender touch.

Know that I love you all and that I will look down from heaven and provide all of the fatherly protection that I can from that ethereal realm.

Your Loving Father and Loving Husband

Lenny

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