Union soldiers executed during the war for rape or attempted rape  (page 2)

 

  • 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 shooted 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...

  • The official list is not complete. For example,  in 1950 Hellen Bullock from National council for historic & buildings write to I. Bell Wiley that she found four executions send for Lincoln's approval for various offenses and not mentionned in the list. An other example:  this report in the OR (S1 vol XLVI part 3) from Gl Curtis to gl Ord dated HQ dpt of Va, Army of the James, Richmond, Va, may 4 1865. Major Gl ORD, Commanding dpt of Va, Fort Monroe:

 

"(...) The Army of the Potomac are to march through the city at 9 a.m. to-morrow. I gave Colonel Smith permission to suspend the order for the execution of the colored soldier for committing rape (...)"
  but there is no execution of this sort in Virginia on may 1865 in the official list...At last, some men guilty of rape were executed for others offenses .

  • 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, pvt co I, 8th Mo cav., probably shooted for the rape of Mrs Nancy Rose from Green county (Mo) during the night of 18 october 1862.
  • 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, Tennessee.
  • -Johnson William Henry, 23, pvt co E, 23rd USCT, " A negro named William Johnson was executed this morning in front of the Jordan house in full view of the ennemy, for an attempt to violate the person of a young lady at New Kent court house..." Army of the Potomac dispatch dated 20 june 1864.                                                                            See next page