Henry N Sawyer
 

Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 1 January 1872, page 4

DESPERATE DESERTER AND A STERN SENTRY

Joseph Kiser, a soldier at the Newport Barracks, under sentence of five years imprisonment at hard labor in the Penitentiary at Fort Macon, North Carolina, for desertion, attempted to make his escape yesterday morning, when he was shot through the head and instantly killed by Henry N Sawyer, one of the sentries on duty at the time.

Some thirty soldiers were tried for desertion at the Barracks about a month ago by a Court Martial, of which Major Gibson was the President. The findings of the Court were forwarded to General Jeff C Davis for approval and on Saturday the sentence of the following prisoners was announced at the Barracks;

Joseph Kiser, desertion, five years imprisonment in Fort Macon
F O C Dentley, desertion, five years imprisonment in Fort Macon, remitted to six months confinement in the guard house
Timothy Carroll
Carl Haertel
Levi H Schoonover
John A Tarr
Alexander Nelson, desertion, five years imprisonment each in Fort Macon

When Kiser heard of his sentence he remarked that he would never go to Fort Macon alive. Yesterday morning he and three other prisoners were at work outside the Barracks under guard, when Kiser seized a favorable opportunity and ran off. After proceeding about 200 years he was fired at by Sawyer, the ball striking him in the back of the head and coming out one of his eyes.

Deceased was a German, twenty-three years of age. Sawyer states that he aimed at Kiser's feet, having no intention of killing him, but simply desiring to cripple him so as to prevent his escape, which was simple carrying out orders. When to this probably true claim, it is added that sentries have recently been severely punished  for firing carelessly and permitting prisoners to escape, the public will generally sympathize with rather than blame the man who was compelled to shoot down a comrade so ruthlessly.

Sawyer will have an examination before the General Court Martial which will convene for the trial of Captain and Quartermaster T B Hunt on the 9th inst.

********************************

Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 4 January 1872, page 7

NEWPORT

HENRY N SAWYER, the soldier who shot and killed a deserter named Kiser who attempted to escape from the Newport Barracks on Sunday morning last, has been made a corporal.

*******************************

Cincinnati Dailey Enquirer, 25 April 1872, page 7

NEWPORT

A SOLDIER IN A ROW-Yesterday being pay day at the Newport Barracks, the boys in blue were in high spirits and before night some of them got very high indeed. Among the number was Corporal Henry N Sawyer, who shot and killed a deserter some time ago. About five o'clock in the afternoon he became involved in a row with a number of young men, near the corner of Bellevue and Isabella streets and one of them pushed him down or tripped him, causing him to fall.

One report is that he was struck by a brick by Joseph Sproat. At all events he received quite a severe wound on the back of his head, whether from striking it against the curbstone in falling or receiving a blow from someone is not exactly known. He was picked up in an insensible condition and conveyed to the Barracks where proper medical attention was rendered him.

A rumor quickly spread through the city and even extended to Covington that a soldier had been shot and killed, and the police of both places were soon running in every direction in pursuit of the parties who were reported as being engaged in the disturbance.

William Sproat, Adam Snyder and Jacob Siegentager were arrested in this city and teh police of Covington captured Ben Kettler. Several others escaped in a skiff up the Licking River, among whom was Joseph Sproat. The affair will be investigated this morning by the Mayor.

Return to the Newport Barracks Soldiers Index