I’m used to advertisements in the Richmond Daily Dispatch offering rewards for runaway slaves. 150 years ago today there were at least three advertisements for military deserters. Here’s an example from the Richmond Daily Dispatch March 26, 1862:
Deserters.
–The following named men, having deserted from my company during the past week, I will give the reward affixed to their names if delivered to me at my office, on Bank street between 9th and 10th streets:
John Abbott $100 John Garre $100
John Archer 100 John Hynes 200
Thomas Booney 100 Patrick Clark 100
Paul McCarthy 100 Dan. Ford 104
James Connelly 100 John Watson 100
Thomas C. Cook 100 John Jenkins 200
Thomas Mack, $50.
The police and guard are requested to use every exertion to arrest the above named men.
Emmett E. Depriest,
Lieut. and Recruiting Officer
Richmond Sharp Shooters,
mh 25–2t* Bank, betw 9th and 10th sts.
Hynes and Jenkins must be quite the sharpshooters. The Richmond Sharpshooters was Company H of the 23rd Regiment Virginia Infantry.
The North has been known to shoot a deserter, at least when the deserter is also a spy.
