Battlefield Dispatches No. 216: 'Death Rides A Pale Horse Part II'

On May 27, 1863; "Death", one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, galloped into Fort Scott for it's second visit to the largest "Union" military complex in southeast Kansas. On this visit in May of 1863, "Death" claimed the life of Sgt. Claudeus Columbus Frizell who served with a Missouri Militia Regiment.

Sgt. Frizell did not die from a disease, an accident or a gunshot. He died by hanging in a very public execution for the MURDER of Augustus Baker in Vemon County, in Missouri, in March of 1863.

This was the second documented military execution in Fort Scott during the Civil War. It was witnessed voluntarily by the townspeople of Fort Scott and the soldiers of the garrison who were ordered to "Witness Punishment" as a deterrent to the commission of such a crime in the future.

Sgt. Frizell was tried and convicted for the crime of MURDER by a Military Commission that was reconvened in Fort Scott on May 13, 1863. The following "Order of Execution" is located in Record Group 393, Volume 394, Entry 3354, Special Orders, Fort Scott, Dept. of Missouri in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

"Headquarters, Fort Scott, Kansas,

May 25, 1863.

Orders No. 2:

I. In obedience to General Orders No. 18 dated Headquarters, District of Kansas, Fort Leavenworth issued on May 21st, 1863 promulgating [to publish or make known officially] the sentence of a Military Commission assembled at Fort Scott on May 14, 1863.

In pursuance of Special Orders No. 7 from these Headquarters Claudeus Columbus Frizell will be HANGED by the NECK till HE is DEAD in the open space south of the camp of the 12th Kansas Volunteers on:

Wednesday the 27th inst. between the hours often o'clock A.M. & 2 o'clock P.M. of said day.

II. At ten o'clock A.M. of said day the troops comprising. The garrison of this post will be formed in full dress [uniform] and under arms under the direction of the senior officer present in a square surrounding the scaffold and the prisoner will be conducted to the place of execution by guard specifically detailed for that purpose.

III. The execution of the foregoing order will be superintended by Captain dark McKay, 12th Ks. Vols.

IV. The A.Q.M. [Assistant Quartermaster] will make the

necessary preparations for the interment of the remains.

By order of Major C. W. Blair,

Commanding Post.

The following is a "Union" soldiers description of the execution of Sgt. Frizell & is in a letter housed in the research files of Fort Scott National Historic Site.

"Last Wednesday there was a man hung here for committing MURDER in Missouri some 6 or 8 miles from this post. He was a Sergeant in a Missouri Militia Regiment.

He was a tall fine looking young fellow and If, I am not mistaken was both a Husband & Father. It was another very sad looking aspect. He was publicly executed outside of the breastworks on a beautiful level Prairie [where the Bourbon County courthouse is today]. The soldiers all marched out to the place of execution and formed a large square and outside of the square was an immense number of citizens in wagons & on horseback, MALE, FEMALE, WHITE, RED & BLACK, small & large. The culprit was between two Ministers, with a large sized Testament in his right hand. He ascends the scaffold with a firm step. Prayers were offered by both Minister's, then he (the culprit) stood up upon his feet, with the Testament in his hands and made quite a lengthy speech to the surrounding crowd, with burning eloquence and telling to abide by the doctrines of the sacred Book, the Bible. Afterwards he with the Ministers sang a hymn, then they knelt again and he offered a fervent Prayer. Then he shook hands with all on the scaffold and then the rope was put around his neck by 2 soldiers and when a sign was given he was launched into eternity."

Now then, did the public execution of Sgt. Frizell deter the crime of murder in Fort Scott. One could say yes it did because there were no other military executions in Fort Scott during the Civil War. However, since killing is indicative of war itself, "Death" continued to visit Fort Scott throughout the duration of the war because of disease, accidents and gunshots and the War Went On!