Because Every Month Should be Confederate History Month, cntd

A deserter to be shot. The author has a little fun at the expense of the condemned. Notice last sentence.

The Daily Dispatch: January 26, 1863.To be shot.--John Mulligan, of company F, 5th Virginia cavalry, who was condemned to be shot for desertion, will be duly executed to-day, unless the Secretary of War should respite him, which has been done twice before for periods of twenty days each. The last respite expires to-day, and so will Mulligan, unless the Secretary should renew his term of existence.

And he was a few days later:

Execution of a deserter.--Another military execution took place yesterday at Camp Lee, near this city — the party being John Mulligan, of company C, 5th Virginia Cavalry, convicted of deserting on several occasions from his company, and sentenced to be shot. The various reprieves granted the prisoner expired on yesterday. Mulligan started from Castle Thunder at 11 o'clock in a hack, being accompanied by two spiritual advisers and two detectives, two of the latter also riding by the side of the conveyance. There were about 1,200 soldiers present at Camp Lee, including 200 of the City Battalion, under Major Elliott, the whole being drawn up in three sides of a square. On the arrival of the condemned at the Camp, the hack containing him was driven to the place appointed for the execution, where the squad detailed from the President's Guard to carry the sentence into effect was also assembled.--Mulligan throughout bore himself quietly and coolly, and seemed to be wholly unembarrassed — After a few minutes spent in conversation with the priest, during which time the guns of the firing party were loaded, Mulligan was asked if he had any request to make or anything to say. He replied "nothing" to both interrogatories. The bandage was then tied around his face and he knelt down. The firing party had been brought to attention by a wave of the hand of the officer in charge, and then a similar motion caused the discharge of the guns, when the culprit fell on his face, dead. He was struck by five balls, three entering his breast, one passing through his heart, and one through his mouth. The spectacle being had for the sake of the example, in accordance with military usage the troops on the ground were marched by the body in slow time, after which it was put in a coffin and given in charge of the undertaker.

I don't know Muligan's story. There could of been many reasons that he did not want to fight.