Made an examiniation of the body of James H Barnes. There were three bullet oles in the left temple and four in the left side. There were three stab wounds in the breast which looked as if made with a long knife. The shirt of the deceased was powder burned about the area of the wounds so much so that the four holes made by the bullets were burned __ one. The face of the deceased was also burned and blackened about the temple.
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(John R MD comment below)
Let there be no doubt James H Barnes was executed at close range and then shot multiple times and stabbed multiple times. This is the behavior of angry out of control men or truely the crimminally derranged.
Col Broadhead recognized it and tried to bring a bit of sanity and justice to the issue. Vitt lied through his teeth to the Committee on the conduct of the Militia and Broadhead had to know it. Vitt's statement to the committee is clearly "polished". It does not pass muster with his sworn statement to Broadhead in Sept shortly after the event, particularly as it relates to giving orders to Fink and Dress and the reasoning behind it. To think that such men continued to have the accolades of their neighbors, superiors, and historians I find a bit repulsive, just as I find the behavior of John Brown repulsive. Dare I compare this Franklin County crowd to Jennison or Lane on the west side of the state? It seems their logic and methods were similar.
John R.