The Execution of Private John Lanahan, 46th Pennsylvania

It is estimated that as many as five hundred military executions occurred during the American Civil War. The following account of the execution of Private John Lanagham from the 46th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry is not unusual and may even be considered one of the most deserving of cases.

What makes Lanagham’s execution unique is that it was conducted as a public spectacle, with newspaper correspondents present to witness the event. Several accounts of the execution were published, including one by a correspondent from the New York Times, who noted Lanagham's stoic demeanor as he faced the hangman's noose.

New York Times, December 26, 1861 and the Berkshire Eagle, January 2, 1862