Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-06-30

!. a Ft LII. AND .<CIRCUMSTANTIAL
! ACCOUNT OFTHE FALL OF LII.
GEN. POLK estiTG sas. > Il ~.
ATLANTA, June 18th, 1864.
| The body OF Lieu5enant General Leon.
das Pok now lies lii bloody state Iii ,ie
cnain'es OF 81. Luke's Cnurci, OF this clty.
1t reached A.ianta at z o'clock this
mornlng. 1t has been eEcased III subs
siantlal Wooden Coffin at Marietta. aud
was escorted Oy Lleuis. Polk and Gale,
Still ahG son-in law OF the General, uuu
AiaJ. Dsu5las ~ est, one of Ills Ad,u,au,s
tseIe&t1 Services Will be oaiu y Dl.
4uintaru al ncou, anu the lanen,eu Ie-
lAaIie al ploceed OH the aitei uoou lra.n
to ALsIs and thence 10 Asheyllle, III
n ORTIZ uill,a, Where tue hIreaYeu talui-
~ are a. present ieslu!ug.
| Ihe tall VI Gen. Polk 5 he s..l.est event
Winch has occurred !. ,nls a. ny sluce the
dea,h oI Albert Sl1 (, vo...o;on .<No
event, Say s the Cunto -,iaoy, with <gyreat
truth, ''ot peisc' Al lescrlpt,,a-~4:. .lng
/ the tate Ut Stone 81 JaLkson--xo ...es
tsl h for paint .l.;elest anu MAI IN al
ta an.:ty, these las: sig.l1een months an
| !, o'e- lie shoe sill be great upou Tie
| soldiers, VINO 4oveG Linl, and uton ,.ie
couhiry, whicl. res ecieu him. K was }
grand Old mar. As co,unande, IL, w.s
enterprising, vigiiant and brave, rs =
chuiciln'an, he was pious, liberal aud zait1.
tuI as Il nI..n he was the soul of honor, a..
tecllon, and upright lnanlluees.
lne clrcunatauces ot his death have lust
been related TO me by one OF the party
VINO WAS nearest hiIn at tEe moment. HIS
story is as follows: Gells johnston, Polk
anu Haruee, accompanied by Gen. Jack
son, (o1 the cavalry and a sulali escort OF
stain officers, had ridden out liz front ot
Gen. Bates line to examine the position
thought 10 be suitable tor The " asnlnyton
Art!Iery. The horses were made 1ast al
ihe foot OF the hill, and the party ascend.
ed to the crown. Here there were the
lllltlals to all aDattis, with several embra-
sures, rendering the place very much ex-
posed. The eneu1y's guns were less than
eight hundred yards III front. There had
been a llltie deonitory hring during the
early hours OF The day but TINS had ceas.
ed Tor some time before the group ot 9TH
GERS began Its Reconnaissance. Ibis Was
prolonged TO d much greater extent than
usual, and glided into general aud AMI
mated conversation, ali OF the gentlemen
being gathered INTO !, knot, aud using their
halius aud glasses With u marked freedom,
tespeaking rank and interest. The enemy
cou.d not 1ail to see theui plainly, aud
whilst they were being observed, del:ker-
ateiy returned he obsei vallun, with full
time Tor calculation aud adjustment. The
party seemed 10 forget Its exposed sit,la
.loil, although some CT the ~t:.!oniers Who
had been at work upon the ..tle tier ot
breastmenls, pointed out to i4ivn' the &c
curacy TT the ene,ny's shois. Eresen.iy
Al single spherical case shell was disciar y
ed from ,he Yankee battery, aud expiou
ed directly above the heads uf Gens. Polk,
Johnston, Hardee aud Jackso,,. All OIL
them fell to the ground to avoid the CON
cussion or fragments. 1t was then propos-
ed to divide and the ditfe. ent genll.men,
separated % such courses as We're al hand.
Gen. Polk selected very secure shelter,
but becoming impatient and auxious to
scan the rarge OF fire more az cura ely, he
stepped on upon the brow, and was intent
ly gazing ou. across lie country, his arms
folded and his left side presented when a
three inch round shot from a sleel% rifle
cannon, struck the elbow, crushing both
arms aud passing through the heart, a por
tioE OF the chest anc stomach, and ont,
and on It's murderons course. The old
man fell lifsless and rnangied to the
ground. Gen. Johnston was bending ov-
er him2i in an instant, with the rest OF the
party. They lifted him i'll their arms to
all nabnlance, aud lie was carried to his
quarters, where his bewildered military
family received It with the mourning OF