The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-04-28
From the Columbus (0hio) Crisis.
Death Of Cen J. Fl. Morgan.

death of General j. ii. Morgan, have
concluded to send you few memoran
das of that. and its accompanying
events. I accompanied the expedition
into Tennessee made for the purpose
of driving back General Gillem's brig
ade of Federal cavalry. We arrived
at Greenyille early in the evening of
the Sd of September, 1864. -Greenyille
is distant from Bulls Gap (Gen. Gil
lem's position) nineteen miles. The
General established his headquarters at
the house of Mrs. Willioms, in the
town of Greenvflle. His own brigade
was sent ON the road leading to Rod
gersville, to a point three miles from
GreenVille, for the purpose of getting
forage, and detachment of Tennessee
cavalry, six hundred strong, was order
ed under Col. Bradford to encamp on
the road leading to Bulls Gap, and to
picket the roads leading toward the
enemy. This force was not increased
because larger number of horses
could not be foraged in that direction.
The country between Greenville and
the Gap is billy and wild, and very
poor. Gen. Gillem stated afterwards
that he received information of the
status of affairs about Greenyille, at
half past nine of that night. He i'm
mediately moved his command in
the direction of Greenville: when about
five miles from town he halted and
sent detachment through the woods,
and succeeded in getting on the flank
of Bradford's command; he drove him,
(Bradford,) back from the road, leav
ing it open to Greenyille. A detach-
ment of four companies of the 18th
Tennessee cavalry was then sent for
ward to charge the town. They met
with no resistance. The square on
which Mrs. WIS. house is situated the
house and grounds occupy the square)
was surrounded Immediately; officers
of the staff being aroused by the
oouriers, of whom there were three or
four at the front gate, rushed out and
were captured one by one.
Gen. Morgan attempted to escape
through the garden; finding exit in that
direction cut off, he concealed himself
among some grape vines. He had no
weapon at all, Captain Rogers having
one of his pistols, Mr.. johnson, A. A.
G.'s clerk, the other. While the off
GERS of his staff and couriers were to-
gether under guard within twenty yards
of his concealment, he necessarily
heard the questions asked them and the
threats made against them. The ques-
tons were as to his whereabouts-the
threats to make them tell his place of
concealment, Seeing that there was
no hope of successful cJncealment, he
came out and surrendered to Capt.
Wilcox, Co. G., 18th Tennessee Caval
ry. He had already both of Gen.
Morgan's pistols in his possession
This Captain sat on his horse (he and
fifteen or twenty more had ridden into
the garden, having broken down the
plank fence to get in) and conversed
with the General and us for some time
about ten or twenty minutes; he then
rode off, In few minutes after he
left man rode up and presented his
gun at Gen. Morgan; the General said !:
''For God sake don't shoot mel am
a prisoner" The gun was fired and
the General fell. The muzzle of the
gun Ia Colts army rihe) was in two
feet of Morgan's breast when it was
discharged; his clothing and his body
were blackened with powder. This
man then dismounted and threw the
Generals body across his horse, in
front of the saddle. and rode about
town shouting there's your horse
thief" When Gen. Gillem gave us
permission to go and attend to Gen.
Morgan's body, we found it lying in
the road, about one mile from the place
where it had been shot. 1t was so
covered with mud that we could scarce
| ly recognize it. The ball struck the
center of the breast, about three or four
inches below its junction with the neck
and came out behind the left hip bone.
He met his death as he met his foes a
thousand times before; there was no
shrinking-not culver of nerve
though he saw murder in that brawny
felon's eye. Kentucky will yet be
proud of John Morgan-of his gallant,
dashing life and fearless death. And
in the ''land of sun and flowers" long
will his deeds be theme of "song and
story" The man who shot him was
named Campbell. of Co. G, 18th Ten
nessee cavalry. He was promoted tc
a lieutenancy for his bravery on thi:
occasion.
I At Knoxville the staff officers were
locked up in iron cages, in Jail whose
windows had neither glass nor SASH
They had neither change of clothing
nor overcoats nor blankets. These hat
all been taken from them. They
were permitted to 60 into the prison
yard in the day time, and they had /;
dead line there.
! We found at Knoxville several off
GERS and men of Morgan's command
who had been taken two weeks before
US. They told US that the soldiers
who captured them said that they hat
orders not to take General Morgan
alive.
+, After this it was remored that the
soldiers of Gen. Morgan's command
refused to take as prisoners of wa
men belonging to the 18th Tennessee
cavalry. Gen. Giiiem sent commu
nioation under flag of truce, to Gen
Breckenridge, on this subject, com
i II Al L 4