The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-03-11
Details of Cruelty under Gov. Vance!
OLD MRS. MORGAN HANGED
Young Morgan Shot, and old Mr..
Morgan Hanged!
A FEDERAL PRISONER MURDERED!
HEARTRENDING DETAILS!

We are lndeDteu 10 an eA-OOhlcueIate soi-
dier for the following facts. There can be
no doubt of the truth of these statements
The character of the soldier is such for in
tegrity ana veracity that the fullest conf
dence may be placed in his narrative of facts.
Bear in mind, fellow citizens, that the men
who did this are still seeking to rule the
country. W."
In the Spring of 1865. my company with
other companies of my Brigade. was detach-
ed from the Army of Northern Virginia.
and sent into this State for the purpose of
arresting censcripts and deserters. On our
| arrival in the State we were joined by the
Tth n c. Infantry under the command OF
Maj. Harris.
! Our operations were confined to three
| counties, Cumberland, Randolph and Mont
gomery, principally Randolph. We were
usually sent out in squads varying in num-
bers from ten to fifty men. On one occasion,
| l was sent out with detail of twenty men
under the command of Lieutenant Bass
| We took with us, William Dunn, prisoner.
| Dunn had, with the hope of saving his own
life promised to betray his deserter friends
who were then hiding in the mountains of
Cumberland County. Starting from our
camp in Randolph Immediately after dark,
and marching all night, we reached the de-
sired locality about day light the next morn
ing. We'' hunted" about in the nei ghbor
hood for two days, our guide, in the noun
tains having taken us to numbers of caves
and hiding places, but to no purpose; we
could never tina ,ny one in these places
| The Lieutenant concluding that he had
made "a water hanl,'' determined to return
to camp that night and started accordingly.
! On reaching Cabin creek we found it so
much swollen from the rains,,of the previous
| day, that it was impossible for US to cross on
the shoals as we had done in going, and
| were compelled to go back to militia Off
GERS house and quarter for the night. Early
the next morning We resumed our march to-
wards the camp, following path which the
officer assured us would lead to log over
which VIC might pass with safety. When
about mile from the officers house we saw
coming towards US an old woman whom |
ascertained afterwards. was a Mrs. Morgan.
| She said she had come to tell us that we
could not cross on the log we were going to,
as it was entirely under water, but directed
us to take another path which would certain
| ly lead to a place where we could cross We
took her advice and followed the path. but
when we reached the creek we could not
find the log The officer said he had wan
dered up and down the banks of the creek
! as much as he intended to-he was going to
| cross there. He sent one of the men up to
| Mrs. Morgan's house to get an axe to cut q
tree across the creek. We had taken off our
accoutrements and were lounging about on
the banks waiting for the man to return
with the axe when very unexpectedly we
heard the sharp crack of rifle from the
mountain on the other side. The first shot
was followed by voley r. voley from the
mountain. Their firing vas SO rapid that
it left us no chance to ct to our arms and
defend ourselves and we were forced to re-
treat, leaving in their hands Thos Linn, who
WAS wounded in the hip by the first shot.
We reached our camp the next morning.
The facts of the ambuscade were stated to
the officer in command, Lieutenant Colonel
McAlister, when he Immediately ordered
the detachment to be ready to march at
dark. The order was oheyed-we reached
the Morgan neighborhood. After having.
| skirmlshed the country for miles around, to
no purpose we visited the house of Mrs.
Morgan. the woman we met in the path, and
|
the ambuscade. We found her at home
She was accused, but denied it. The officer
in charge, Lieutenant league, told her she
was i'd liar" and he intended to hang
her until she acknowledged it. The woman
still declared her innocence He then pro-
cured rope, and making regular hang
mans moose, he hung the old woman up to
the joice in her own house. She was hugh
| III t,lyi lief
her down before she was entirely strangled.
They could extort nothing from her, it she
knew anything, which very much doubt
The next brought into this gentleman "
presence was a Miss Dehy Morgan, who was
subjected to the closet examination, and all
kinds of insulting language. and threats OF
the severest torture were offered her IL sue ana
not, at once, tell where we could find her
brothers, vino were deserters. She couid tell
nothing, and would have also suffered hahS
ing. but the soldiers interceded for her ana
she was allowed to return home. Inc next
hung was ali old gray-haired man, also a
Morgan. An attempt was made 10 eAt"i !,
information from him, but he could tell
nothing. don't believe he knew anything.
He was very old and feeble, and his voice
was very weak, so low and tremulous tnat
| we could scarcely understand word lie
said The officer thinking it stubbornness
on his part, hanged him to tree IN his own
yard. The officer, with the assistance Oh
two soldiers drew the old man up ut least
foot from the ground, and beld nm III
that position for about minute when at a
given signal they all turned loose tie rope,
aud the. old man fell heavily teitae ground.
I Il thought dead. Dlsgussei with the iiorrl-
BILE sight, turned away and did not see the
| old man again. l do not know whether
either of them died, though have heard
that old Mrs. Morgan was confined to her
bed several weeks from the effects OF the in
juries she received.
Previous to the facts just stated man
by the name of Morgan, and an escaped
Yankee prisoner, whose name have forgot
ten. were captured with arms in their hands.
Our orders were to shoot all such on the
spot. but for some reason or other they were
not shot on the "spot," hut taken to the
camp, and Morgan was shot the next day
alb out ten o'clock, without trial The Yam
kee was spared to await a mock trial. lie had
been under guard for three or four weeks,
and he had been made to belleve that he
had been acquitted, from the friendly man.
ner of the officers, who visited him daily.
But not so. About the time that Stoncman
was expected to cut the Central North Caro-
II lima Railroad, we were ordered, very sud-
denly. to strike camp and march to High
| Point. By daylight we were on the march.
Having marched several miles from our old
camp we were halted and formed into a
half circle, for what purpose VIC could not
imagine until we saw the Federal soldier