Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-09-01
GEN. JOHN III. MORGAN.
The circumstances of HIS Sur-..
sAnd EgeRIh


Tne circumstances Of HIS Surnrts.
sAnd Death.
The Greeneyille correspondent of the
Memphis appeal, furnishes that paner
with the following letter from Gen. Gil
lem, detailing the circumstances of the
death of Gen. Morgan. The letter was
written to Hon. VIM. H. Sneed, of Knox
vile, and received by that gentleman a
short time previous to his death:
"VIcKsBURe, MISS, Feb. 10, 1869
w. IL. Sneed, Esq.-Dear Sir: In answer
70 your letter inquiring ss to the time
when and from what person had infor-
nation Of the Whereabouts ami move
ments OF Cen porgsn, on which my sd-
vance az s The action of my forces were
preo CT ,6ed, and especially, whether any
mem Jer of the family or household of
MI 3. G. d. Williams, directly or indirect
} Z, conveyed to me any information oH
the Fubject, have no hesitation in an
swering. Ny command encamped at
Balls Gap on the 3lst of August,
1864 In the afternoon of the 81
of September, Coloael J. K.
Miller brought boy, some twelve
years OF age, to my tent. The youth
informed ne that his name was Leidy,
that lie lived with bis parents in Greene
vile, eighteen miles from Bulls Gap;
that at Il N. that day Osman's Con-
federate tcou-s had entered Greeneyille;
that, fearing The loss of his mare, he had
sought to escape, but had been captured;
that after remaining in Greeneville till
the arrival Of Vaugha's brigade, O5man's
scouts had advanced With that brigade 10
Parks Gap, where the brigade com.
msnded by Bradford encamped; thst the
scouts then advanced in the direction of
my emp aboh mile, and stopped at a
farm house for dinner, when the boy
escaped through a cornfeld. These sol
diers and officers said that General
MorgSn would spend the night in Greene
vile. SGca was the intelligence of the
Dor that knew it was Morgan's purpose
to attack me. and | determined
to take the initiative and attack
him at daylight A brave intelligent
citizen guided US by the Arnet Gap road,
to the rear of the left of The enemy's po-
sition, the main body Of my force ad. |
vancing al 10 o'clock at night by the |
direct road to Greeneville. Col IDgerton
turned the eneDy's left, and getting into |
his rear, entered GTeeneville without ems
countering g picket. Information was
obtained from trustworthy woman, that |
Clark's battalion and Meetings. battery
were on tie further side of the village, /
aud that Morgan and his staff were the /
guests of Mrs. G. D. Williams. Receiv- |
ing This information, Col. Ingerton |
or deIed Mai Wilcox, with troops of |
t'Ae 18th Tennessee cavalry to charge /
INTO the village and secure Morgan. This |
AUrder was executed with spirit and dash. |
B. fore Wilcox's command arrived at Mrs. 4
Williams house, its inmates were reused |
by the firing in the streets and at theslable /
where Gen. Morgan's orderlies, with bis /
horses, we're sleeping. The General and |
his staff, half dressed, rushed out of the |
house and found the streets on all sides |
filed with national cavalry. In the melee /
and whilst attempting to escape through \
the garden, pistol in hand, and without 1
being rec 'gnized, Gen. Morgan was shot
with "A csrbine and Instantly killed by
Serg'i A. J. Campbell, thirteenth Tennes-
zee cavalry, who was on horseback some |
eighty yards distant from Morgan, at the
southwest corner of Mrs. Williams lot.
Sergeant Campbell did not know
who the person was that had !
been shot by him, nor was the |
body recognized IS that of Gen. Morgan !
until The papers on his person were exam
ined, nor will this appear strange when it
is known that he was dressed in light blue !
pants, without cap or coat. 1t has been
charged thai Gen. Morgan was shot after
his surrender. The assertion is not only
wholly grouBdless, but under the ciTcum-
stances, impossible. The soldier who
fred the shot wGs at least eighty yards
distant, and the wound clearly demon
strated that the bali entered below the
right shoulder and came out near the left
breast.
Such are the facts connected with Gen.
Morg.n's death. Neither Mrs. Williams
nor say memter of her household gave
me any information concerning the
or position of the Rebel
'roops upon which pTeticsted the move
ment. OF my command. L is very strange
...r such rumOr should have gained Cir
Culsiion, when a son of Mrs. c. D. Viii
liams was present with Gen. Morgan and
terving on his stiff. 1t has been claimed
that member of Mrs. Williams house
hold conveyed to me ct Bulls Gap infor-
mzticn of the arrival of Gen. Morgan at
Greeueville. This report is utterly false.
The Gully information received is set forth
in TIL let er. About the Tina Wilcox's
h igad3 entered the vil!sge l at
tackCd The enemy in front vigor-
uusly compelling Bradford's brg2'e
10 ia back until ig came upon Ingertun's
command, when it broke and fed IL con-
iusio !. IRE LOWS of Morgan's death
vas rapid " spUad by members of his
cscot, who escaped from Greenevilie,
wbich probably accounts for the rapid re-
treat of his cen er and right without /
scarcely an effort Of resistance. After
The engagement, the body of Gen. Nor I
gan was properly cared for by the cap
1ured memhrrs Of his staff, aided by my
own staff l. was my intention to send
his remains 10 bis friends at Lexington,
KY, Tut in 6efere1ce to suggestions of
some Of his staff, the intention was
and the remains were sent L
throu Ii our lines uoder a flag of truce.
an, sir, very respectfully, your ODE +
dent servant, ALvAN G. GILLEM, /
Brvt. Maj. Gen, U. S. A.
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BEN BUTLER