The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-06-09
Bishop Folks Death.

is once more to be snarled at by the hy-
ehas OF the late war. Our Sherman
commenced DE Novo in his ssMemoirsn
oy claiming credit for the manner of
ms death and already the lie direct has
been given him. The subioined cores
pendent to the N. Y. Herald processes
to give details, which do not agree With
our Shcrman's romance:
In your review of "Sherman's Memoirsr
what pnrports to be a statement of the
manner IN which Gen. Polk was killed is
gwen, from which it appears that Sherman
cai1ea General Towards attention to a
group OF officers on Pine Mountain, and
ordered hlm to compel it to keep under
cover VIII you permit one who was at
lachea TO Gen. Towards headquarters and
VINO was by his side daily on the Atlanta
eaihpaign-one who. with Howard and
q tVn officers, sat onr horses beside the
ruin Indiana battery that fred the fatal
bhoG-to give the true story from my notes
made that morning and published in a
W, estern daily few weeks afterward p
ihefe certainly is grievous error either
III your review Or in Sherman's descrip-.
lioh OF the tragedy. General Sherman was
iio'l thefe aud could not have seen the
siloI nfea' General Sherman may have,
however, as he rode to the rear, where he
met Howard, called his attention to what
he (Howard) wouldssee when our party
II, General David Stanley's 'front.'
Inc facts-ln which am sure l will be
sustained IN the main by General Howard
are these: ''
On June ID, General Howard and staff
| hnn de-, L
otanleys division of Towards (Fonrth)
corps had broken camp and were awaiting
the order to attack Pine Mountain 1t was
Just after sunrise. A mile or two in rear
OF the advance Howard met Sherman, but
the conversation between them | did not
hear, as the two Generals conversed aside.
Howard and staff jointd Stanley and his
staff on the road in full view of Pine
mountain, and as we drew rein and ex-
changed greetings Stanley exclaimed
Howard, do you see that group up there
on the crest of the mountain / wonder
who they are?"
We all brought our field glasses to bear
upon the point indicated andscould plain
~ see three persons standing in front of
lille OF breastworks, and a larger group in
the background. couldnot tell wheth-
er they were officers or privates, but as it
was evident that they were watching our
movements, Stanley suggested that few
shots be fired to drive them under cover
Howard, who had suggested that perhaps
Bishop Polk was in the party, made no
objections, when Stanley turned to Can't,
slmonson, his chief of artillery, with the
remark:
"Simonson, can't you unlimber, put a
shot into the group and give the Bishop a
morning salutation Z"
"Tll try y was Simonson's laconic reply.
And away ne galloped to the rear. A few
m u u-tes later section of tn g
Fifth Indiana battery Simon
son,s) was unlimbered within twenty feet
OF US. The Lieutenant sighted the gun
and the shot exploded over and to the
right of the group. Here my memory fails
me, but my impression is second shot
was sighted and fred by the Lieutenant,
but with no better effect. Simonson when
the gun had been reloaded, dismounted
and said: Here, Lieutenant, let me try
it," He took the range and the messen-
ger OF death sped on its mission. Our
glasses were bent upon the group, and we
observed commotion as the shot took eff
feet in the group that scattered in the
rear, while Simonson was upon his knees
sighting the gun for another discharge
Captain Leonard, chief of Towards signal
corps, sitting on his horse beside me, read
the Confederate signal code that our Off
GERS had interpreted at Lookout Mountain
and caught the words:
General Polk is killed |"
With a look of amazement, Leonard
turned to Howard and Stanley and ex-
claimed:
"Bishop Polk is killedw
"What 7" exclaimed Howard, "haye Won
interpreted the signal correctly 2"
"Yes, General Simonson's last shot kill
ed him. They are signaling it along the
line"
The young men who were cracking, jokes
instantly ceased, and for moment none
spoke. Then Howard said
SWELL, a Christian has fallen. Such is
war"
Just then simonson caught the words.
"Bishop Polk is killedp
He was sighting the gun, and, lifting
his eyes, that glared fearfully, exclaimed
What is that, Leonard 7"
bishop Polk is killed Your last shot
did it. They are signaling it over the
mountain" replied
Simonson's head dropped upon the vent.
where it rested a moment. Then, raisinn
his eyes, he exclaimed:
"Thank God Yesterday they killed
my dear brother; l have killed a Lieuten-
ant General, and am avenged w
Without discharging the piece, Simonsop
arose, rernounted and joined the staff.
Silently he repaired to his regular duties,
and, the line being formed, we advanced
slowly against the mountain, every one of
| us feeling that we would have rejoiced had
some other than Louisiana's fighting bish-
op gone down before Simonsons first and
only shot. The enemy was so demoralized
that he evacuated the mountain, and half
an hour afterward we stood upon the spot
where Polk fell and saw the ground stain
ed with his blood. A day or two after,
poor Simonson, the only one of us who re-
joiced at the bishops death, fell, shot on
the skirmish line in Acwo rth woods
Then was the COnfederacy avenged. It
is possible that General Sherman had been
to the front that morning, and seeing the
group referred to, ordered Howard to dis
perse it; but certain it is that he was
nowhere near Howard when Simonson, IS
shot felt for the heart of Leonidas Polk,
the fighting bishop.
VALEDIcToRY OF AN EDITOR WITH A
BULLET IN HIS BRAIN.-The following
curious announcement is made in the
Vineland Independent by Mr.. Carruth,
who was recently shot by Lands. The