The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-11-18
HOW GEN. JOHN u. MORGAN WAS
KILLED---rHE SIMPLE FAcTs AND

The story again goes through the press
that Gen. John II. Morgan was betrayed by
Mrs. Williams, sister-jn-Iaw of Major
Williams Of MOrgan's staff. This lady,
afterwards divorced, was at the residence
of the moiher-in-aw, but left the house an
hour or two before Morgan's arrival and
dill not know that lie had been in the an
cient town till after he was killed. Morgan
was strongly attached to the Williams fam
| lily, and their residence was most attractive
in all its incidents. Its walls withia were
garnished with all the appliances OF taste
and art, and the mother of Major Williams
was an educated and admirable woman.
She was rich, too, and herself Of fsmous
| lineage. Her diseased husband was the
grandson of the hero Of Kings Mountain.
Morgan was especially addicted to the good
things of this life. When he entered the
house, leaving his command several miles
away, the matronly Mrs. Williams insisted
that neither her son nor the General should
remain. during the night; but Morgan
recked more OF the hot rolls, juicy steaks,
ano Mocha coffee of the break fast table
than of dangers of capture or death, and
above stairs invited him to delightful re-
pose. He would nor listen to the sug-
gestiOns of Mrs. Williams or of Miss
N. n. Scott, granddaughter of Hugh
L. White, then of the household. 1t
was Miss Scott who ran to Morgan's
room and aroused him at sunrise next morn
ing with the announcement that the house
was slrTounded by Federal soldiers. Nor
gan drew on his boots and pantaloons, and
ran down the stairs and out into a vine
yard of two acres at the rear of the stately
old brick mansion. He crossed this garden
and concealed himself for time beneath a
church built inside this garden by the Will
Iiams family. Greenville was full of ''to-
les"-so-called-and Morgan was discov-
cred by one of these, and Federal soldiers
were directed to the spot. He came out,
and ran back across the garden towards the
residence, and was shot in the back while
rrossing the garden by soldier named
Moses Campbell, of Tennessee, who was on
the outsi lie of the enclosure. Morgan fell.
He was recognized, and his body taken by
the man who shot him, and placed across
the horse he rode, in front of the saddle,
and borne in triumph about the streets of
che village. 1t was said that Nor
gan was not yet dead when this
exhibition of the body, reeking with
blood, was made by those who slew
him. The corpse was borne away towards
Gen. Gillem's headquarters, eighteen miles
distant, and afterwards returned through
the intervention of Col. Jim Brownlow to
Mrs. Williams residence, Gen. Gillem, in
this behalf, doing everything that became
q gentleman and soldier. He has stated,
in note heretofore published by the writer
of this, that he was advised of Morgan's
presence in Greenville by negroes and 9TH
ers, and that Mrs. Williams-the daughter
in-law, now of Little Rock, Arkansas-had
no agency whatever in procuring Morgan's
death. The story made her famous. She
never denied its truthfulness. Federal sol
ders soon after the event held all the towns
of East Tennessee, and Federal officers fiat
tered the vain and attractive woman, in
vested with that degree of notoriety Incl
dent to the supposed feat of traversing
wild country eighteen miles to tell Gen.
Gillem that Morgan was in Greenville. She
did no such thing, and did not know that
Morgan was IN Greenville till she heard of
his tragic death.
Major Williams, more fortunate than his
commander, escaped death and capture. In
stead of crossing the vineyard he concealed
himself beneath the straw that constituted
the bed of a great Newfoundland dog that
slept under the st ps leading into the back
yard and vineyard. The dog seemed to
comprehend the situation and rested quiet
ly while the master rested behind and be-
meath him; but the position and odors and
fleas were lntolerablc, and young Williams,
when he heard the huzzaing in the main
street, two hundred yards distant, and when
silence reigned about the house, sought con-
cealment In we'll in which there was no
T. Il 81 L. avnA
TALLY with stones and earth. He had not
been there an hour till squads of soldiers
were searching for him everywhere. He
heard their oaths and imprecations and oft
Expressed amaZement that he could have
disappeared so suddenly and mysteri-
ously. A soldier stood above the
we'll and said he was going to fire
his repeater into its depths; but an old
negress passing at the moment said to him
that the we'll was more than five hundred
feet Deep and he might kill the devil if the
| bullet went to the bottom. The soldier
was invited to share delicacies furnished by
| the fat old queen of the kitchen, and that
night young Williams crawled out of the
well and was concealed by this faithful ne
gress beneath the floor of her cabin.
Greenville was evacuated at last by the tree
hooters, and Williams rejolned the headless
command of Morgan.
The writer has often stood on the spot
and plucked luscious fruit from the exotic
grapevine, enriched by the blood of the
gallant Morgan. He has often heard, from
witnesses of events narrated, the story
of Morgan's death. He has slept in the
apartment and in the bed which Morgan
occupied, and, though several years have
elapsed, can be mistaken by no possibility,
in reference to leading facts and Incidents
here recited.
WHEN wheat is selling $1.15 in Terrell