Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-06-03

The TFNgely q 0raphieslly De
scrfbe>f BY an Eye Witness.
-ls4ata flz--lf hfTI -
To THE EDIreR OF THE Nrv
YORK HERALD;-In your review q
"'Shernaan's Memoirs" what pur
ports to be a statement of the man
ner nm which Genersi Polk ava
killed, il given, In whichvit appear
that Sherman called General How
ards attention to . group of officer
on Pine Mountain, and aorderee
him to compel it to keep unde
cover" viii yon permit one WI,
was attached to General Howard,
headquarters, and who was by hi,
side daily on the Atlanta campaign
.-one who, with Howard and others
sat our horses beside the Fifth In
diana Battery that fired the fata
shot---to give the true story from m,
notes made that morning, and pub.
lished in Western daily a few
weeks afterward.
On june 14th, General Howard
and staff left their headquarters for
the front, where .Stanley's Division
of Howasd's (Fourth} corps had
broken camp and were awaiting the
order to attack Pine Mountain. II
was just after sumrise.a A mile or
two in rear OF the advance Howard
met Sherman, but the conversation
hetween them Ibid not hear, as the
two Generals VI conversed1 aside.
Howard and his staff joined Stanley
and his staff on the road, in full
view of Pine Mountain, and es we
drew rein and exchanged greetings,
Stanley exclaimed:
Howard, do you see that group
up there on the crest of the noun
tain ? wonder who they are ?''
We all brought our field glasses
to bear upon the point indicated,
and could plainly see three persons
standing in front of line of breast
works, and larger group in the
background. We could not tell
whether they were officers or pri-
Yates, 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 sigg 4sted' that per-
haps Bishop Polk was in the party,
made no objections, when Stanley
turned to Captain Simonson, the
chief of artillery, with the remark:
" Simonson, can't you unlimber, put
a shot into the group, and give the
Bishop q morning salutatiom ?''
"I'll try!' was Simonson's laconic
reply, and away he galloped to the
rear. A few min utes later section
Of the Fifth Indiana Battery fSimon
son's) was unlimbered withintwenty
feet OF us. The Lieutenant sighted
aml ."e of y ine right Of the gp16laP aGfs
nv memory fails me, but my inn
nression is that second shot was
sighted and fired by the Lieutenant,
with no better effect. Simonson,
when the gun had been reloaded,
dismounted and said, Here, Lieu
tenant, let me try it," He took the
range and the messenger OF death
sped on its mission. Our glasses
were bent upon the group, and we
observed a commotion as the shot
took effect in the group that scatter
ed 60 the rear. While SiInonson was
upon his knees sighting the gun for
another discharge, Captain Leonard
chief of sHowau's signal corps, SIT
ting on his horse beside me, read the
Confederate signal code that our
Officers had interpreted at Lookout
Mountain, and csdeht the words:
General Po,k is killed!'9 EfsE3
witb q lock Of amazement Leon
ard to Howard and Stanley and ex-
claimed. y nv ..
g Rishop Polk is killed y
u What!'r exclaimed Howard,
...have you interpreted the signal
,correctly.?"
."Yes, General; Simonson's last
shot killed him. They are signaling
it all along the line."
The young men.of the staff who
were cracking jokes instantly ceased,
and for a moment none spoke.
Then Howard said: u "
Well,- a Christian has fallen.
Such is war;" ii So
: inst then simonson caught the
words, -.s,I,ishop Polk is killed!' ~
HE was sighting the gun, and
hitting his eyes. that glared fearfuliy,
.exclaimed: 81
81 What is that, Leonard p
:" Bishop Polk is killed. Your
last shot did it. They are signalling
it over the mountains" l replied.
Simonson's head dropped upon
the event." where it rested mo-
ment. Then raising his eyes, he
,exclaimed:
"Thank God Yesterday they
killed my brother. ] have killed a
Lieutenant General, and am aveng-
,.ed." @ -
without -discharging the piece
SimoHson arose.. remounted and
Joined the stalf.s Silently he repair
ed TO his regular duties, and the liae
being formed, we advanced slowly
aua,nst the Mountain,s every. one q
zus feeling that we would have re-
joiced If some other than Losiisisna's
lighting Bishop had gone down be-
4 fore Simonton's first and only shot
The enemy was SO demOralixed tina
. z.