Daily globe., 1883-08-25
JOHN MoRGAN's DEATH.
tfIoec the CoHfes7eTate General Vas Killed
The Story Of GW Eye Fitness.


The Story al GW Eye Fitness.
DR.. Gaines, OF Slater, Mo-, is one OF
the three men who witnessed the killing of
the confederate Gen. John Morgan. He
has related history of the affair to the
Louisville Courier-J journal, and it is the
first statement of an eyewitness that has
ever been in print.
at has been nearly nineteen years since
that memorable incident occurred" he
began ''but the events we're so firmly
impressed on my mind that 1 do not think
L could ever forget the slightest rarticu-
lar, If I lived q thousand. It was on the
evening of the 30 of September that Gen.
Morgan established his headquarters in
Greenville, Our detachment of which I
was then adiutant, had ridden from Abing-
don that day, without anything to eat for
either ourselves or horses. 1 do not re-
member how many men there were with
Us at the time. The country was a very
poor one, and they were sent out in
squads wherever they could find forage.
Gen. Morgan fixed his headquarters at the
house of Mrs. Williams, while I en-
camped with my detachment a short dis
tanca of.
tion OF danger from the start. When he
rode up to Mrs. Williams house woman.
who was ascertained to be her daugher.
was seen to ride away quickly. This
awakened his suspicious, and he inquired
her object in thus leaving, of her mother,
but was told that she had gone into the
country to eat watermelons at friends
house. Mrs. Williams told this very
III I,17+o 5aI hot bo, 4
q husband in the federal army, which was
lying encamped at Bulls gap, a distance
of eighteen miles from Greenville, and
next day. She did not say that her
daughter had gone to give them informa-
tion of our arrival, but declared that she
would be back in short time. AS the
evening wore off the woman failed to re-
turn, and Gen. Morgan again questioned
Mrs. Williams, but was told that her
daughters horse had probably been taken
by cur troops, and with this expIana-
tion ne was forced to be satisfied. [ be-
lieye he thought an attack would probably
be made on US the next day, and in view
Of this it seems a little remarkable that he
should have sent the most of his men out
of town. This could not we'll be avoided,
them Or their horses to eat in GreenvilIe,
and he was too humane a man to be will
ing to see his soldiers suffer for the pro-
visions which they could easily procure by
scattering out in the surrounding country
My headquarters with the remnant of Col.
Dick Morgan'5 detachment, of which
was in charge, were near Gen. Morgan's.
There was rumor that night that q
n
pany with Lieut.. Wade, I searched the
whole place over till midnight, but was
nabie TO find any one but the citizens
and our soldiers. I returned to headquar-
ters with the intention of reporting to
Gen. Morgan. shortly after u O'Clock, but
was told that ne was IN bed and asleep, so
did not disturb him. It had commenced
to rain hard about that time, and contin-
ued pouring down till morning. That
morning at daylight we had been ordered
to move. It will be remembered that our
command was the only one near town, the
Others being scattered around for several
miles out in the country. Before we start
ed and Sergt. Maj. Lawrence Dickson
took our horses IL town to procure them
some hay. We found some feed after d
little trouble, and while The horses were
eating strolled out to take a look at the
place. Just then we heard shooting begin
all over town. We ran out into the square
and there saw six federal soldiers who had
just come in sight. They halted, and
called out to US to come to them. As we
saw that We were overpowere6, we started
to do SO, but as soen as we did they COM
menced firing. We returned the fire, and
two of their men ran, leaving four stand
ing ground. We continued our firing un-
til our pistols were emptied, and then
Dickinson suggested that as we had no
more loads we had better surrender; but
though We offered to do so they kept uI
the attack. We then retreatcd around q
house, where they followed and accepted
our surrender. All this happened in les:
time than it has taken to tell it.
"After capturing US we marched to Gen
Morgan's headquarters, where the shooting
was still going on. A few other prisoner
were there, and we were all put together
in charge of a guard. While we were
standing there saw Gen. Morgan come ou
from under the house, which was a littl,
elevated of the ground. He was accompa
MED by Lytton johnson, then quite
young man. By this time the town wa
filed with blue coats, and Capt. Wilcox,
federal officer, coming up with abou
twenty men, Gen. Morgan surrendered
As we'll as l remember, there was a fenc
between the place where L was standing
and where the general was, but we were on
ly a feg yards apart. Capt. Wilcox re
mained talking few minutes and thel
turned to leave. He was riding Gen. Nor
gan's famous sorrel horse, which some @
mis- men had jusE captured. and were jok
ing him about having it at last in hi
possession. About fifteen minutes afte
he left, Serg. ". E. Campbell, with
squad of five or six men, rode up in
staggering, bravado manner, and roughl
demanded to be told which was Gen. NJ OF
gan. No one of our men made answer
but at that moment some old woman
whose name have never been able I
learn, leaned out OF window, and point
ing him out exclaimed, That's him.
& remember his appearance distinctly
He was in his shirt-sIeeves, with his pant
thrust into a pair of high-top boots, an
with cap on his head. As Campbe
rode up he leveled his gun, and Gen. MOI
gan, seeing his action, exclaimed: 'Grea
GOD! Don't shoot me; I'm prisoner
Campbell paid no attention to what h
SAID, but fired Immediately, the hulIe
l.