Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-28
THE KILLING OF GENERAL
MORGAN.
Ihe Ful Details by Major VIII
cox, the Officer I'm Command
Another Account.
Knoxville Chronicle.

N.-Editor OF the Chronicle: Below
you will find a letter of Major G, @,
Wilcox, of Elizabethton, Tenn. con
eerning the killing of General M Morgan.
taken from the Union Flag, of May
%, 1866, published by Captain G. Z.
Grisham:
ELIzABETHToN, TENN, MAY 8.
lott. Editors Union Flag | noticed
In the New Era Of a recent date a
Communication copied from the At
lanta lntelllgencer, respecting the
death and capture of General John
d. Morgan, of the Confederate States
Army, which is a base fabrication and
IN which myself and the brave BOYS
that led upon that occasion. are inns
pllcated and charged with uncivilized
and lnhuman treatment towards pris-
oners of war. | cannot refrain from
Yindicating myself and men upon the
occasion and denounce the author of
the same as base calumniator, de-
void OF all honor and principle, and
not worthy to occupy the most dismal
cell IN our State or national prisons.
The facts in the ease are these. In
the month of September, 1864, Gen.
Slliem's command was stationed at
Bulls Gap, Tenn, and on the night
OF the Sd Of September boy whom
the enemy had captured and who had
effected his escape, came to our camp
and informed General Gillem that
General Morgan intended to attack
him the next morning; whereupon
Colonel lngerton was dispatched with
the Thirteenth Tennessee cavalry to
cut of the enemy at Greenville, and
after marching all night came within
one and half miles of Greenville.
when he halted and formed his
command in line of battle. During
the time that said command was in
line OF battle, Colonel Ingerton, Adju
tant Scott and myself captured dis
patch bearer, who was carrying ais.
patches from the rebel commandant
at Blue Springs; said dispatch was
directed to General John H. Morgan,
widow Williams residence, Green
vile, Tenn. | was ordered at
once with Company G, Thir-
tee 1th Tennessee cavalry, to proceed
to Greenville, and, ifpossible, capture
General Morgan. |, in accordance,
proceeded to Greenville, and upon
entering the town had my command
so arranged as to surround the prem
ises Of the widow Williams without
noise or difficulty. Having surrounded
the premises, / ordered Sergeant Will,
cox with seven men to search the
house, and, on searching, the entire
staff was found and made prisoners,
and during the search General Morgan,
by some means, made his escape into
the garden without the notice of the
guard. After having searched the
house minutely and not finding the
General, l ordered Sergeant Wilcox
and one man to explore the lot, and
on entering the same they saw some
person crawling out Of a ditch. where
upon Sergeant Wilcox discharged his
piece at him and the fire was returned,
and the party firing ran into cluster
Of grape vines. Pres. Campbell,
who was an outside sentinel, dis.
charged his piece at him, it taking
effect. entering his left hip,
ranging along his spine ana coming
out at the left nipple. | was about
twenty steps outside of the premises
when the boys exclaimed that they
had killed some one. | Immediately
tore down the fence and rode in and
found Sergeant Wilcox, Campbell and
Birchfeld looking at him. | ordered
them to turn him over and search
him. Upon his person was found a
letter addressed to General Morgan,
Greenville, Tenn. | rode to the fence
where / had the entire staff under
guard, and informed Mr.. Gray, his
assistant Adjutant General, that | be-
lieved that it was General Morgan.
The enemy pressing me, ordered his
remains to be placed on Campbell's s
horse (before him) and Immediately
started for the command, and met
Colonel Miller with his brigade, where
l had left the regiments and turned the
remains Of General Morgan over to
the surgeon of the brigade,
who had his remains conveyed
back to Mrs. Williams, at Greenville,
where he was neatly and decently
dressed, and surrendered on the 4th
| Of September to a Confederate flag Of
truce. General Morgan, when shot,
threw his pistols into cluster Of grape
vines, which were afterwards found by
Mrs. Colonel Fry, and turned over to
General Gillem:
Mr.. Editor, the foregoing. are facts
respecting the affair, and the facts sci
forth can be substantiated by the best
men in our section, men, toe, who have
proudly faced death upon many hard
fought battlefields, meu who defended
the country from principle, without
the hope Of compensation; and men
too, who have never shrunk from the
fostering arms of justice.
@. O. Wilcox,
Ex-captain of Co. G., 18th Tenn. V
Cavalry.
| l send you this thinking it might be
OF service to you.
| Raanactfullv g H HrNnpTy