The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-06-09
General Cleburne'S Death.
The Facts Concerning the Tragic Demise Of
the Confederate ChisftAin.

The Facts Concerning the Tragic Demise Of
the Confederate Chisftain.
Detroit Free Press.
John MeQuaid, a Confederate
soldier, thus gives for the first time
the true and fall particulars Of the
death of Gen. Cleburne at Frank
lin:
! saw in your paper Of yester.
day morning the article headed
"The Death of Cleburne," copied
from the Philadelphia Times. |
have noticed that all published nc.
counts of Gen. Cleburne's death
have been of about the same yer
sion as the one in the Philadelphia
Times. Tney are, however, all
wrong. All published accounts
state that Gen. Cleburne aud his
horse were killed on the top of the
Federal breastworks at Franklin,
Tenn, and that his horse had ITS
forefeet on the brcastworks, dead
in that position. Some accounts
have tho horse on top of the
breastworks, with its forefeet on
the inside of the works and the
hindfeet on fhe outside.
II was the horse of Gen. John
Adams, of Loring's division, that
lay on top of the breastworks.
The body of Adams lay on the out.
side at the bottom of the works,
where ii had rolled or fallen when
he was shot, while riding over the
works leading his brigade. Gen.
Cleburne led his division on foot.
His horse was to the rear, and was
not killed, as reported.
The terrible report that Cleburne
was missing ran through our ranks
that whole dreadful night, and our
fears and anxieties were almost
disheartening. We almost prayed
that he might have been wounded
only, or captured; but that was
not to be. land two others were
the first to discover his dead body
at early dawn the next morning.
He was about forty or fifty yards
from the works. He lay flat upon
his back as IL asleep, his military
cap partly over his eyes. lie had
on new gray uniform, the coat
Of the sack or blouse pattern. II
was unbottoned and open; the
lower part of his vest was unbut.
toned. He wore n white linen
shirt, which was stained with blood
on the front part of tho left side,
or just left of the abdomen. This
was the only sign of wound |
saw on him, and believe it was
the only one he had received.
] Ihave always been inclined to
think that, feeling his end was
near, he had thus laid himself down
to die, or that his body had been
carried there during the night. He
was In his sock feet, his boots hav
ing been stolen. His watch, SWORD
belt and other valuables were all
gone; his body having been rob
bed during the night. "Beinl
pierced with forty bullets through
and through is mere invention,
as is also his lying dead on top oi
the breastworks. Upon discover
ing Clcburne's body | went Ia
some parties who had M ambu.
lance up at the breastworks and
we're picking mp the wounded and
the more distinguished Of the dead
officers. | found the ambulance
to be in charge of the Rev. Thos.
Markham, the well.knewn Presby.
terian minister of New Orleans
and formerly Of this place. Tic
was then chaplain of Fcatherston's
Mississippi brigade, Lorlng's di
vision. Ipointed Cleburne's Dody
out to him and asked him to come
with the ambulance and get It,
The men that were with him were
at that moment lifting up the body
of Gen. John Adams, and it being
rather heavy for them, helped to
put 1t in the ambulance. We then
went to where Cleburne lay and
assisted to put his body in the
same ambulance. The Rev. Thos.
Markham, whom everybody here
knows, will cOrrOborate every
word of what | have stated.
Yonrs truly, JOHN McQUAID.
Rlddleberger Dlsgusted.