The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-10
HOW HILL WAS SLAIN.
Narrative Detailing the Circumstances
of his Fall.

The only men who saw Gen. A. P. Hill
killed before Petersburg, on April 2, 1860,
were two Federal soldiers, names un-
known. and sergt. G. W. Tucker. The
latter was chief of Gen. Hills courlers,
and was riding with the distinguished
officer at the time of the tragic occurrence.
For the first time Mr.. Tucker tells OF the
death.shot, and describes the death scene.
Tn the current number of the Southern
Historical Society Papers he says:
About midnight the cannonading in
front of Petersburg, which had begun at
nightfall, became very heavy, increasing
as the hours went by. Col. Palmer, chief
of staff, woke Maj. Starke, A. A. G., and
requested him to find out the cause and
effect of the prolonged firing: This was
between Q and 8 o'clock on the morning
of April 2. Maj Starke returned before
daylight, and reported that "the enemy
had part of our line near the Rives salient,
and that matters looked critical on the
lines in the front of the city" This he
communicated to Gen. Hill at Venable's.
; Before sunrise Gen. Hill came over
and asked Col. Palmerif he had any re-
port from Gems. Wilcox and Heath, whose
divisions on the right extended from the
front of Fort Gregg, to and beyond Bur-
ges.'s mill, on Hatcher's run. The Colo.
nel told him that he had heard nothing
from them, and had nothing further to
report beyond Maj. Starke's statement.
The General then passed on to his tent,
and q few minutes later the Colonel,
noticing his colored servant, Charles,
leading the Generals saddled horse to
his tent, ran to him just as he was mount.
ing and asked permission to accompany
him. BE told the Colonel no, and de-
sired him to wake up the staff, get every
thing in readiness and have the head.
quarters wagon hitched up. he added
that he was going to Gen. Lees, and
would take Sergt. Tucker and two couri.
ers, and that as soon as he could have an
interview with Gen. Lee he would return.
MOVEMENTS OF GEN. HILL.
Gen. Hill then rode to the couriers'
quarters and found me in the act Of
grooming my horse. did not then
bave the slightest intimation of what had
taken place since our return from tho
lines the night before. He directed me
to follow him with two couriers immedi.
ately to Gen. Lees headquarters. He
then rode off rapidly. 1t was our custom
in critical times to have during the night
two of the couriers' horses always saddled.
I called to Kirkpatrick and jenkins, the
couriers next in turn, to follow the Cen
eral as quickly as possible. l saddled up
at once and followed them. Kirkpatrick
and Jenkins arrived at Gen. Eee,s to-
.gether, only a few minutes after Gen.
Hill, who at once directed Kirkpatrick
to ride rapidly back to our quarters I |
met him on the road, going at full SPEEDY
and tell Col. Palmer to follow him to tho
right. This was the first information re-
ceived at corps headquarters that our
right had given way. Gen. Hill then
rode, attended only by jenkins, to the
front gate of Gen. Lees headquarters
(Turnbull house, on The Cox road, nearly
one and a half miles westerly from Gen.
Hill's) where met them.
We went directly across the road into
the opposite field, and riding due south o
short distance, the General drew rein and
for a few moments used his field.glass,
which, in my still profound ignorance of
what had happened, seemed exceedingly
queer. We then rode en- in the same di-
rection down declivity toward small
branch running eastward to Old Town
Creek and quarter of mile from Gen.
Lees. We had gone little more than
half this distance when we suddenly
came upon two of the enemy's armed in
fantrymen. Jenkins and myself, who up
to this time rode immediately behind the
General, were instantly upon them, when
at the demand surrender" they laid
down their guns. Turning to the General
I asked what should be done with the
prisoners he said Jenkins, take them
to Gen. Lee" jenkins started back with
his meu and We rode on.
"To THE RIGHT"
Though not invited, I was at the Gen.
erals side, and my attention having now
been aroused, and looking carefully
ahead and around I saw lot of
people in and about the old log hut, win
ter quarters of Gen. Mahone's division,
situated to the right of Whitworth house
and on the hill beyond the branch we
were approx ching. Now as l knew that
these quarters had been vacant since
about March IS by the transfer of Ma
hone to the north of the Appomattox,
and feeling that it was the enemy's troops
in possession, with nothing looking like
a Confederate anywhere, remarked, point
ing to the OLE camp, General, what
troops are those ?" He quickly replied,
"The enemy's." Proceeding still further
and Gen. Hill making no further remark,
1 became 30 impressed with the great risk
he was running that l made bold to say
"Please excuse me, General, but where
are you going" he answered: "Ser-
geant, must go to the right as quickly
as possible" Then, pointing southwest,
he said: eve will go up this side of the
branch to the woods, which will cover us
until reaching the field in rear of Gen.
Heth's quarters; | hope to find the road
clear at Gen. Heth's."
From that time on kept slightly
ahead of the General. l had kept q
Colts army pistol drawn since the affair
of the Federal stragglers. We then made