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

| OF MS FHit.
The only men who saw Gen. A. p. Hill
killed before Petersburg. on April 2, 1865,
known, aud Sergt. G. w. Tucker. The
and was riding with the distinguished
officer at the time of the tragic occurrence.
For the frat time Mr.. Tucker tells of the
death. shot, and describes the death scene.
In the current number of the Southern
Historical Society Papers he says:
About midnight the cannonading in
front Of Petersburg, which had begun at
nightfali, became very heavy, increasing
as the hours went by. Col. Palmer, chief
of staff, woke Maj. Starke, A. A. g., aud
requested him to find out the cause and
effect of the prolonged firing. This was
between mad g o'cioek Oh :hs 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 be
| communicated to Gen. Hill at Venable's.
Before sunrise Gen. Hill came over
and asked Col. Palmer If 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-
gess's mill on Hatcher's run. The Colo.
mel told him that he had heard nothing
from them, and had nothing further to
report beyond Maj. Starke's statement.
The General then paesed on to his tent,
and few minutes later the Colonel,
| Noticing bis co,ored servant, Charles,
leading the Generals .,adled morse to
his tent, ran to him just as he was mount.
ing and asked permission to accompany
him. He 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.
interview with Gen. Lee ho 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
have the slightest intimation of what had
taken place oince our return from the
lines the night before.l 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, t
couriers next in turn, to follow the Gen
eral as quickly as possible. caddled up
at once and followed them. Kirkpatrick
and Jenkins arrived at Gen. Lees to.
gether, only few minutes after Gen.
Hill, who at once directed Kirkpatrick
to ride rapidly back to our quarters Il
met him on the road. going at full apeed)
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 thon
rode, attended only by Jenkins, to :he
front gate of Gen. Lees headqu, %
(Turnbull house, on the Coy rcs,'
one and half miles weste'
Hill's) where met them
We went directly across tho
the opposite field, and riding due sc
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 cn in the same d..
rection down declivity toward a small
branch running eastward 70 Old Town
Creek and quarter of q 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: "Jenkinu, take them
to Gen. Lee" jenkins started back with
his men and We rode on.
ITO THE RIGHT"
Though not invited, was at the Gen.
erals aide, and my attention having now
been aroused, and looking carefully
ahead and around / saw q 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 mill beyond the branch ne
were approaching. Now as 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
Confederate anywhere, remarked, point
ing to the old camp, General, what
troops arc those" He quickly replied,
"The enemy's." Proceeding still furthe-
and Gen. Hill making no further remark,
became 80 impressed with the great risk
he was running that made bold to ssy
"Please excuse me, General, but where
are you going7" He answered: "Ser.
geant, must go to the right as quickly
as possible" Then, pointing southwest,
he said: "We will go up this side Of the
branch to the woods, which will cover un
until reaching the field in rear Of Con
Heth's quarters; hope to find the road
clear st Gen. Heth's."
From that time on I kept slightly
ahead of the General. I had kept q
Colts army pistol drawn since the affair
Of tho Federal stragglev. We then made
the branch, becoming obseured from the
enemy, and, crossing the Bowdtoin (noi
"Boydtown," as some writer's have called
| it) plank road, soon made the woods
which we're kept for about mile, in
which distance We did not see O single
person, and emerging into the field oppo
site Gen. Heth's at a point two miles due
southwest from Gen. Lees headquarters
at the Turnbull house, and at righ
angles with the Bowdt6in plank road al
the Chairman" house, which was distant
half G mile. When going through tht
szoods the only words between Gen. Hill
and myself, except few relating to the
route, were by himself. He called my
attention and said: Sergeant, should
anything happen to me you must 90 bacl
to Gen. Leo aud rsportit