The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-20
GENERAL A. p. HILLS DEATH.
Letter from Colonel G. y. venabIe Giving
Further Particulars OF the sad Event.
fsouthern Historical Society Papers.l

Further Particulars OF the Sad Event.
[southern Historical Society Papers.I
VEvAY, SWITZERLAND,
December %, 1888.
NV Dear Sir,-Your postal OF November
26th has been forwarded to me here, as
well as the clipping from the Dispatch
giving fuckers account OF General A. l..
Hilps death. fuckers Is a true statement,
doubtless, OF the circumstances .immedi-
ately attending the death Of General Hill
at the hands OF the Federal skirmishers.
but his memory has failed hnr in several
points which should have been presented
In order to give q true picture OF the sad
event. and fuller idea OF the anxious de-
votion to duty and love for his troops
which made the General on that fatal
morning utterly reckless Of his own life.
General Hill reached General Lees head
quarters before light and reported person.
ally t. the General in his own room.
General Longstreet had arrived from the
north side OF the AppomattoX about
1 o'clock the same morning and was
lying on the floor OF the Adjutants
Office trying to get little sleep. A few
minutes after General HIPS arrival /
walked out to the front gate Of the Turn
transfers dashlng rather wildly down the
River road (Cox's) in the direction OF
Petersburg. Walking ont on the road,
met a wounded officer on crutches coming
from the direction OF the huts OF Harris's
brigade, which lay across the branch IN
front OF the headquarters, VINO informed
me he had been driven from bis quarters
in these huts (Which few sick and
wounded men occupied) by the enemy's
skirmishers. | Immediately returned to
the house. ordered my horse, and reported
what had seen and heard to General Lee,
with whom General Hill was still sitting.
General Lee ordered me to 90 and re-
connoitre Mt once. General Hill started
ND also: we mounted our horses and rode
together, General Hill being accompanied
by one courier, "a i remember, who |
thought was Tucker. / had no courier
with me. On arriving at the branch Ut
was barely light at the time) we stopped
TO water our horses and look around.
While thus engaged the enemy made his
presence known by firing on us some
Struggling shots from the direction OF the
huts and hill toward the BOydton plank
road. Soon perceiving half a dozen or
more OF our own skirmiShers near US, who
had been driven back by the sudden adj
vance OF the enemy, | got General
HIPS permission to deploy these in
front OF us, so rs to make some
show Of force. 1t being impossible to
90 straight on to the Boydton plank
road on the road on which we were riding.
we turned to the right and rode up the
branch. General Hill, whose sole idea was
to reach his troops at all hazards. soon be-
came impatient OF the slow progress OF our
improyised skirmishers, and really there
seemed to be no enemy in our front in the
direction i'm which we were riding. So
we pressed on ahead OF them. After going
n short distance IL became light enough to
see some artillery on the River road (CoXs)
about one hundred and fifty yards distant
on the hill to our right. He asked me
whose artillery 1t was. | informed HIM that
1t was Poague's battalion, which came over
the night before from Dutch Gap. He re-
mested me TO 90 at once and put it into
position. | leaped my horse over the
branch and carried out his request. This
was the last / ever saw OF General Hill
alive. Az | rode across the field and up the
slope towards Poague's battalion he rode
I'D the branch towards copse OF small
pines, with few large ones interpreted.
1t was in this copse, doubtless, that Gen.
eral Hill met his death in the manner de-
scribed by Tucker. The mistakes OF Tuck
er are first as TO the distance OF the branch
in question from the Turnbull house, which
Is not more than TWO hundred yards, and
then as 10 the time OF his conversation
with General Hill, which must have been
after left him and some distance up the
branch. | remember fuckers presence
but rot that OF jenkins at the branch.
When we left the gate OF the Turnbull
house General Hill had but one courier;
but another could have easily ridden up
behind us without attracting my attention
while we were examining the front so In
tentIy in the dim light OF the coming day.
The sad event OF General HIPS death
was the browning sorrow OF that fatal
morning. In him fell one OF the knightli-
est generals OF that army OF knightly sol
diers. On the field he was the very soul OF
chivalrous gallantry. In moments OF the
greatest peril his bearing was superb and
inspiring in the highest degree. No won
der that Lee, when he saw the horse OF his
trusted lieutenant, with the saddle empty,
led bv the faithful Tucker, found time TO
shed tears, even in the trying moment when
the tide Of adverse battle, sweeping heavily
against us, demanded his every thought.
The name OF A. u. Hill stands recorded
high on the list Of those noble sons OF Vir-
ginia Mt whose roll-call grateful memory
will ever answer: dead on the field OF
honor for the people they loved so well.'
| should have added to the account
above that in less than half an hour after
General Hill was killed the advanced skir-
mishers OF the enemy were driven from
the copse OF pines by our men and his
body recovered,
While thus supplementing, and in a man.
ner correcting, Sergeant fuckers account,
| wish to say have great respect for him.
He was true and faithful soldier-a'
brave as q lion. | well remember being
with General Hill on the 9TH Of May, 1864
az his advance guard on the plank
road struck the 0nemy's cavalry out
posts in the Wilderness, when Tucker
whose horse had died during the winter,
cot permission to 90 on the skirmish line
and kill Yankee cayalryman and appro'
pirate his steed. His eagerness caused him
TO be imprudent in exposing himself, and
he rot bullet in the thigh, which rendered
horse unnecessary TO him for some time.
With all the good wishes OF the day,
am, yours most truly,
' CHARLES s. yENABLE.