Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-07-27
GENERAL MORGAN'S DEATH.

The following is from Greeneyille
(Tenn.) letter to the Nashville Union:
"Another historic spot is the place where
Morgan, the gallant Confederate leader,
fell on the night Of September 4, 1864. 1t
was Oh the line fronting the elegant resi-
dence of Mr.. w. D. Williams, who is still a
respected and honored citizen of Greene
Vile. Your correspondent asked him the
other day to give the particulars of Nor
gan's death He replied, with smile ::
Come around some of these days when
both of us are idle and will put in a couple
of days telling it, He further states that
the true facts have never been published,
and perhaps they never will be-"
While in Greenevile last week, though
most of the time confined in the court room
too closely to attend to outside matters, /
essayed compact and concise reference 10
the killing of General John II. Morgan and
afterwards met Major w. ID. Williams, who
assured me that the "true facts had never
been published, and perhaps never would
be-" l thereupou besought the gallant
ex- confederate las an eyewitness OF
the sad EVENT. to render the story in
nuggets-to correct whatever of error | had
been misled into publishing-and, as the
court house bell was then summoning to
the johnson trial, to please boil it down and
let the world have at last an absolutely true
story of the important event.
II can do it," kindly the Major began,
"for the true facts have never been publish
ed and perhaps never will be. was con-
federate soldier myself, and had returned
to Greeueville just about the time Gen. Nor
r.
in Morgan, and l begged him to bivouac in
his camp over the hill yonder, but no, he
would stay. had seen him two or three
days, had overtaken him in fact at Jones'
borough-no-it wasn't Jonesborough; it
was Bristol. Perhaps between Bristol and
Abingdon, Vn.-yes, it was in Virginia.
Now, TO go back to Virginia.
"If you please, Major" | put in impa-
tiently, for the court was already in session;
"If you please, let US rather come on to
Greeneville at single bound and get ex-
actly how and where Gen. Morgan was kill
ed, without any of the trimming"
'All right, certainly. That's what am
coming to. Well, was riding along The
road with an old comrade some distance
beyond Bristol, and now, what's his name?
On, yes; Simmons; poor John Simmons.
Died in 1874 of Bright's disease of the kid.
neys. Left daughter-beautiiul girl
who married Hardshell Baptist preacher,
whose sermon OH the subject of justification
by faith l."
Excuse me, Major; let's get on with the
Morgan part of the story, or LII be com
pelIed to leave you iu the very midst of It,"
"Well, now, don't be so hdgety! That's
lust the reason the true facts have never
been published, and perhaps never will he.
You newspaper men all run oil before can
get to 'em. But, however, as ! was saying,
Simmons daughter, who married the Bap-
tist preacher, was down in South Carolina
at the time; her husband had taken her
there to get her out o the way o. the Yam
KEGS. Regular rebel, she was kin to old
Patrick Henry, who once told her grand
father"
But for heavens sake, let's don't go back
beyoud the revolution. Excuse me, my dear
sir, but" :,
'All right" interposed the major, "all
right, I'm coming to it But that was a
horrible death Patrick Henry's uncle (who
was one of Simmons daughters ancestors)
died Oft was hydrophobin. | guess it'll
make my story somewhat shorter to tell it
as 20 long. When George Washington
was surveying over in Fauquier county,
about ten years before the Revolutionary
war broke out, be saw mad dog break
loose in Capt Gilhooley's back yard, and
run into the town and bite cow, a horse, a
goat, dog, and two other gentlemen be-
fore"
"Before thunder" impolitely calculated.
"Voorhees will be done speaking before
you get as far as Jonesborough with your
Morgan story. I'm anxious to get tiff"
Every WE'LL" continued my friend, "very
we'll. It's an important event, as you say,
and the true facts in the case have never
been published. and perhaps never will be.
But I've got 'em-got 'em right at my
finger tips-got 'em right in my brain-got
'em-
Good bye, Major I believe you
believe you've got 'em,' but can't wait on
you any longer, this time. With your kind
permission I'll call some day before |
leave Greeneville-some day, for instance,
when you have time to go into the details
of General Morgan's assassination. There's
sight more of it than thought there was.
/ begin now to see why the world has been
in utter darkness on the subject for so many
weary wears. You are the only man in the
United States that knows all about it, and
YOU know so much that it takes couple ot
DAYS to tell it, I see now very clearly why
| the true facts have never been published
and perhaps never will be. Good afternoon
majorV
'The same to you," politely reioined Tho
historian. "Don't forget to CALL"
Mysterious Disappearance.