Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-08-06
GEN. MORGAN's DEATH.
The story that has Never Been Told.

The Story that has Never Been Tolu'
The following is clipped from a
Greencyille CTenn.) letter to the NASH
vile Union:
another historic spot is the place where
Morgan, the gallant Confederate leader, fell
ON the night Of Sept. 4, 1864. 1t was ON the
line fronting the elegant residence OF Alr.
w. ID. Williams, who Is still respected and
honored citizen of GreeneVille Your cor
respondent asked him the other day to give
the particulars of MOrgans death. lie re-
piled, with smile: Come around some of
these days when both of us are idle and /
will put in couple of days telling it, lie
further states that the true facts have never
be-"
While in Greencville last week,
though most of the time confined in the
court room too closely TO attend to out
side matters, | essaycd compact and
concise reference to the killing of Gen.
John ii. Morgan. and afterward met
Major. W. ID. Williams. who assured
me that the .strue facts had never been
published and perhaps never would
be-. = | thcreupon besought the gallant
ex-Confcdcrate (as an eyewitness of
the sad cvent) 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. 10
please boil it down and let the world
have at last an absolutely true story of
the important event.
II can do ii, kindly the Major be-
gan, "for tho true facts have never been
published, and perhaps never will be.
was Confederate soldier myself, and
had returned to GreeneYille just about
the time Gen. Morgan came in. Itwas
very reckless thing in Morgan, and |
begged him 10 bivouac in his camp
overt the hill yonder, but no, lie would
stay. had seen him two or three days
before, had ovcrtaken him in fact at
Jonesborough-no-it wasn't Jones'
borough; it was Bristol. Perhaps be-
tween Bristol and Abingdon, Va. yes,
it was in Virginia. Now to 60 back to
Virginia.
''lf you please, Major, put in inn
patiently, for the court was already in
session; ''if you please, let us rather
come on to Greeneville at single
bound and get exactly how and whore
Gen. Morgan was killed, without any
of the trimming"
'All right. certainly. That's what
I'm coming to. Well, I was riding
along the road with an old comradc
some distance beyond Bristol, and now,
what's his name2 oh, yes; Simmons;
poor John Simmons. Died ia 1874 of
Bright's disease of the kidneys. Left
daughter girl-who mar
ried Hardshell Baptist preacher,
whose sermon on the subject of iusti-
iication by faith II
Excuse me, Major; let's get on with
the Morgan part of the story, or I'll be
compelled to leave you in the very
midst Of ii
'sWell. now, don't be so iidgetyl
That's just tho reason tho true facts
have never been published, and per-
hal1s never will be. You newspaper
men all run OF before can get to EN-.
But, however, as / was saying, SIM
mons's daughter, who married the
Baptist preacher, was down in South
Carolina at the time; her husband had
taken her there to get her out o' the
way o. the Yankees. Regular rebel,
she was; kin to old Patrick Henry, who
once told her grandfather :"
'But for Heavens sake, let's don't
~ ottCA oSt O4u tuc ASt0lu1lOUs Tx
cuse me, my dear Sir, but
..All right. interposed the Major,
'sall right. I'm coming TO Il! But
that was 4 horrible death Patrick Hen
rvs uncle (who was one of Simmons
daughters ancestors) died Oft was
hydrophobia. I guess it'll make my
story somewhat shorter to tell ii as /
90 long. When George Washington
was surveying over ia Fauquier Coun-
ty. about 10 years before the Revolu-
tionary war broke out, he saw mad
dog break loose il Capt. GiIhoolys
back yard, and run into the town and
bite COW. = horse, d goat. a dog, and
two other gentlemen cforc''
Before thunder. = IimpoliteIy tfacu-
lated. Voorhees, will he done speak
ing before you Get as FAR as Jones
borough with your Morgan st0ry. I'm
anxious to grt il if-'a
Very well. continued my friend.
very well. It's a. important event
~ you say and tho trnc facts in the
case have never been published. and
perhaps never viii Be. But I've rot
'em got 'em right - rny finger tips
cot en- right in Fly bfain--eot en- !,
Good-bye. 1Iaiorl believe yoni /
believe You've got 'em, but ! can't