The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-10
GENERAL MORGAN'S DEATH.
The Story that Has Never Been T0ld-AnG
Probably Never Will Be.

Probably Never Will Be.
Nashville Crenn.) American.
The following is clipped from a Greenevlle
(Tenn. letter to the Nashville Union:
Another historic spot Is the place where
Morgan, the gallant confederate leader, fell on
the night of Sept d. 1864. 1t was on the line
fronting the elegant residence of Mr.. W. ID.
Williams, who is still respected and honored
citizen of Greenvllle. Your correspondent asked
him the other day to give the particulars of
Morgans death He replied, with smile:
Come around some of these days when both of
us are idle and will put in couple of days
telling it,. He further states that the true facts
have never been published, and perhaps they
never Will be"
While in Greenvlle last week. though most of
the time confined in the court room too Closely
to attend to outside matters, | essayed a COM
pact and concise reference to the killing of Gen.
John H. Morgan, and afterward met Major w.
d. Williams, who assured me that the true
facts had never been published and perhaps
never would be-" l thereupon besought the gal
liant eX-confederate las an witness of the sad
EVENT. TO render the story in nuggetS-to correct
whatever of error bad been msled into publish
ing-and as the court house bell was then sum
monng to the Johnson trial, to please boil it
down ana let the world have at last absolute
ly true story of the important event
Il can do it, kindly the Major began, ''fcr
the true facts have never been published, and
perhaps never will be. | was a confederate sol
der myself, and had returned to Greenviile just
about the time General Morgan came in. 1t was
a very reckless thing in Morgan, and | begged
him to biyouac in his camp over the hill yOnder,
but no, he would stay. L had seen him two or
three days BEFORE had Overtaken him in fact at
Observation-Disclosures wasn't Jonesborough; it
Bristol. Perhaps between Bristol and
Abingdon, Waves it was in Virginia Now,
to 60 back to Virginia"
'lf you please, Major" put in impatiently,
for the court was already In session; IF YOU
please let us rather come on to Greenvile at q
single bound and get exactly how and where
General Morgan was killed, without any of the
trimming"
"All right, certainly That's what I'm com
ing to. Well. was riding along the road with
an old comrade some distance beyond Bristol,
and now, what's his name? Oh, yes; Simmons:
poor John Simmons Died in 1874 of Brights
disease of the kidneys. Left daughteT-beau
preacher whose sermon on the subject of justi
fication by faith L"
Excuse me- Major; let's get on with the Nor
gan part of the story. III he compelled to
leave you in the very midst of it."
well, now, don't be SO fidgety! That's just
the reason the true facts have never been pub
lished, and perhaps never will be. You news
paper men all run off before can get to EN-.
But, however, | was saying, Simmons'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 he VEINS sake let's don't 60 back be-
yond the Revolution. Excuse me, my dear sir.
but"
"All right interposed the Major, ''all right.
I'm coming to i'll But that was horrible death
Patrick Henry's uncle (who was one of Sim
mons's daughters ancestors) died Oft was
hydrophobia. guess it'll make my story some
what shorter to tell it as ! go long. When
George Washington was surveying over in Eau
QUEER county, about ten years before the Revo
lutionary war broke out, he saw mad dog
break loose in Captain Gilhoolys back yard, and
run into the town and bite COW, a horse. a goat,
dog AVID two other gentlemen before"
Before thunder" | impolitely calculated.
"Voorhees will be done speaking before you get