Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-04-29
Gen. McPherson's Death.

man at the Victoria hotel about a
year ago by Wilson Barrett, the actor
Mr.. Bronson Howard, the playwright
induced the general to repeat the story
of the killing of Gen. Mcpherson in
the battle of Atlanta. Howard had
proposed to introduce this dramatic
feature in war play, but had after
wards selected the incident of the
reading of the signal lights on the
mountains in the Shenandoah Valley
as the chief point in his play of
Shenandoah"
The general then told with remark
able pathos the story of Mcpherson s
death, how on that fateful July day
before Atlanta he was suddenly as
saulted in the flank by the bulk of
the con federate army. and how, when
he had first heard the firing, he sent
Mcpherson to ascertain the cause of
it.
"In short time," he said, "news
was brought in that Mcpherson had
ridden too far outside of our lines and
had been killed; his horse had return
ed riderless, and it was believed that
his body had been secured by the
enemy"
The general said that this not only
gave him the greatest shock of his
life, but the greatest alarm, for he re-
membered that Mcpherson had in his
inside coat pocket complete notes Of
his plan of campaign, and he knew if
the enemy secured these papers that
all his plans would be thwarted and
his strength and position exposed.
He Immediately ordered Gen.
Dodge to take the first available
troops he had and charge that por-
ton of the confederate line in front
of which Mcpherson had been killed.
While he was passing up and down
IN front of little house where he had
his headquarters, listening to the roar
of the battle, he saw some one emerge
from the woods near by carrying the
body of the slain general. He was
taken into the little house and the
general said that he knelt down be-
side the body, unbuttoned the uniform
coat, and began to search for the
papers in the pocket. Suddenly his
hand was covered with blood, and the
shock was so great to him that he
could no longer pursue his inquiry.
He called to the chief of his medical
staff, and asked him to ascertain
whether any papers were on the body.
After a brief search the reply came
that there was nothing to be found.
The general said that his agitation
at this time was overwhelming. AL
though the enemy's shells were flying
all about the house he was totally
oblivious of his personal danger,
thinking only of the safety of his
army.
A few minutes later two men came
to the house leading a confederate
prisoner. One of them said, General
we captured this man near where we
recovered the body of Mcpherson"
"Very good" l said, continued Gen.
Sherman, as he told the story; search
him and turn him over to the head
quarters guard" The prisoners coat
was pulled open and in the first pock-
ct in which our guard searched was
found McPherson's pocketbook intact.
1t was handed to me and l hastily
opened it and found all the papers
just as they had been left by Gen.
Mcpherson. The confederate, who
had plundered his body, had not time
even to examine his find before he
was captured by our impetuous troops.
You can rest assured that l felt very
much better after that turn of the
incident, and / am satisfied that no
more dramatic episode ever occurred
upon battlefeld.-New York
World.