The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-04-04
HAD NOT SURRENDERED.
Death of Gen. Morgan at Greenvillc, Tenn

of Gen. John HI. Morgan appears in a recen
issue of the Nashville Banner, by p. w. Horn
| of Greenville.
| As to the way Gen. Gillem obtained hi
information of Gen. Morgan's whereabouts
the article says:
| Itso happened that near Greenvle there was
| boy named Lendy, about IL years of age. Whose
| father and older brothers were in the Fedora
1 army with Gen. Giem. near the place called Bull
| Gap now better known as RogersvilIe. The boyi
1 father stage driver, and the boy hmsel
must have Inherited his fathers fondness for horses
| In some way he had got possession OF an ole
| broken down horse. which had been condemned
and left behind by of the two armies that raideo
the unfortunate country alternately.
At Morgan's approach the boy hid his horse In
| n tmbcred hollow in the mountains; but so grca
was his fear lest Morgan should steal SO valuable
| an animal that he determined TO take him cleaI
out of The neigiborhood. Without consulting any
one, he took sack of corn, mounted his horse
and announcing his intention Of going to the mill
started for the Federal forces Bull Gap. where
his father and elder brothers were. This he did
not with the remotest intention to betrsy Morgan
or his men, but merely in his boysh anxiety TO DC
near his father and brothers. so that his much
| priced horse might be safe.
He reached his destination late at night. and as
soon as Gen. Gillem heard of his arrival he sent
for him and questioned him. From this simple
minded l4-year-old boy the information was OBJ
tanned which led to the death Of the well-ngh In
| vincible Morgan.
1t matters not at this time. Mr.. HIS ac-
count Of it may be in few instances cor
rect.
His article says: "Gen. Gillem, upon re-
ceiving the information from the boy, Leady,
was quick to act, taking about 1900 men
with him."
That Gen. G. "acted quickly" is not so
but Col. John K. Miller, commanding Third
Brigade Governors Guards), did act
quickly. Col. Miller did not have 1000
men, but he had part of the 9th and 18th
Tenn. Cav, about 1000 men, suppose.
As soon as the Colonel in command
thought we had enough on horseback-not
in line, for we couldn't see how to get in
line-he ordered us to follow him, which we
did; but the number that actually got TO
Greenville on this occasion will never be
known.
The assertion that the force Of Union SOL
diers dashed down the Rogersville road,
thus evading the pickets of Gen. Morgan. is
not so, because we did run into his pickets
about mile before we reached Greenville,
and took most of them in, as now remem-
ber. Now we are on that beautiful ground
where the deed was enacted.
Gen. Morgan was in the Williams House.
The first that was seen of the person that
proved to be Gen. Morgan was when he
jumped out of window in the back part of
the Williams House, hiding for a moment
in some grapevines and shrubbery close to
the wall Of the house.
This l saw with my own eyes, yet it was
not fairly daylight and still raining and
darkened with fog, but the racket at the
window attracted attention to that particu-
lar spot.
Then it was that the boys in blue began
punching the pickets off the garden fence
with their guns, and getting on the inside,
too close TO be comfortable for the General
in his hiding place, though none knew who
it was. However, we believed the victim
was there, and we were after him.
i think p. W. Horn is correct about Gen.
Morgan being bareheaded but not barefoot
ed, with only his shirt and pants on. My
recollection is that he held holster of large
pistols in his right hand and pair of gloves,
instead of boots, in his left.
Now, as TO the time the fatal shot was
fired, the person that had, as before stated,
dropped out of the window and hiding in
the grapevines, started out from his hiding
place, running stopped over.
At this juncture the boys in blue had
the house and garden surrounded, and some
eight or ten of US on the inside of the garden.
By this time the firing began, and several
shots were simultaneously fired, and the
man running was seen to pitch forward to
the ground. Those of US that were on the
inside of the garden fence rushed forward to
where the man lay on his face, with his
pistols and gloves in his hands. Soon others
rushed up, but the dead man was not touch
ed for time. In the meantime some staff
officers had been captured and were brought
TO the scene, when Capt. Clay, who, believe,
was Gen. Morgan's Adjutant-General, ex-
claimed:
my Godi that is Gen. Morgan"
This was the first we knew who it was
killed. Just as Capt. Clay uttered the words
above quoted, a Sergeant of the 18th Tenn.
Cav, named Campbell, said:
Yes, and by II killed the rascal"
To this claim of Campbell no one objected.
He seemed 10 be the only person present
that desired the honor. The writer and
two or three others then left the scene and
went back through the garden to small
clubhouse, and in passing by heard some
shutting of feet. So we pushed the door open
and found three staff officers within, and we
took them in charge. When we informed
them what had happened they desired TO
take view'of the dead body, so we didn't
deny them the privilege, but went with them
to the spot. Then it was that the face of the
dead body was turned upward, and the Off
GERS we had in charge wept as though it had
been their father lying there dead.
just at that time the firing began again,
and great was the relief, especially to me,
when the stentorian voice of Lieut.-CoI. In-
gerton brawled out:
Stop that firing; those are our own
men,"
1t is a fact that after we arrived at Green
vile no officer was in command of the Union
force, but it was go-as-you-please concern,
every fellow for himself That man Camp
bell, who claimed the honor of discharging
the fatal shot, was the most conspicuous of
any one else, he being so proud OF his game
that with the assistance of some other init
mate comrades he placed the body of Gen.
Morgan on horse in front of said Campbell
without the order or authority of any one,
and instead of being paraded up and down
the streets of Greenville," as Mr.. Horn would
have the people believe, Campbell started
Immediately in the direction Of Bulls Gap,
with his load of human flesh on his horse in
front of him. A sad sight, indeed, it was to
behold.
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