The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-05-21
BREATHED THE SMOKE OF BATTLE.
n NOTABLE WOMAN NOINTUECIVu
CONFLICT.
The Sister OF Ger. John Morgan and
the Wife OF Con. a. II. Hill

Few American women have had
their lives SO crowded with dramatic
Incidents as Mrs. Alexander Forsythe,
of Chicago, sister of Gen. John Nor
gan, whose daring raid made him con
SplcuOus on two continents.
For four years Mrs. Forsythe lived
under the smoke Of the cannon, being
Il soldiers wife who went through the
entire war with her husband. Thrice
welded and thrice widowed, twice the
mother Of posthumous child and
again on the last day Of the war left
desolatc with II tiny babe in her arms,
her experience RS wife and mother,
Bays the Chicago News, is almost un-
precedented.
After the death Of her first husband,
Calvin McCiung, she married Gen. a.
Il. Hill, one Of the most distinguished
generals in the Confederate army, q
man whose name was on the dying lips
Of StOncwall jackson and Robert f..
Lee. AS a bride she went to the front
with her husband and was actively in
tcrcstcd in his company, the Invinci.
bios, 18th Virginia. Among other
things she presented the company
with u handsome silk flag, but during
an engagement the color bearers arm
was shot of, and the flag, gripped in
the bloody hand, was captured by q
Union soldier. Mrs. Hill promptly
made another and it is now hanging
in the White House at Richmond
Gen. Hill was killed the last day Of
the war at the fall OF Petersburg. Gen.
Lee made charge and recovered his
body, and Il lew moments after the
general had parted from his wife he
was brought back TO her, shot through
the heart, his wedding ring still on
his finger and his cape covering his
dead face.
That night tho army retreated in
haste and Mrs. Hill was the last wO-
man TO pass the pontoon at Petersburg.
1t was an awful journey, for the roads
were choked with the disorganized
troops sometimes they were in the
cncmy's lines and again in their own,
but all through that dreadful night
Mrs. Hill sat in the ambulance by her
dead husbands body, holding her baby
and little daughter in her arms. She
buried Gen. Hill at Gouchland, Va,
laying him away in the uniform he
wore when he fell. Aftcrward the
body WAS removed to Hollywood but 4,
few years ago Mayor Ginter donated
the spot in Richmond where Gen. Hill
organized his fl st company, and his
body was taken there and u splendid
monument erected to his memory.
His youngest daughter, Miss Lucy
Lee Hill, the babe OF the rctreating
army, is now Il beautiful woman and
was one Of the board Of lady managers
at the Worlds Fair from Kentucky.
She is Gen. Lees god-daug ana
his tears fell on her baby face as he
held her in his arms at the baptiSnal
font.
Some years after Gen. Hills death,
Mrs. Hill mai ried Dr. Alexander For
sytho. Since his death she came to
Chicago and now resides at 10l Pine
street. She was noted beauty in
her youth and her cordiality endcars
her to friends now and Old Tho home
life Of the Morgan family was singu-
larry happy, for there wore six sons
and six daughters to fill the hospitablc
home with mc"rymaking. Gen. Nor
gan was the eldest child. He was
passionately fond of children and Mrs.
Forsythc says that on Sunday mornings
he used to take = quantity Of bread
and an immense bright tin pan full OF
molasses and gather all the plantation
pickannnies on the lawn and let them
"sop" the sweet stuff 80 their hearts
content In the winter the poor, both
black and white, had the freedom Of
his great wood yard back of his factory.
gan are never mentioned in the family
circles, and the borrowing details
were carefully withheld from the
grief-stricken mother. The general
was on his way to visit his wife, to
whom he had not long been married.
Worn with travel, he stopped for the
night at ~ lonely farm house. The
people wore ardent Southern sympa-
thiZers and personal friends, but the
daughter had u sweetheart in the
Union army. After the family retired
she stole out, saddlcd q horse and rode
to the nearest camp with the startling
her mothers home. AS the night was
wild and stormy and his retreat OBJ.
scurc, Cen. Morgan felt perfectly
secure and slept soundly until Il move
mcnt in the yard aroused him. He
sprang out OF bed and rushed out OF
the house in his night clothes. Hc
was Immediately surrounded and shot.
Before his heart ceased beating his
unclothcd body was flung across a
horse and taken to camp. On the way
the country was aroused by the sol
dicrs' cXultant cries:
"We have killed Morgan, the great
Confederate rebel !"
1t Is q matter of history that from
who shot him every one has suffered {
violent death. Mrs. Forsythe's young
est brother, Francis Key Morgan
named ate" his cousin, author of "Tht
Star,-Spangled Banner," Inherited The
fearless spirit. When ii he climbed
into tho cupola of the old academy Il
Lexington and unfurled the Confctlcl
alto hag. The city swarmcd will
Union soldiers and it would have gon,
hard for the lad had he not bee,
spirited away in closed carriage
About this time Gen. Morgan sent .
trusty Irish boy with letters to hi;
mother. His bridal reins were full O
gold dollars and he succeeded in run
ming the blockades safely. But afte
his arrival the news reached the sol
diers, who searched tho house mr.
captured him. That night Franoi
crept under the carelessly euardef
tents, cut the little follows bonds an,
the two escaped in the darkness.
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Tho SIMMER inst cl0sino IN ~,