Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-22
KILLED 4. !. HILL.
The Death Of Col. John W. Mauk, al
Centerville, Pa.
THE STORY OF HOW THE CONFED-
ERATE GENERAL NET HIS FATE,
AS TOLD BY COL. MAUK HIMSELF
AN INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.

Special to the Register
Cumberland, Nd, August 21.-Col-
onel John w. Mauk died yesterday af-
ternoon at Centerville, Bedford Co.,
Pa, aged IS years.
He was famous in history as the
slayer of the Confederate general 4.
P. Hill.
The following is true account of
the incident as told by the deceased
prior to his death, and which was
drawn from him with difficulty, as he
was loath to discuss the matter, but
claimed the killing of General Hill
was in self-defense:
Corporal John W. Mauk and Dan
iel Wolford, Of Company f, One Hun
dred and Eighty eighth Pennsylvania
Volunteers, and another man unkr own
TO these two men, OF Ihe the I'd of
April, 1865, near Peters burg, Va, af-
ter the rebel works had been carried
en- the front and the main portion Oh
the troops deployed to the left side
OF the enemy's works, became sepa-
rated from the main body and pushed
forward to the railroad. A wagon road
ran nearly parallel to the railroad A
saw mill stood near the point where
they crossed the railroad, and under
some slabs they found several crow
bars with which they tore up some IF
the rails of the road. After tearing
up the road they went back in the di-
rection of swamp and toward body
of Union men who were on a hill near
the former line of rebel works, max
ing coffee, etc. This body of men
were stragglers who were lest from
their command
when Mauk and Wolford were
near this swamp they saw two men
on horseback advancing toward the
men on the hill. These men had the
appearance of officers; when they
saw the men on the hill they turned
toward where Mauk and Wolford were
standing behind a large tree; one Of
the officers remained behind and the
other advanced with revolver in hand
and pointed it at these two men, de-
handing their surrender. Mauk and
Wolford refused. The officers SAID
they would have to surrender any
how, as a body of troops was following
them, or rather coming in toward Pc
tersburg. The officer still advanced
and fiercely demanded their surren-
DER with an unmentlO1ab.c epithet.
Mauk replied that he would not do It
and said to his comrade, Let's shoot
them, and instantly each fired, Mauk
choosing the foremost man who fell
from his saddle dead; the other man
fell forward on his horses neck and
rode off and the dead mans horse fol-
lowed. Mauk and his cOmrade then
crossed over to the men on the hill.
Shortly afterward Mauk told the
men that he would go and see what
that officer had with him, but soon
saw skirmish line advancing. After
being halted by Mauk, they, among
other things, inquired whether man
had been killed near there, and learn
ing that there was they went off. Part
of these men wore rebel clothes. Those
with blue on claimed to be taking the
others as prisoners, but they were all
rebels and were after the body of Hill.
Mauk and WOMord soon joined their
regiment and heard nothing more of
the affair until they were summoned
to Headquarters to answer questions
and then they learned that they, or
Mauk, had killed the famous Confed-
crate general. A. p Hill
Daniel Wolford, Mauks cOmrade, is
yet living and resides with his fam
lily near Fossilville, Bedford Co., Pa,
near Hyndman.