The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-02-19

II. Morgan, the Confederate raider
who was shot ct the little village of
Grccnvillc, in eastern Tennessee, on
September 4, 1861, came 10 his death
has long been much argued one.
Many Southern writer's in reviewing
his death have taken the stand that
he was in reality murdered, being shot
down by Union soldiers after he had
surrendered The other version f the
story, and what seems rather to be the
correct one, relates that he was killed
while resisting capture, having already
fired his pistol and being just in the
act Of firing again.
In an account of General Morgan S
death which occurs in the History of
Morgan $ Cavalry" published in 1861
by Gen. Basil W. Duke, who was n
persona! fy;end of the Confederate
leader and who served under him, the
following statement is made:
His friends have always believed
that he was murdered after his sur
render. Certain representations by
the parties who killed him and the
brutality with which his body was
treated induced the bclief-and it was
notorious that his death, if captured,
had been sworn. His slayera broke
down the pailing fence around the gar
den, dragged him through and whilc
he was tossing his arms in. his dying
agonies threw him across mule and
paraded his body about the town,
shouting and screaming in savage cx-
nltation.'
This from the pen of General Duke
may perhaps be tainted somewhat by
the friend of Morgan. Or it may be n
logical result of that bitter sectional
feeling which prevailed at the time it
was written.
George T. Wassom, who formerly
lived at Knoxville, Tenn, but now Of
2306 Wabash avenue, this city, has in
his possession newspaper clipping
which seems to be true account Of
the event. The story was first pub
lished in the Abingdon Virginian in
1864, a few days after General Nor
gan's death. Abingdon, w. Va, is a
small town not far from Grccnville,
Tenn. Mr., Wassom also tells Of see
ing General Morgan. 1t was when the
latter with his hand Of raiders passed
through Scioto county, o., wbcro Mr.
Wassom, then but lad, lived on q
farm. This was during the raid which
so terrified the North and which at
once made and lost name for General
Morgan.
A bright midsummer sun beat
down upon the dry, hot earth, as if
adding its ferceness to the struggle
then raging between tho divided Sec
tions of kindred country. Morgan and
his men had been riding very hard for
several days, for the little bands of
determined State militia were trying
eagerly to hem them in and take
them. From Mr.. Wassom' house the
long file Of brazoncd sons of the South
could be seen riding swiftly across
the fields, taking down fences as they
went and leaving heavy cloud of
drst hanging lazily in the air behind
Thorn like smoke from battlefield.
General Morgan, with several officers
of his staff, left the head of the col
umn where he was riding and cantered
toward the house. They were very
courteous in asking q drink of we'll
water to cool their parched throats.
The barefoot Wassom boy perched
idly on the rail fenoe, little guessed at
that moment that the dark. haired sol,
dier with piercing eyes who sat on his
horse SO erect, though covered with
dust and unmistakablo signs of hard
travel, was none other than General
Morgan himself, so much beloved by
his South.
The following is the account of Gen
eral Morsan's death, in Mr.. Wassom
possession, as it was written few
days after it occurred:
"On Saturday, the Bird inst, accom-
panied by the brigades of Giltner,
Holtner and Smith, detachment of
Vaughns, with four pieces Of artil-
lery, General Morgan and his staff
approached the town of Greenville,
Tenn. Scouts had brought the infor-
nation that the enemy was not nearer
than Bulls Gap, 16 miles distant, and
in addition guard had been sent into
the village to rcconnoiter. Upon the
report of the entire absence Of the
ooornv NoooaIa hottnEou command