The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-05
DEATH OF GEN. MCPHERSON.
A Confederate Eyewitness Tells Of Events
Before Atlanta, July u, 1864.
BY G. D. M'NEILL, FANNING's sHARPsHooT.
ERs, C. s. A., PORT LAvACA, TEX.

April ,16, 1865. Wilson's cavalry COM
mand, l believe, was divided at Opelika,
Ala, and a brigade, under command OF
Gen. La Grange, was sent to West Point,
Ca, and there fought the last battle of
the war between the States. Gen. Il. Q.
Tyler commanded the post.
/ have noticed q dispute as to which
battery killed Gen. Polk at Pine Noun
tain. 1 was Johnnie reb, and belonged
to Fanning's Battalion, Georgia Sharp
shooters. On the 18th of June our bat
talon was sent forward, with orders to
try and keep the Yankee battery silent.
This battery was on the edge of Little
Kenesaw Mountain, and was the 9Th Ind.
Battery. While we were prospecting
around, trying to get range with our EIi-
fields, the shot was fired that killed Gen.
Polk and wounded others. The shot was
from a three-inch rified cannon. This can
non was a part of the 9Th Ind. Battery,
the only battery on Little Kenesaw at
that point. After the killing of Polk our
battalion was sent to the left to do some
scouting and skirmishing, and the Whit
worth Sharpshooters took our place at
Pine Mountain.
Some weeks after our battalion and
other troops captured Gen. Stoneman and
his brigade near Newman, Ga. With his
command were four pieces of artillery;
one was the three-inch six-pound rifled
Mountain. This was the claim made by
the gunner in charge of the piece when
captured. The caissOn was marked 18th
Ind. Battery" which proved to us beyond
doubt that the statement of the Ser
geant in charge was correct; but when
captured it was detached from the bat
terry, for what reason do not know. This
gun was sent to West Point, Ga, and
placed in Fort Tyler, and on April 16,
f,t.nI th,, Loot che Of ft.n for
the Confederacy.
In this connection I wish to call atten-
ton to a flag, the Stars and Stripes, that
one of our boys captured or found July y,
1864, in front of Atlanta. This flag was
made of silk, and had a border of gold
fringe. 1t was beautiful flag; its di-
mansions were four and half by nine
feet. Some said it was rcgimental flag.
The soldier who found it at once took it
off the staff and, folded in the manner Of
blanket, placed it around his shoulders.
When left in the fort, April 16, 1865, this
flag was wrapped up in old newspapers
and was lying on the left side of the sec
ond shelf in the magazine. Beside it was
the flag of Fanning's Battalion, smoked
and battle-torn, with its once three broad
bars and II bright stars riddled with
many mimic balls, shot and shell. placed
both flags on the shelf. l was at that
time Sergeant ON Gen. X. G. Tyler's staff,
and also acted as Ordnance Sergeant.
1t was claimed by nearly all of our bat
talon that the flag (Old Glory was Gen.
McPherson's. 1t was found close to where
he was killed, with no dead about it near
er than the body Of Gen. Mcpherson. 1t
was supposed that the flag was dropped
by his Sergeant when the General was
shot.
Now, as to who killed Gen. McPher-
son. / saw the General and his Sergeant
when they fell from their horses, and was
the first Confederate to lay hands on the
body of Gen. Mcpherson. At the time l
was Sergeant of the skirmishers of Section
Il, Georgia Sharpshooters. / had been Or
dered to at once advance to the front with
Section j. We had not gone far before
some of the boys hailed me with: Ser
| replied, Hold up, boys, until they get
to the opening yonder. Then, by twos,
let them have it, Just at that moment
the silence was broken by the discharge
of dozen or more rifles. Two of the
supposed Yankee cavalry fell from their
horses; the third rode rapidly away with
out a shot being discharged at him. One
of my sharpshooters said, My goodness,
them fellows wasted enough lead to have
killed two dozen Yankees"
| asked what skirmishers had fired, and
was told that they were the sliirinisherS Of
the 9th Tex, and afterwards found this
statement to be true. We moved quickly
forward, and were soon by the side of the
PROSTATE men. | saw at once that the
one lying crosswise was an officer of rank.
halted my section of skirmishers and
went across the old road to the one that
was wounded. / said, ''Yank, where are
you wounded?" He replied, MY leg is
broken i'll two or more places: | think l
am hit in the side, too" THAT is too
bad" l said; but what officer is that:'
| continued pointing to the dead body in
the road. THAT is Gen. Mcpherson, of
the Fifteenth Corps. Is he deadT' he
asked.
Gen. Mcpherson, of the Fifteenth
Corps" | repeated to myself, as / stepped
across the road to the body of the Gen
eral. He was lying on his face and left
arm. / caught him by the shoulder and
struck him gently, and said, General,
General, o. General" He was dead.
| ordered two of my men to carry the
wounded Yankee to the side of the road;
we placed him on his back. The body
side of the road, with feet together and
hands across his breast and hat under his
head
| ordered my skirmishers forward. We
had not gone more than 80 or 300 yards
before we encountered a heavy line of
Yankee skirmishers For more than two
hours we were engaged. During this time
my attention was called to the fact that
an ambulance was in our rear. l told the
men of my command to watch the front
and keep pegging away at the Yankee
skirmishers, and that | would see to the
wagon in the rear. This ambulance
stopped where the dead General and his
wounded man lay, and the attendants
placed the body of the General in first,
then the wounded Sergeant. Then they
drove off at breakneck speed, without fir
ing Il single gun. This is what | know
about who killed Gen. Mcpherson, but
not all l know about the battle of July
%, 1864.
Now, to return to the flag. / first saw
it after the second charge up hill ut sun
down, although / had heard during the
day that Guinea Bill had Il Yankee flag
AS Guinea Bill' was killed in the sec
ond charge, this flag was brought down
by man named Tucker, who said that
Guinea Bill got the flag where we halt
ed in the woods. While we were plac-
ing the body of Gen Mcpherson beside
the road, Bill (Wm. Pardon) was taking
the flag from the pole. Others said that
Guinea Bill got the flag where we cap
tured n lot of knapsacks. Those KNAPP
sacks belonged to the 6Sth Ohio, and 10
my mind, it does not seem reasonable
that those Ohio boys would have left their
flag with their knapsacks, So / believe
the first report to be correct.
Now, for IL few questions:
Were this flag and the Georgia Sharp
shooters flag taken out of the magazine
before it was blown up? | was not in the