The National tribune., 1902-04-24
DEATH OF MORGAN.
Correction of Errors in Some
Alleged Histories.
BY A. B. WILSON, GREENEvILLE, TENN.

Tennessee has a school-book law under
which il is made a misdemeanor for any
+oocbpr TO substitute any other Dook on
tho same subject suitable for the
same grade, for those adopted by the
School Book Commissioners. ms Is the
case in several of the southern States'
One of the books adopted in tennessee
and several other Southern States, IS Lee
History of the United States. This oook,
on~noTe 3S4. with reference TO the death
of Cen. John H. Morgau states:
..Earlv in September Morgan vas IN
the village of Greeneville with oniy lie"
soldiers. The daughter-in-iaw OF tae W.
man at whose house ne iodgeu ctil aS he
formation to the Federal camp OF nIS
where's bouts. Four companies OF tedeEai
oXrolrv surrounded the house Where no
U~oc sIaening. His stiff were captureu,
hut Morgan escaped, unarmed, hito tlle
Garden. Seeing that he could NOT se'
away. he came out from his hlding place
md surrendered to the Federal Captain.
- his cavalry man rode close up TO
him and, in spite of Morgan :. rep t.SneJ
dncIarotion that he was a prisoner, kiiieu
altbopch not so stated in this book
,+bnr nuhIications add a little TO the &C
count given in Lees History, by stating
that after Gen. Morgan was shot' anu pc
fnra life was extinct, his body was thrown
the streets in barbarous manner.
Pbpse statements are in fact untrue
and if would be discreditable to the pup
Usher of any respectable pOlltical news
oa6er at the present time to puPllsh eneLl
= rs facts. How much worse Is tue onehoe
when they are published as tactS III q
s,bgol hook. and when the teachers OF the
,rhIic schools are required by law to
teach them to the children as part VI
tho history of the country.
If was hut natural that in articles VIII
ION shortly after the civil war, ana Whlle
the,partisan or sectional anImoSlties grow
ing ont of the war had but little abated,
that rumOrs and even suspicious PfeJuui-
cial TO the honor of the opposite size,
nicl,ed mn at random, and without any IN
yes.igation as to their truthfulness, should
ba r,7IhIisbrd as facts This has been DEM
onstrated even, in the writings OF zen.
Rasil Duke the eulogist of Gen. Morgan,
in his statements in relation TO his death.
1t is time that all disputes on this mat
Ter should be set at rest by some one VINO
has honestly studied the facts, and whose
whole aim is to give a correct statement,
based on the best of evidence, in relation
20 the death of Gen. Morgan
The writer now resides within stone s
throw of the place where Gen. Morgan
fell He has conversed with men VINO
were in each of the contending forces, as
. well as with members of the lillams
family, and, what he deems of greater I'M
portance he has conyersed with many OF
The citizens of Greeneville, some of whom
were eye-witnesSeS. and whose feelings
and Sympathies were as varied as those
of the armed cnntending forces. From this
data. and his personal knowledge of the
locality and surroundings, he bases the
following statements in relation to the his
torical inaccuracies which have been SO
cd schools
in the Southern States:
Prior TO the events referred to, Gen.
Alvin Gillem was stationed at Bulls Gap,
16 miles west of Greeneville, in command
of a brigade composed of the Sth, 9th and
18th Tenn. Cav. and light battery of
artillery. His position was about % miles
from Knoxville, where was his nearest
support.
This position was in gap of the noun
tains. or range of hills, but could be
fanked by roads running on either side,
which in case of an attack could not have
been defended with the forces at his COM
rnand Gen John H Morgan was at or
near Bristol SO miles east of Greeneville,
with force of cavalry and artillery con-
siderable in excess of those of Gen. Gill
lem, and he determined to attack Gen.
Giliem's forces and either capture them
or compel them TO fall back to Knoxville.
He moved his forces TO Greeneyille, leav-
ing only 16 miles between his forces and
the enemy.
The woman with whom Gen Morgan
lodged was Mrs. CGtharine d. Williams
She was the widow of DR.. Alexander VIII !
liams. who had died few years previous
". DR.. Alexander Williams was in his
lifetime considered the wealthiest man in
the town, and his beautiful grounds, en-
bracing threefourths Of a square in its
center was place for pleasure resorts,
for which purpose their use was never
refused. Mrs. Williams although chart
table to all, was an ardent Southern
sympathizer, and, besides, was in some
way related to Gen. Morgan, or rather to
his wife.
One of her sons was a Captain in the
Confederate army, and her oldest son who
now an old man, resides in Greeneville,
was with MOrgan's forces at the time
In the absence of her sons, Mrs. Will
iams's family consisted of herself and her
daugnter-in-law, Mrs. Lucy Williams. the
wife Of her son, Joseph A. Williams. who
was absent from home with some visiting
friends.
The house, large brick structure, is
now the Morgan Inn. 1t is near Irish
street, which runs parallel with Main,
From the house walk led through the
grounds to gate opening on Main street
On this walk, and about half way, there
was Summer-house covered with vines.
sisted of the Mason Horse, on the corner
ON Main street, an old store house sonar
ating it from the Fry Hotel; shop on
the next corner: an Episcopal Church. and
few buildings.
large portion of the grounds, and that
portion fronting on Depot street. was en-
braced in vineyard. while much of the
residue was a vegetable garden. Mrs
Williams also owned a large farm four
miles north of GreenevilIe
When Gen. Morgan came to Greenevflle
he put up at the Williams residence. leay-
ing his command on the east side of the
town, and about a quarter of a mile dis.
tant thus placing himself directly be-
tween his own forces and the enemy with
only slender picket line between His
entire staff stopped at the same house
with him, and their horses were stabbed
gust across Depot street from the Will
Jams grounds.
The bold dash OF the Federal brigade
under command of Gen. Alvin GiIlpm.
composed of Tennessee rroops, many of
whom had refugeed fra.si their homes IN
reach the Federal army. deserves some
words OF commentator from the impartioI
historian. The commanding officers had re-
ceived Information as TO the situation Of
Gen. Morgan's forces and knew that Nor,
gans purpose was to aSsail their position.
Although they knew that Gen. Morgan
had a superior force, they determined NOT
10 await his arrival The NIGHT was do ri