Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-10
MANY INACCURACIES
In Popular Histories of the
Civil War Period.
GEN. MORGAN'S DEATH
VARYING ACCOUNTS IN THE DIFF
FERENT HISTORIES.
Historian Richards Account of the AZ
fair-Praises Gen. Boyn-
toms Work.

Mr.. J. Trose Richards, secretary and his
torian of the Army of Ohio. has expressed
himself as heartily in sympathy with the
movement to correct glaring inaccuracies
in a number of the popular histories deal
ing with the civil war period Mr. Richards
said to Star reporter the other day:
General Fl. " Boynton has shown COM
mendable zeal within the last few years in
calling attention to the glaring inaccuracies
found in number of the popular histories
touching the events of the war of the re-
bellion. He has made strong case against
Them and demonstrated their worthlessness
as media of historical information.
People want the truth without bias or
partisan coloring. The writer has seen re-
Gently a very intelligent letter from an ex-
confederate in Texas who is seeking re-
liable information touching the death of
General John II. Morgan, the Marion of
the southern confederacy. The necessity
of this will be manifest when a few state
ments made by writers on both SIDES are
carefully and impartially weighed.
Many Inaccuracies.
I'm the bound volume of Harper's Week
ly for 1864 occurs the statement that Cen
eral Morgan, engaged in making a recon
Nuisance, {a) was killed at Greenville
Tenn, September 4. 1864, while stopping
at the house of Mrs. Williams, whose
husband was an officer on the staff of
General Burnside.
.'(b) LOSING in Vol. Ill Our Country
page 1863, after stating that General Nor
gan had co-operated with Longstreet in the
east Tennessee campaign, in the winter of
1861, says: Morgan remained in east
Tennessee until the close of the following
May QS1D, when he went over the noun
tains and raided through the richest por-
tons of Kentucky. General Burbrdge
tered columns back into east Tennessee
He was surprised at Greenvilie. (c) where
he was shot dead in a vineyard while at
tempting to escape
I'm United States history, written by
Miss S. P. Lee occurs this paragraph:
Early in September, Morgan was in
the village of Greenville, with only small
detachment of soldiers (d) The daughter
in-law of the woman at whose house he
lodged rode at night to a federal camp
some miles off and told where the gallant
confederate officer might be captured.
-Four (e) companies of federal cavalry
dashed into the town and surrounded the
house where he slept. His staff was cap
tured, but Morgan had escaped into the
garden He was unarmed. 60 There was
no possibility of his getting away from the
surrounding soldiers, so he came out from
his place of concealment and surrendered
(g) to the federal captain. Afterward a cav
alryman rode up to within two feet CHI of
him and, Notwithstanding Morgans assur-
4IiCe lIidl lie was d pIlSOueT, SHOl anu
killed him and inflicted indignities % upon
his body
Far From the Truth.
"These statements, which may be taken
as samples of what has been published rel
alive to the death of brave southern SOL
der, are very far from the truth and can
not do otherwise than confuse and mislead
the student of war history AS the result of
quite a careful examination of authorities
and consultation with those who partici-
pated in this affair l have found the facts to
be as follows:
"(a) Instead of making mere 'reconnais-
ance,' as claimed by Harper's Weekly, Nor
gan's command, consisting of several cav
airy brigades and aggregating from $500 to
1900 men, made forced march from Vir-
ginia and reached Greenvile on the evening
of September 3, intending the next day to
attack Gillem's brigade at Bulls Gap-about
sixteen miles west of Greenville. Gen. Gill
LENS available forces consisted of the 9th
and 18th Tennessee Cavalry, the 10th Mich
igan Cavalry and Patterson's two batteries
of East Tennessee Artillery, all told about
200 men.
ton of Morgan's command was at Blue
Springs, between Greenville and Bulls Gap,
was conveyed by James Leady, boy about
twelve years old, who returning to Green
vile with griSt of corn meal from Carriers
mill, near Blue Springs, was stopped by
Vaughn's men and relieved of his property.
Incensed at his treatment, he proceeded to
Bulls Gap and notified the federals of the
presence of Vaughns forces at Blue Springs.
His report was the basis for the action
against Morgan. Mrs. Lucy Williams, the
lady referred to, was not the wife of an Off
Ger on the staff of Gen. Burnside, but of an
officer in the confederate service. She was
not Union woman, but a confederate SYM
pathiZer.
Informed on Morgan.
he ,iobf rafo 70 cho fo,,r
miles in the opposite direction, at the Will
liams farm, whittier she had gone the pre-
vious day to secure provisions for the fam
lily, and was detained all night by the raging
storm. She had nothing whatever to do
with the notifying of Gen. Gillem that Gen.
Morgan was at her mother-in-law's house
in Greenville.
'"The final information of Morgans pres
ence in Greenvile was ascertained after
the advance from Bulls Gap, and was
given by union citizen, who notified Colo
mel Ingerton, in command of the 18th Ten
nessee Cavalry. This information was con-
firmed after two companies of that regi-
ment had entered the town, and one of
them surrounded the Williams residence
at the suggestion of loyal woman, a resi-
dent of the place.
1.-THE appearance Of Union troops in
Greenville at 8 o'clock in the morning was
undoubtedly surprise to Morgan and
his command. The excessive and contin-
ued thunder and rain of the previous night
had rendered movements unexpected. and
hence the drowsy and wearied men of Nor
gans command in and around the town
were panic-stricken. and when stampeded
by troop of the 18th Tennessee Cavalry
ran in all directions. exclaiming: Kinks
bushwhackers! Save yourselves from
Kinks men!
Would Not Surrender.
'Sergt. John NJ. Wilcox and Corporal
John G. Burchf1eld, both of Company G,
18th Tennessee Cavalry, were the only
Union men within the Williams yard at
the time General Morgan. partially dressed,
was endeavoring to escape. They sum-
moned him. screening himself within
grape arbor. 70 surrender Instead Of do
fred at them, but missed his aim. He was
preparing to shoot again when Private An