The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-10


eral Lees flag of truce, just before the
surrender, April 8, 1865. This was
Major George f. Morgan, at that time
IN command of the One Hundred and
f'ifty-fifth Pennsylvania in Griffin's di-
vision of the Fifth Corps. The division
was on duty early that morning, Nor
gan being we'll to the front with lines
near Appomattox. A rebel battery went
into position to check the Union adj
vance, and became so troublesome that
General Griffin said to the commander
of the brigade: Tell Morgan to take
that battery
Griffin had at one time commanded
the brigade, and he knew Morgan. No
sooner was the order given than the
One Hundred and Fifty-fifty charged
the battery. The guns were whisked
away, and the Alabama brigade sup
porting the battery swung around the
flank of Morgan's men to compel their
withdrawal Instead of withdrawing
the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth pro-
ceeded to cut the Alabamans off from
W
ment was being executed Confederate
major came forward bearing flag Of
| truce-a white pocket handkerchief tied
to the twig of a tree. Taken to Major
Morgan, he said at once: For Gods
sake, Major. stop firing. General Lee
has decided to surrender
Morgan asked why In thunder his
| command did not stop firing. The flag
Of truce was sent back to General Grit
fin, the message to be forwarded to
self pressed the Alabamans to surren-
der Immediately. This they did, and
Morgan's regiment had the honor Of fir
Ing the last volley Of that campaign
and of receiving the unconditional sur
render of the first Confederate brigade
to lay down its arms at Appomattox.
Then Morgan, after sending his prison
ers to the rear, rearranged his lines so
as to include the Mclean and other
houses in Appomattox.
| He was sitting on his horse In front
Of the Mclean house when Lee and
Babcock rode up, and his men were on
duty when Grant, Sheridan, and the
others came up. Not only were Nor
| gan's men closely associated with the
events of that day, but they were ap-
pointed to receive the arms of the Con
federates, who turned over guns and
equipment in the next few days. II
will be remembered that Lee, after
writing his last note to Grant, was met
by Colonel Babcock, who escorted him
to McLean's house to await the coming
OF Grant to whom the note had been
forwarded. Meantime all was uncer-
| tainty where the lines were In contact
the officers arranging for only a tenn
porary truce. But it SO happened that
Major George II. Morgan, now Of Chi
| cago, was at the most interesting point
on the line and became participant In
the dramatic scenes of the Appomattox
surrender"
! Morgan was also at Gettysburg. "
said the Captain, land he had az odd
adventure on the night of the second
day. His brigade was posted on Little
Round Top and at night he was chang
ing his pickets along Plum Greek. In
front, when he walked into a detach-
ment of rebs looking after their own
pickets. Morgan was taken a short
distance to the rear as prisoner, but
watching his opportunity. slipped be-
tween the videttes and worked his way
back to Little Round Top. He found
his lieutenant sound asleep, and. creep
ing under the blanket, went to sleep
himself.
In the morning the lieutenant pinch
ell his captains arm to determine
whether he was ghost or not, and
there was great commotion, the men
being noisy with JOY when they found
their captain again among them and
none the worse for his adventure. The
next night there was on Round Top q
quiet little game of poker under the
screen of blanket. When Morgan in
timated that it was time to quit the
lieutenant remarked, That's all right
as you have all the money ($S.50), but
1 will get it all tomorrow. You will be
shot and l will go through your peck
cts But Morgan was not shot and
was kept in training for many hard
fight"
At Five Forks Morgan was the senior
captain In a provisional brigade in
which no field officers were present for
duty. When Sheridan and Griffin rode
up at the turning point In the battle the
situation was explained to them, Nor.
gan expressing his willingness to as
sumo responsibility. Thereupon Sheri
dan gave his orders and said to Nor
gan: IF you do just as tell you we
will double their lines back and break
them all up" Morgan moved the bri-
gade forward, doubled the enemy's line
back on itself, and, as Sheridan said,
broke them all up.
Morgan is well known among the old.
err officers of the regular army. lie
went out with Samuel NJ. B. Young In
1861. The latter, who enlisted as pri-
vate in the Twelfth Pennsylvania, be-
came lieutenant general, and others OF
Morgan's old associates came to hold
high rank, but none of them ever forgot
the quiet business man of Chicago who
won brevets at Five Forks and Apo
mattox and whose regiment fired the
last volley before Lees surrender
Chicago Inter Ocean.
An Incident of Antietam.
The most savagely contested part of
the struggle Of Antietam was In and
around the sunken lane OF Roulets
farm. where Jackson's Corps for hours
held the ground, from which Hooker
and Mansfield had been successfully re-
pulsed early in the morning. In their
yellowish, butternut suits the Confed-
crates were scarcely distinguishable
from the roadbed or the ditch where
they lay, or from the ripe stalks OF
the cornfield behind, through which
their reinforcing brigades were con-
| n+o,,+I.- dccaapdinv Not fpnra tha., IF.