The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-24
A BOY BETRAYED
 GENERAL MORGAN
Gave Information Causing Con-
 federate's Capture
MYSTERY FINALLY CLEARED
For Years Betrayal Was Laid at Door of Young Woman, Daughter-in- law of Mrs. Catherine
 D. Williams.

From the hanSa6 0lly Hines.
 A whole lot of questions that survived the civil war will be discussed and never settled so long as any of the participants are alive. One of these is around the death of Gen. John H. Morgan, the Con federate leader. who led a raid into Ohio and Indiana and penetrated farther into northern territory than any other southern commander. General Morgan was captured near the Ohio river, carried to the Ohio penitentiary escaped, reor- ganized his command and was killed at Greeneville, Tenn.
 N. H. Gaines. a dentist, at 1116 Main street, was adjutant in General Nor gans command and saw his commander killed at Greeneville. He had investigat- ed the causes of the surprise, capture, and shooting of Morgan. An answer to a letter written to Greeneville recently is. he believes, the true story.
 At the Williams Home.
 'I had always believed that a young woman, the daughter-in-law of Mrs. Catherine D. Williams, whose husband was with the union army, gave the fed erals information which led to the sur prise, capture and death of General Nor gan," Mr. Gaines said yesterday When we approached the Williams home on the day before Morgan was killed we saw this young woman ride away from the house General Morgan was suspicious and asked Mrs. Williams who the young woman was and where she was going. The reply was that the young woman was going to a neighbours house for watermelons. The answer was frankly given and we believed 1t at the time. But after the generals death every one be- lieved that the woman who was seen to ride awaS from the house went to where Gen A G. Gillem, the federal command CT, was camped and told him where Nor gan could be found. Morgan stayed all night in the Williams house and was cap- tured early the next morning. He was shot after he had surrendered and given up his arms
 The Truth After 45 Years.
 T wrote to Greeneville some time ago, asking the postmaster to refer my letter to some one who knew of the circum- stances of General Morgan's death. I re- ceived an answer from A B. Wilson of that place, who looked into the matter. His answer acquits the young woman of treachery 45 years after the death of Morgan"
 Mir. Wilson's account of the death of the southern raider follows
 Tt Is impossible to run down or re- flute all reports in relation to this event Because woman left the home of Mrs. Williams shortly after the arrival of Morgan, General Duke jumped to the conclusion that she had acted traitor and reported Morgan's whereabouts to Gen eral Gillem This is false. The young Mrs. Williams, daughter-in-law of Mrs. Catherine D. Williams. while her hus- band was, l suppose, a union man and within the federal lines, was a southern sympathizer just the same. She was, be- fore her marriage, Runbaugh, one of the best families of Virginia, and had two brothers In the southern army. One was a captain and the other a major.
 She Had Gone for Waterme1ons.
 ~The truth is that she went to a farm owned by her mother-in-law, four miles from Greeneville, where she was seen by number of persons. She intended to re- turn with watermelons for the distin- guished guest. On account of heavy rain she did not return until the next day, but spent the night with Mrs Bart ley, tenant on the farm, and came into Greeneville that morning just after the federals had entered the town. She was escorted into town by federal pickets, thus rousng the suspicion that she had betrayed Morgan.
 T have also seen the dispatch from Washington giving the credit of Nor gan's death to Mrs. Sarah E.. Thomp- son, who died August 26 this year. This is equally false. Mrs Thompson had been married about four times. Her first husband, Thompson, whose name she chose to go by was a federal scout, or, perhaps, bushwhacker, during the WET. have heard of her setting up the clam of having caused the death of Morgan with the idea of getting & pension by act of Congress. l am certain that she had nothing whatever to do with the mat ter. It would have been impossible for woman to have made the trip of IS miles to General Gillem's camp
 '"rhe person who did give the informa- ton to General Gillem. which caused Morgan's death and the capture of his command, was boy named John Leady how to move in order to effect the sur eral Gillem sent dispatch to his superior mors of a woman's having betrayed the Confederate general zn this he stated that no woman had given him the infor- nation that led to the capture and killing of General Morgan"
 The young woman who was suspected of this treachery seems never to have de- nied the charge. MT. Gaines does not know what became of her.