Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-11-26
Capture of General Morgan.

and never settled so long as any of the
participants are alive. One of these
is around the death of General John
who led a raid into Ohio and Indiana
and penetrated farther into northern
territory than any other Southern COM
mander General Morgan was cup
tured near the Ohio river, carried to
the Ohio penitentiary, escaped, reor-
ganized his command and was killed
at Greenville, Tenn.
n. H. Gaines, dentist at No. 1116
Main street, Kansas City, was an ad-
jutaut in General Morgans command
and saw his commander killed at
Greenville He had Investigated the
causes of the surprise, capture and
shooting of Morgan. An answer TO a
letter written to Greenville recently
is, he believes the true story.
Il had always believed that young
woman, the daughter-in-law of Mrs.
Catherine d. Williams, whose husband
was with the Union army, gave the
Federals information which led to the
surprise, capture and death of General
Morgan" Mr.. Gaines said. 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 supicious
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 watermeions. The answer
at the time. But after the generals
death every one believed that the wo-
man who was seen to ride away from
the house went to where General A G.
Gillem, the Federal commander, was
camped and told him where Morgan
could be found. Morgan stayed all
night in the Williams house and was
captured early the next morning He
was shot after he had surrendered and
given up his arms.
Il wrote to Greenville some time
ago, asking the postmaster to refer
my letter to some one who knew of
the circumstances of General Nor
gan's death l received an answer
from A. B. Wilson, CT that place, who
looked into the matter His answer
acquits the young woman of treachery
forty-fve years after the death of
Morgan"
Mr.. Wilson's account of the death of
the Southern raider follows:
1T is impossible to down or refute
all reports in relation to this event.
Because a woman left the home Of
Mrs. Williams shortly after the arrival
of Morgan. General Duke jumped to
the conclusion that she had acted trail
tor and reported Morgan's where
abouts to General Gillem This is
false. The young Mrs Williams.
daughter-in-law of Mrs Catherine d.
Williams, while her husband was,
suppose Union man and within the
Federal lines, was a Southern sympa.
thizer just the same. She was before
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
''The truth is that she went to a
farm owned by her mother-in-law,
four miles from Greenville, where she
was seen by a number of persons
She intended to return with water.
melons for the distinguished guest.
On account Of a heavy rain she did
not return until the next day. but
spent the night with Mrs Bartly, a
tenant on the farm, and came into
Greenville that morning just after
the Federals had entered the town. She
was escorted into town by Federal
pickets, thus arousing the suspicion
that she had betrayed Morgan.
81 have also seen a 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 Fed.
N1 "a bAOutt Vi pCl4AetDbs q buSIlR UdfkRT
during the Civil War. / have heard OF
her setting up the claim OF having
caused the death Of Morgan with the
idea of getting a pension by act Of
Congress. I am certain that she had
nothing whatever to do with the mat
ter 1t would have been impossible
for woman to have made the trip of
eighteen miles to General Gillem's
camp.
THE person who did give the In
formation to General Girlem, which
caused Morgan's death and the capture
Of his command was a boy named
John Leady and others, who gave the
directions as TO how to move in order
to effect the surprise Of General Nor
gan. In fact, General Gillem sent a
dispatch to his superior officers In
tended to put an end to the rumors OF
woman having betrayed the Con
federate general In this ne stated
fbo4 ~ vgorosp haJ yt,yav, b{ro a.. g.,