The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-12-03

new FACTS ABOUT
MORGANS Death.
Woman Did no Inform I'm
lon Officers.
Boy Named John Leady Furnish
ed Information Which Caus-
ed His Capture.

OF questions that survive the civil
war will b discussed and never set
tied So loRg as any Of the partici-
pants ara alive. One of these is
about the death OF General John II.
Morgan the Confederate leader. who
led a raid into Ohio and Indiana and
penetrated farther into Northern ter
ritory than any other Southern COM
mander. General Morgan was captur-
ed near the Ohio River, carried 70
the Ohio penitentiary escaped reor-
ganized his command and was killed
at GreenvilIe. Tenn.
H. Gaines. a dentist at No. 1,1l6
Main s.rsst. was an adjutaul In Cen
eral Morgsn's command and saw his
commando killed at Greenyille. He
had Investigated the causes Of the
surprise. capture and shooting of
Morgan. An answer 20 a letter writ
ten 70 Greenville recently is he be-
lieyes, the true story.
Il had always believed that young
woman, tie daughter-in-lav of Mrs.
Catherine d. Williams, whose hus-
band was with the Union army, gave
the Federals information which led
10 the surprSe. capture and death of
General Morgan" 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 Wa and where she was going.
The reply was that the young wuman
was going 10 a neighbours house for
watermelOns. The answer was frank
~ given ard we believed II 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, he Federal commander
was camp,i aud told him where Nor
gan could b. found. Morgan stayed
all night in the Williams house and
was captuuej early the next morning.
lie was sAJDc after he had surrendered
and given sp his arms.
Il wrO.e 90 Granville some time
ago, askils the postmaster ~ refer
my letter ~ -,me one who knew C
the c.rcum -anccs Of General Morgars
death. N-c""ved an answer from A.
b. wilson. q hat place who boxed
i-tJ the ma or. His answer acqui.s
the young woman Of treachcry for,y-
five years sf,r The daa-h of Morgan"
Mr.. wilson's account OF tho dea.h
Of tho S1un.Le~n raider follows:
"It is Hpo7 .bla 10 run down or
r1fu'e all ropor,s in relation 10 this
event. Eossuso q woman left tho
home If Ma. Williams shortly after
the arrival & MJr5 u. General Duke
jumped - tLe conclusion that she
had acted traitor and repor-ed Nor
Ean's wLfeAboUs 10 General Gillem
This is fike The young Mrs. Will
iiams dlugh;er-in-law Of Mrs. Gather
inc d. Williams, while her husband.
was / suppose, a Union man and
within the Federal lines, was a Sou
them symPithizer just the same. She
was, before h.r marriage, Rum
baugh, one OF the best families of
Virginia AMI had Two brothers in the
Southern arDy. One was a captain
and the other a major.
The truth Is that she went TO a
farm owned by her mother-ln-law fou
miles from Grecnville, where she was
seen by u number Of pcrsons. She |
Intended Ia return with w1-ermelons
for the distinguished guest. On &C. !
count Of heavy rain she did not Pa I
turn until tte next day, but spent the /.
might win Mrs. Bartly, a teLnnt IN /
The farm and came into Groenville /
that morndne JUS afyer the Federal's .
had entered town She was es-
cOrted into town by Federal pickets,
thus rOusing the suspicion that she
Ma betrayed morgan.
Il have abso seen a dispatch from
WashinP;on giving the credit of Nor
gan's death u a Mrs. Sarah Thomp-
son, who died August 20, this year.
This is equally false Mrs. Thompson
had been married about four times.
Her first husband Thompson, whose
name she cbnse to 80 by, was Fed
eral scout ut perhaps a bushwacker,
during the civil war. / have heard of
her setting up the claim Of having
caused the death Of Morgan with the
idea # etttmg a pension by act OF
Congress. I am certain that she had
moth Whatever To do with the mat
ter wOsid have been impossible
for wo@sn TO have made the trip
OF e htoe~ liies TO General Gillem's
cam.
TIE p"Son who did give the In