Andrew Campbell shoots General John H. Morgan.

Andrew Campbell.



The true story of the  killing of General John H. Margon, may never be know as there was so much confusion on that morning of September 4, 1864.  The Union soldiers learnd where Morgan was staying, he was spening the night at the residence of Catharine D. Williams who was a family member from Morgan wife's side.  Morgan and his staff were awaken from the noice and steped out into the court yard and found the house surrounded and hurried back in side.  Now the story from the reb's ponit of view was the Morgan's staff told him they should wait for reinforcements, Morgan said, "They will be to late, and I will not be taken prisoner again."  After a few minutes Morgan and some of the staff made a break for the back of the house.  Morgan and a staff member took cover under the porch.  The man with Morgan saw a horse unatended and made a break for it and made his escape.



At this time I would like to say there's always two sides to a story.  The reb's said when Morgan left the house he was unarmed.

Liuetenant John M. Wilcox and Corporal Burehfield were just rounding the Williams house when they saw a man running from the Williams summer house, Wilcox called for him to halt, the man fired a shot at them and started to run.  Wilcox gave the command again to halt and surrender, but the man went into the grapevines and soon was gone.  Wilcox and the Corporal did not shoot as their guns were not loaded.  Private Andrew Campbell was on Depot Street when he saw the man entered the street, Campbell was some 40 or 50 yards away when he took a shot at him from his horse and missed.  Campbell dismounted and placing his gun on the fence and fired again.  The man threw up his hands and was heard to say, "O God", and fell forward on his face, give one or two gasps and was dead.

Here again the reb's story was that when Morgan found no escape, threw up his hands and said, "I'm a prisoner of war, I'm a prisoner of war." then Campbell rode up to him and shot him dead.   



General John H. Morgan



General Morgan's body was put on a horse and taken out of town about a mile,there he was put on a blanket and put under guard.  No one know it was Morgan at the time all they know they were chasing a man with no coat and running in his shirt sleeves. The only ones that knew it was Morgan was the men of Company G., and some from Company I., Morgan's identity was discover when they went to recover his body.  After the body was identify as General Morgan by command it was plced in a ambulance and taken back to were Morgan's staff was being held, and there he was redressed by his staff and placed in a coffin.



The reb's told another story they say after General Morgan was killed he was placed on a hores and paraded up and down the street in an undignified manner.   

After General Morgan was dress he was placed back into the coffin and loaded on to a wagon, an under a flag of truce was taken to his family to be buried.

General John H. Morgan's Guns.

Through the years there have been people saying they had Morgan's gun or guns, in fact this may be true, but they were not thy true guns.  After Morgan's men were captured all the guns were taken from the reb's and these guns were after called Morgan's guns.  General Morgan's Guns were navy colts and they were found on his body or near it, they were either siver mount or had siver plate.  On them was an inscrpition: "Presented to Gen. Hardee By Colonel Colt."  It was said the pistols were presented to General Morgan by Gen. Hardee.  This statement may be true and then it may not.  The author who wrote the History of the 13th., was looking confirmation of this statement at the time of its printing.

Those of you who would like to read more about the events of the killing General John H. Morgan, can do so by reading; "History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry" by Samuel W. Scott, Pub. 1903.  This book can be found and read on line.