HOW GENERAL MCPHERSON WAS KILLED.–

17. February 2009 by admin.

A soldier who was near the General at the time he was shot gives the following particulars of the occurrence and the actions of the confederates which preceded it:–”I entered the woods to behold a wounded man whose name is George Reynolds, of the Fifteenth Iowa Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, and a short distance from him lay General James B. McPherson, suffering intense agony from a fatal wound, a Mini ball having entered the right breast, passed near the heart, and came out near the left side.

I then took my position close to his side and requested him to drink a little cold water I had secured a short time before, and asked the privilege to bathe his temples; to which interrogatories I could elicit no reply, only a faint nod of the head. Occasionally returning to consciousness he would ask me for his hat, which by search I found had been stolen from him, as also his belt. I had not been in this situation over five minutes when a rebel straggler came up, to whom I remarked, “You are a prisoner, are you not?” To which he replied, “No, sir-ee!” and then asked me, “Can you walk? Come along,” etc. I gave a negative answer and exhibited a very sore and bandaged leg, all besmeared with blood, which had troubled me of late, and was thus successful in making him believe I was severely wounded.

This was the work of a few moments; when four more rebels came up, and simultaneously two more of our stragglers passed near by. They were taken with the previously mentioned. They then extracted the papers which were in plain view from the General’s pocket, took his watch and marine glass, but did not search the remainder of his pockets, nor ask any questions in reference to whom he was nor did we inform them. They acted with civility, considering it a battle-field. They then ordered the wounded man and myself to follow them. We told them we were not able, and if they took us they would have to carry us, etc.; when to my glad astonishment they absconded with their three prisoners, with the aforementioned articles, leaving their two supposed cripples with the General. All this time the rebel shot and shell were crashing with fearful rapidity all around us, in every direction. Several balls lighted within a few feet of the General, scattering the dirt all over him in a complete shower. While the rebels were taking from the General the articles previously mentioned, he sat up and again asked for his hat, which I believe, were the last words he spoke, for his agony was most intense.

After the rebels had gone, it was agreed that I should go in search of an ambulance, while my solitary wounded companion remained with the General. My companion believing that our men were still in front fighting as well as rear, I proceeded in the direction of Atlanta, as near as I can judge, about three-eighths of a mile, when I saw rebel skirmishers not far distant in my front, as also their works; the brush being rather thin, it was difficult to escape; but by creeping back where the brush was more dense, I then ran as best I could until I got back again to the General, when my companion informed me he had just died, but said nothing after I left him. During this interval the woods were thoroughly riddled, and every moment I expected to meet the General’s sad fate; but Providence spared me.

A straggler who said he belonged to the Third or Fourth Division, Pioneer Corps, came up and was requested to act as witness. He, it seems, committed the theft.

The first thing we examined was the contents of the wallet, and on opening it saw the gold chains and gold piece, or medal; opening another apartment, we saw a roll of bills, which our new comer instantly grabbed, as he said, to ascertain the contents. Unfolding them, as near as I can recollect, I saw the aforementioned bills. As soon as his eye caught sight of the large bills, he separated them from the smaller ones, and then made the following diabolical proposition, to wit:–Boys, let us equally divide the spoils and say nothing about it. We positively and in the strongest terms refused to be accomplices in such an infernal scheme. He then kept possession of all the large bills, leaving only eight dollars, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him in a westerly course toward the wagon trains.

I looked upon him as a wretch like Judas of old, and could have wished that in his escape he had met with the same fate as he of whom sacred writ informs us, “He burst asunder and all his bowels gushed out.” Leaving the guilty culprit with the fruits of his dastardly act, I would remark that fearing capture every moment, and the importance of the General’s rescue, was the reason of our not continuing a critical examination of the remaining contents, and making all speed, we proceeded in the direction I entered the woods an hour or more before. Emerging from the woods we bore to the south-west, in which direction we saw wagon-trains and ambulances.

The first ambulance to which we made known our mission refused to go. Proceeding further, we came to two more, when we requested the foremost one to go with us, and seeing three officers riding up toward us, we explained to them our object, when they informed us they were part of his staff and were very anxious to get him. So taking the first ambulance, we piloted them to the spot, and then a most thrilling scene took place that I shall never forget. Looking down the woods from the ambulance, I saw the rebel skirmishers steadily advancing, and thinking the staff officers were not fully aware of the danger we were all in (as I had intentionally refrained from describing the danger to them previously), I jumped from the ambulance, and to my surprise, confronted an armed rebel.

Seeing we were in desperate circumstances, I rushed to inform the staff officers, who were now carrying his body out of the woods, and I informed them that the rebels were now closing in around us, and the necessity of all who had revolvers being ready to use them. I believe they all drew them, and I endeavored as best I could to assist in carrying his body to the ambulance. We got him in as best we could, under such exciting circumstances (for I was afraid every moment a cannon ball or shell would crush the ambulance or kill the mules), and whirling swiftly around, we drove off at a perfect gallop, with rebel shot and shell and Minie balls hurled in a perfect storm after us. But, fortunately, no one was hurt.

So great was the danger that we had to drive with fearful rapidity nearly three-fourths of a mile before we could properly and comfortably adjust the General’s body. I only remember the name of one of these staff officers, and that is Lieutenant Colonel Strong. There was also a Captain and First Lieutenant. I would remark that the officers acted with determined bravery; in fact, all did, and the coolness of my wounded companies was really sublime amidst sever suffering from his arm.

After the rescue we drove to Gen. Sherman’s head-quarters. The body was taken out and carried into the house to be examined. Gen. Sherman seemed deeply affected by the sight. My wounded companion was then taken to the nearest hospital of the Twenty-third Corps, by order of the Medical Director. He was wounded by a Minie ball through the left arm just above the elbow. He went through all the exciting circumstances from the time he was wounded to the time he was taken to the hospital before he had it dressed, which must have been nearly five hours. The General was wounded about half-past 12 P. M., and rescued from the rebels about 3 P. M. He lived about one hour after he was wounded.

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