Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/552

 The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid Against Richmond. 551

who agreed to bury him decently in a coffin, and in compliance with a promise made to a scout by the name of Hogan, I prepared a neat little head-board with my own hands, to mark his grave. This was not put up, because the messenger from Mr. Davis for the body of Dahlgren arrived while we were taking it out of the ground where it had been hastily buried."

We had hoped to add to the above statement of Mr. Halbach that of Rev. Richard Hugh Bagby, D. D., who commanded the Home Guard on the occasion, who was stationed within a few feet of Col- onel Dahlgren when he was killed, and who told us (in the course of a very minute and vivid description of the affair) that he heard of the papers soon after they were taken from Dahlgren s body ; that he read them the next morning before there was any opportunity for any one to alter them, and that the publications in the Richmond papers were correct copies of the originals.

Dr. Bagby wrote out his statement for Hon. A. H. Stephens, and the distinguished Georgian told us not long before his death that he remembered distinctly the statement, and would try to find it among his papers, but he died before sending it and we have not yet been able to recover it.

Dr. Bagby also promised to write out his narrative and to pro< affidavits as to the authenticity of the Dahlgren papers from others who were present, in response to a request made through us by General R. E. Lee, who said that while he had never had the slight- est doubt of the authenticity of the papers, he wished to furnish in his " History of the Army of Northern Virginia," which he was pu posing to write, the most indisputable proofs that the papers genuine, and not forgeries.

But alas ! Dr. Richard Hugh Bagby-one of the truest, bravest, purest, noblest specimens of the Christian gentlemen, and minister of the gospel whom we ever knew-died before he had pre- pared his paper, and General R. E. Lee " crossed over the river before he had done more than collect the material for a book wh< lightest statement the world would have received with impli. dence. But this missing evidence is not a " missing link chain which we will show to be complete and peri

Mr. Halbach's sworn statement shows beyond all cavil livered the papers to Lieutenant Pollard just as they were taken from Dahlgren's person ; that there was no alteration, and that the pubh- cation in the Richmond papers was correct.