Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/40

 32 Southern Historical Society Papers.

" If you fire, you will be swept to hell. Our men are here surren- der !" Then General Hill was at my side, calling, "Surrender." Now, within ten yards of the men covering us with their muskets the upper one, the General; the lower one, myself; the lower soldier let the stock of his gun down from his shoulder, but recovered quickly as his comrade spoke to him (I only saw his lips move), and both fired. Throwing out my right hand toward the General, I caught the bridle of his horse, and, wheeling to the left, turned in the saddle and saw my General on the ground, with limbs extended, motionless.

Instantly retracing the ground leading his horse, which gave me no trouble, I entered the woods again where we had left them, and realizing the importance, and, of all things, most desirous of obeying the General's last order to report to General Lee, I changed to his horse, a very superior one and quite fresh, and letting mine free, kept on as fast as the nature of the ground would permit.

The Fifth Alabama Battalion, skirmishing, found the General's body, which was still slightly warm, with nothing about it disturbed. The Federal party were doubtless alarmed at what had been done, and must have instantly fled. The writer did not again see General Hill's body, which was brought to Venable's by a route still farther to our rear. * * * I learned that the ball struck the General's pistol hand, and then penetrated his body just over the heart.

N. B. That cruel ball first cut off the thumb of General Hill's left (bridle) hand, leaving it hanging from the gauntlet. W. P.

The account which Corporal Mauk wrote out for Mr. Matthews confirms Tucker in all the main incidents of the tragedy, but inas- much as Tucker rode speedily away, after the shooting, he had no personal knowledge of the manner in which General Hill's body was recovered. Are there any survivors of the squad of Confederate soldiers that came and carried it away? Mauk's story as to what occurred before the shooting is certainly true, as seen from his stand- point. Can we. accept as history his account of what occurred after the shooting ? Here is his story :

STATEMENT OF CORPORAL MAUK.

"On the morning of the 2d of April, 1865, after the rebel works had been carried in the front, the main portion of the troops deployed to the left inside the enemy's works. A portion of the Second brig-