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Battles Around Atlanta FIFTH PAPER. Death of Gen. J. B. McPherson. BY SIDNEY HEBBEBT. The terrible struggle of the 22d of July. 1864, 1 iOwn in military history as the “Battle oi Atlanta” witnessed the death of two of the most gallant, chivalrous and beloved commanders, who on that bloody field crossed swords in de fence of the flags, under whose folds they brave ly marshalled, in deadly conflict, their trusty and dauntless soldiers. „ T In the previous paper of this series, Gen Jo seph Wheeler briefly refers to the death of Maj. Gen. Wm. Henry T. Walker, of Augusta, Ga., at the head of his division, which he was about leading into action, and calls him, most appro priately, the “Chevalier Bayard, the knightly son of Georgia.” It was to his division that the present First Volunteer Regiment, of Savannah, was attached, and which is nowcommanded by a son-in-law of Gen. Walker—and a gallant and courtly soldier upon whose brave shoulders the dead hero’s mantle seems ;to have fallen—Col. Clifford W. Anderson. Owing to the great length of Gen. Strong s interesting and valuable narrative of events connected with Gen. MoPhersbn’s death, I find myself compelled to divide into three pa pers, what I had first intended to comprise . in one. The preseit paper contains all the im portant facts connected with Gen. McPherson s death. The next paper will comprise a sketch of his life, and a description of the “Memorial recently erected to mark the spot where he fell; in the succeeding paper (seventh) I shall give a sketch of the life of Gen. Walker, and the circumstances of his death, which occurred near the same place, at about the same hour, and in much the same way as McPherson’s. At all events, the similarity of the two cases, is strikingly marked. FEOM GEN . SHERMAN'S MEMOIRS. On the 21st of July Sherman’s forces were advanced, to use his own words, “rapidly close up to Atlanta. ’’ On the morning of the fatal 22d, from a point near the Hurt House, Gen. Sher man says he could see the “line of parapets, ‘men dragging up from the intervening valley, by the distillery, trees and saplings for abatis.” Gen Schofield was at that time “dressing for ward his lines,” and General Thomas had already commenced skirmishing. It was at this spot, and at this moment, that Gen. McPherson, with his staff, came up to Gen. Sherman, and the entire party rode, back to the/‘Hurt House,’ a “double frame building with-a porch, and sat on the steps discussing the chances of battle, and Hood's general char acter.” We agreed, says Gen. Sherman, that we ought to be unusually cautious, and prepar ed at all times for sallies and hard fighting, as “Hood was undoubtedly a brave, determined and rash man,” and "the Confederate govern ment seemed to be displeased with Gen. John ston's cautious but prudent conduct.” Gen. Sherman also says: “McPherson was in excellent spirits, well pleased at the progress of events so far, and had come over purposely to see me about the order I had given him to use Dodge’s corps to break up the railroad.” Dur ing this interview skirmishing was going on down around the distillery, and Gen. Schofield and Gen. Thomas both seemed to be making things “lively” along their lines. Shots from the direction of Decatur, ana which were too far to the “left rear to be explained by known facts,” led Gen. McPherson hastily call for his horse, his staff and his Orderlies, and return to his command. Ot his appearance, dress and con duct at this interview, Gen Sherman gives the following account: “ McPherson was then in his prime (about thirty-four years old) over six feet high, and a very handsome man in every way; was univer sally liked, and had many noble qualities. He had on his boots outside his pantaloons, gaunt lets on his hands; had on his Major-General's nniform, and wore a sword-belt but no sword. He hastily gathered his papers (save one, which I possess) into a pocket-book, put it in his breast-pocket and jumped on his horse, saying he would hurry down his line and send me back word what these sounds meant. His Ad jutant General, Clarke, Inspector-General Strong and his Aids, Captains Steele and Gile, were with him. Although the Bound of musketry on our left grew in volume, I was not so much disturbed by it as by the sound of artillery back torward Decatur. I ordered Schofield to at once send a brigade back to Decatur (some five miles,) and was walking up and down the porch of the ‘Hurt House’ listening, when one of McPherson’s staff, with his horse covered with sweat, dashed up to the porch and repored that General McPherson was either killed or a pris oner! He explained that when they had left me a few minutes before, they had ridden rapidly across to the railroad, the sounds of battle in creasing as they neared the position occupied by Gen. Giles A. Smith's division, and that Mc Pherson had sent first one and then another of liis staff to bring some of the reserve brigades of the Fifteenth Corps over to the exposed left flank; that he reached the head ot Dodge’s corps (marching by the flank on the diagonal road described,) and had ordered it to hurry forward to the same point; that then, almost, if not entirely alone, he had followed this road leading across the wooded valley behind the Sixteenth Corps, and had disappeared in these woods, doubtless with a sense of absoloute secu rity. The sound of musketry was there heard, and McPherson’s horse came back, bleeding, wounded and riderless." Of his own action in regard to the matter, Gen. Sherman says: “I ordered the staff-officer who brought this message to return at once, to find Gen. Logan (the senior officer present with the Army of the Tennessee,) to report the same facts to him, and instruct him to drive back this supposed small force, which had evidently got around the Seventeenth Corps through the blind woods in rear of our left flank. I soon dispatched one of my own staff (McCoy, 1 think) to General Logan with similar orders, telling him to refuse his left fiank, and to fight the battle (holding fast to Leggett’s Hill) with the Army of the Tennessee; that I would personally look to Decatur and the safety of his rear, and would reinforce him if he needed it. I dispatch ed orders to Gen. Thomas on our right, telling him of this strong sally, and my inference that the lines in his front had evidently been weak ened by reason tberof, and that he ought to take advantage of the opportunity to make a lodge ment in Atlanta, if possible- Meantime the sounds ot the battle rose on our extreme left more and more furious, extending to the place where I stood, at the ‘Hurt House.’ Within an hour an ambulance came in (attended by Colonels Clark and Strong, and Captains Steele and Gile,) bearing McPherson's body. 1 had it carried inside the ‘Hurt House,’and laid on a door wrenched from its hinges. Dr. Hewitt, of the army, was there, and 1 asked him to ex amine the wound. He opened the coat and shirt, saw where the ball had entered and where it came out, or rather lodged under the skin, and he reported that McPherson must have died in' • few seconds after being hit; that the ball ranged upw ard across his body, and passed near the heart. He was dressed just as he left me, with gauntlets and boots on. “While we were examining the body insidethe house, the battle was progressing outside, and shots struck the building, which I feared would take fire, so I ordered Captains Steele and Gile to carry the body to Marietta. They reached that place the same night, and, on application, I ordered his personal staff to go on and escort the body to his home, in Clyde, Ohio, where it was recieved with great honor, and it is now buried in a small cemetery, close by his mother's house, which cemetery is composed in part of the family orchard, in which he nsed to play when a boy. The foundation is ready laid for the equestrian monument now in progress, ua- der the auspices of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.” In describing the evacuation of Atlanta by his troops, which occurred early on the morning of November 16th, Gen. Sher man says of himself and staff: “We rode out of Atlanta by the Decatur road, filled by the marching troops and wagons of the Fourteenth Corps; and reaching the hill, just outside of the old rebel works, we naturally paused to look back upon the scenes of our past battles. We stood on the very ground whereon was fought the bloody battle of July 22 j. aud could see the erals Logan and Blair left instantly for their respective Corps. Capt. Steel was sent to De catur, five or six miles back, with instructions for Col. Sprague. Clark, Williard, Reese, Buel, Rose and Knox were sent with important orders to different parts of the field. Hickenlooper, Gile and myself being the only members of the staff who remained with the General. We rode rapidly through a heavy grove of timber which lay to the south of the railroad, and soon came to the open fields beyond, where the larger part of our supply train was parked, and as the ani mals were being exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy’s guns, and as there was some ex citement and confusion among the teamsters, Gan. McPherson left Capt. Gile to look after the train, instructing him to work it back to wards the railroad and to the north of it if pos sible, to get it out of the range of the artillery “About this time Hickenlooper was sent to look after the artillery of the Sixteenth Corps, which was preparing to’go into action. The Gen eral and myself accompanied only by our Or copse of wood where McPherson fell. Behind i derlies, rode on and took position on the right us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the ; of Dodge's line, and witnessed the desperate^as- black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. * * I have never seen the place since. ” This is all that Gen. Sherman says in his “Memoirs” in regard to the circumstances con nected with the death of Gen. McPherson. In his official report to Gen. Halleck, dated near Atlanta, July 23d, 1864, he thus announces the sad event: “Gen. McPherson, when arranging his troops about 11 a. m., [yesterday] and pass ing from one column to another, incautiously rode upon an ambuscade without apprehension, at some distance ahead of his staff and orderlies, and was shot dead.” The additional unofficial particulars connected with this sad affair are gathered from various sources. FROM GENS. HICKENLOOPER AND STRONG. In reply to a letter addressed by me to him, I Gen. O. M. Poe, Colonel of Engineers, of Gen. ; Sherman’s staff, writes thus briefly from Wash- [ ington, D. C.: “General Sherman’s account of' the death of McPherson is correct in general terms. Some of the details are better known to General A. Hickenlooper, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and General W.E. Strong,of Chicago, than to any body else, and by writing to them you might obtain some information. One thing of which there has been some question, lam clear about; and that is that McPherson wore top boots when he fell—as described by Gen. Sherman This is of importance only because the statue erected in this city shows him with pantaloons strap ped down over his boots, as I never saw him wear them.” As above suggested, I wrote to Gen. Hicken looper, and he gave me an immediate reply. “Two years ago,” he says, “one of the members of our staff Gen. W r m. E. Strong,of Chicago,111., compiled with great care a full and detailed ac count of all the circumstances connected with the death of McPherson. I assisted him and prepared for him a map to accompany the re port. It was perfectly accurate and complete in all its details, and would be invaluable to you. I have no doubt if you write to him he would give you a copy of it. There never can be compiled a more perfect statement of all the various incidents of the battle connected with McPherson’s death, as it is based on the knowl edge of the various members of the staff with McPherson at the time, and also that of the Or derly who was riding with him when he fell.” The next thing was to write to General Strong, which 1 did. and received the following in re ply. “I prepared, a year ago last summer, at the request of a number of prominent officers of the Army of the Tennessee,a paperon the death of Gen. McPherson. The material for this paper I had been collecting since the war. The arti cle, I think, is perfect and complete, covering | with tHe flank of the^iittteenth and Seventeenth some thirty-seven pages of legal cap paper. I Corps, thus making the line continuous. I was saults of Hood’s army. Near the time that the enemy failed in his second attempt to carry Gen. Dodge’s position. Gen. McPherson sent me to Gen. Blair to ascertain the condition of affairs along his line, and directed me to tell Giles Smith to hold his position, and that troops would be immediately ordered up to occupy the gap between the Seventeenth and Sixteenth Corps As I left Geu. McPherson remarked that he would remain with his Orderly where he then was (a commanding position on Dodge’s right), until I returned. I rode rapidly through the woods to the Seventeenth Corps and found Gen. Blair with Gen. Giles A. Smith neartue extreme left of the Fourth Division (Col. W. Holt’s brig- ad e). From these two officers I learned that rebel infantry had been seen moving out of At lanta and towards the left flank of the Seven teenth Corps, and they feared the enemy was trying to get in rear of the army, or was feeling for the break in the line, with the hope to cut off the Sixteenth Corps. I at once returned to Gen. McPherson with this information, find ing him just where I had left him. “Immediately the General started, accom panied by myself, to look over the gap between the two Corps, and with the intention of ask ing Gen. Logan for a brigade of his Corps (which was in reserve), to fill the position. The only road which it was possible to travel, in order to reach Gen. Giles Smith’s command without making a lengthy detour to the rear and cross ing a number of ravines and streams, ran nearly in prolongation of the line of battle of the Six teenth Corps. The General and staff had pass ed over this road in the early morning, again shortly before 12 o, clock, it had been passed over constantly by the troops of our army with safety since the early dawn of the 22 1, and ten min utes prior to the General’s death I had ridden rapidly over the same road, to and from Gen. Blair’s command without being tired at. I ac companied Gen. McPherson on this road 350 or 400 yards from th > open fields and un til we had gained about the centre of the gap between the flanks of the two army Corps. The General suddenly checked his horse and left the road, looking the road over carefully to the south of it, and following some distance a ridge which ran parallel to the road, and which he said was an excellent position for our troops. Upon returning to the road again the General stopped, and sent isyj back, to Gen. John A. Lo gan with the last order he ever gave, and prob ably it was the last time he ever spoke to anyone, unless to his Orderly. The substance of this order was, to ask Gen. Logan to send Wangelin’s brigade of Wood’s division, which had been held in reserve near-^tjhe Augusta Railroad, to throw it across the gfjp and connect the same begin back to the 20th of July, the day the Army of the Tennessee passed through Decatur, and fol low the movements of that army minutely up to three or four o’clock of the 22nd. A very fine map of the battle-field of July 22d accompanied the paper, prepared by Gen. Hickenlooper, which in all respects is accurate. “As you are probably aware, I never left Gen. McPherson on the 22d of July until a minute or two before his death, when I was sent by him to bring up Wangelin’s brigade of Wood’s division to throw in the gap between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps. Capt. D. C. Buel (Chief Ordnance Officer) and myself, with our Order- _ lies, went in with an ambulance and brought the open fields, I met Capt. Howard, the Chief Corps, to guide the brigade to the point indicated, show it where to form, and then return and join the General at Giles Smith’s command. When McPherson had given me this order he dashed up the road towards the left of the Seventeenth Corps as rapidly as his horse could carry him, and by the time he could have ridden 150 yards he was killed by the bullets of the enemy’s ad vance lines. PARTICULARS OF HIS DEATH. “As I passed back to the rear in the execution of McPnerson’s order, not much more than a minute after leaving him, and before gaining out McPherson’s remains. I have every fact bearing on the subject, and the testimony of all who know anything about it. The paper has been submitted to Generals Logan, Leggett, Fuller, Force, Hickenlooper and many others, and they pronounce it accurate so far as the movements of our army are concerned. I pre sented the paper to General Sherman more than a year ago—keeping a copy for myself—and I have several letters from him in which he speaks in very complimentary terms of the nar rative, and I think intends to publish it him self sometime with writings of his own. “I hardly think I would like to have extracts from my paper published, as it ought to be pub lished entire, and just as it is written. Nor would I like it to be published entire without first consulting Gen. Sherman in regard to the matter. Do you want the article entire, with the map, or do you only want the facts connect- ted with McPherson's death? The latter I shall have no objections to giving you. If you want the paper itself, to publish, I will consider the matter and write Gen. Sherman about it. After the capture ot Atlanta, 1 took Gen. Hickenlooper to the place where I found Gen. McPherson’s body, and Hickenlooper cut his name—* Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, July 22, 1864’—on a small tree within three feet of the spot where he fell.” [Note. —The owner of the land on which the “Memorial” has been erected, says he cut this tree down after the close of the war. He well remembers the inscription rudely cut in its bark.] I at once replied to Gen. Strong, who was Inspector General of the Army of the Tennes see, that I only desired the immediate facts connected with the death of his lamented com mander. This brought a prompt response, in which the distinguished officer says : “I gladly give you the information you desire, quoting briefly from the paper which I referred to in my previous letter. A few minutes before 12 o’clock on July 22d, 1864, Gen. McPherson and staff met Gen. Logan and staff, Gen. Blair and staff, and several of the division commanders on the Atlanta and Augusta Railroad, three quarters of a mile or more in rear of the right division (Chas. R. Wood’s division), of the Fif teenth Corps, and as everything at this time was quiet along our entire line we all dismount ed and had our lunch together in a little grove of oaks just to the south of the railroad. Of McPherson’s staff present at this time there were Lt. Col. W. T. Clark, Assistant Adjutant Gen eral; Hickenlooper, Chief of Artillery; Reese, Chief Engineer; Buel, Chief Ordnance Officer; Capt. Kilburn Knox; Rose, Signal Officer; Dr. Duncan, and Major Hilliard and Captains Gile and Steel, the General’s personal Aides, and Strong, Inspector General. “Soon after finishing our lunch, and while we were enjoying our cigars, a shot was fired to the left and rear of ns, and then another, succeeded quickly by a rattling volley of Binall arms, and at almost the same instant a shell came crashing through the tree tops near us, followed by rapid and incessant firing from Gen. Dodge's corns (the Sixteenth.) At the first shot every officer sprang to his feet and called for his horse. The time I should think was ten or fifteen mir ~‘ee past 12 o'olooL Gen- Signal Officer of our army, with several men of his corps, and I think, Lieut. Sherfy, one of the signal officers of the Fifteenth Corps. They were riding very fast (evidently going to Giles Smith's division), and must have been near the General when he was fired at I brought up Gen. Wangelin’s brigade as directed, but could not place it in the gap referred to, the condition of affairs along tnis part of the line having ma terially changed since I had parted from McPher son. I told Gen. Wangelin I would at once go to the left of the Seventeenth Corps, where I supposed McPherson to be (having been ordered to meet him there), and ask for further instruc tions in regard to this brigade. It being impos sible to get to Giles Smith's division in the road heretofore referred to, I made a detour, cross ing some cornfields, and finally gained the dense timber to the rear of the left flank of the Sev enteenth Corps. “When within two hundred yards of the tim ber, I saw McPherson’s horse staggering about and evidently wounded. The saddle and equip ments bore the marks of three bullets, while the horse himself was struck in two places. About the time I reached the horse a wounded soldier came out of the woods near by accompanied by another soldier, unhurt, who seeing me, asked if I was not an officer of McPherson's staff. I returned an affirmative reply, whenhe informed me that the General was dead, and that they had a few minutes previous left his body in the woods. To corroborate their statement they gave into my possession an empty pocket book, a knife, bunch of keys, and a number of other articles, which I at once recognized as belong ing to McPherson. The wounded soldier was George Reynolds, Company D.. 15th I >wa In fantry, and the ocher was Joseph Sharland, 64th Illinois Infantry. “They volunteered to guide me to the spot where the General’s body was then lying, but said it would be impossible to get to it from that direction, that we would have to go baok and go in by the road. I immediately retraced my steps, accompanied by these two soldiers, and soon reached the open field where General Wangelin’s brigade was still in position awaiting orders. Here I met a member of McPherson’s staff, Capt D. C. Buel, Chief Ordnance Officer, who volunteered to make the attempt with me to r"cover our General’s remains. We secured a four-mule ambulance for that purpose, and pro ceeded without delay to the road through the woods, up which the General was riding when killed. The firing on this road had ceased at this time, and we resolved to make a dash in with the ambulance and bring off the body if possible. Our party consisted of Captain Buel and his Orderly, myself and Orderly (George Taylor, Co. D., 12th Wisconsin), George Rey nolds, Joseph Sharland and the driver of the ambulance (name not known to me). Reynolds and Sharland rode in the ambulance. We dashed in on this road as fast as our horses would carry us, and were soon near the point where Reynolds thought the body lay. The ambulance was turned quickly about, and the mules headed out Buel and I dismounted, our Orderlies holding the horses. Buel and Shar land, revolvers in hand, walked down from the ambulance some yards, and promised to watch the road, and protect the ambulance with their lives. George Reynolds, weak and faint though he was from loss of blood, guided me through the dense thicket and underbrush straight to the spot where McPherson fell. “Thirty-five or forty yards from the main road we came upon the General’s prostrate form, cold in death. He was lying on his back, his head resting on a blanket which Reynolds had previously placed there. His hat, watch, sword- belt and field-glass were missing, and the book which he carried in the side pocket of his blouse, and which contained memoranda, papers and telegrams, was also gone. His buckskin gaunt lets had not been removed and a diamond ring of great value still remained on the little finger of his left hand. Raising the body quickly from the ground and grasping it firmly under the arms, I dragged it, with such assistance as Reynolds could offer, through the brush to the ambulance, and with the aid of the other mem bers of our party deposited it therein, after which we went out, as we came in, ‘on the keen run. ’ But when we had gained the open field, the ambulance was stopped, and the General’s remains were placed in a proper position, his limbs being straightened, his arms folded over his breast, and his head tightly bandaged, and supported by a folded blanket. Thus we car ried to Gen. Sherman’s headquarters at the Hurt House all that remained to earth of the gallant soldier and beloved commander of ‘The Army of the Tennessee. ’ “ Gen. McPherson was killed, or mortally wounded, between one and two o'clock, and probably in about two minutes from the time I left him in the execution of his orders. The enemy, shortly after I passed over the road from the interview with Generals Biair and Giles A. Smith, had advanced his line, found the gap between the corps, and had possession of and controlled the road, a regiment of infantry having been thrown accross it. Gen. McPher son must have ridden within fifty feet of the Confederate line before he discovered his pecu liar situation. An officer standing near threw up his sword, as a token for McPherson to sur render, but the only response he made to this informal demand consisted in raising his hat, politely bowing, and reining in his horse to the right to avoid the enemy, evidently hoping to escape by gaining quickly the thick-timber and under-brush which was close at hand. “These are the main fac s in relation to Gen. McPherson’s death, briefly stated to meet your desire. In the paper prepared for Gen. Sher man, I go more into details, and give the state ments of Lieut. Sherfy, of the Signal Corps A.T. Thompson, the General's Orderly (who was cap tured at the time, and remained a prison er of war over nine months) and George Rey nolds. To these are added an interesting state ment from Capt. Richard Beard, who was in command of the company (5th reg. of Cleburne’s division j that held possession of the road, over which McPherson was riding, and from which company the volley came that caused his death. From Capt. Beard’s standpoint, his article is undoubtly accurate, still (viewed from our side) there are some errors in it, which I seek to cor rect in my paper. Capt. B. states, that when McPherson was called upon to surrender and refused to do so, ‘young Corporal Co ernan, who was standing near him, was ordered to tire, and did so; and it was his ball that brought Gen. McPherson down.’ “Nei-her McPherson’s body-guard nor any member of his staff’were with him when he was killed. A. J. Thompson, his Orderly, was the only soldier with him properly belonging to our head quarters. Col. R.*N. Scott, of the 68 :h Ohio.(Capt. Howard, Chief Signal Officer, Lieut.- W. H. Sherfy, of the signal corps, and Capt. Raymond, were the]only officers of our army who were near enough to witness the firing of the fatal volley, so far as I have ever been able to ascertain. Col. Scott and Lieut. Sherfy must have been very close, as both were dismounted by the volley fired, the first named officer hav ing his horse killed, and being himself captur ed. As to young Reynolds, not enough can be said in his prais . He received a dreadful wound in the elbow, and although weak and faint from loss of blood, he remained with the General until he died, and did every thing in his power to comfort and.relieve him. This brave soldier refused to go to the hospita’ or to have his wounds dressed until we had recovered and brought from the field the dead body of our fal len commander. As a slight reward for his bravery, and lor his kindness to Gen. McPher son during his last moments, the ‘gold medal of honor’ of the Seventeenth Corps, was awarded him, by Maj. Gen. Frank P. Blair, his corps commander, and the presentation made in the presence of his regiment under arms.” In referring to my previous article on the death of McPherson, Gen. Joseph Wheeler, who with his cavalry played a conspicuous and gal lant part in the bloody battle of the 221 of July, gives me some new facts in regard to the matter: “After the fight some of our soldiers reported the killing and capture (as they expressed it) of a Federal surgeon. The uniform described by them, however, was so like that of a general that others besides myself felt convinced that they were mistaken in the rank. It is most probable that Gen. McPherson was the person to whom they referred. If this be true the statement of Gen. Sherman that the body was for a brief time within our lines, is well founded. Is is very possible that McPherson, when he fell, finding himself alone in our hands, and mortally woun ded, uttered the one word ‘surgeon,’ meaning that he wanted a surgeon to attend to bis wounds. Our men, doubtless, thought he de sired to make known to them that he himself was a surgeon, as the hero died before he could make any further explanation of his condition and wants. Gen. McPherson was oertainly all his most ardent admirers claimed for him—a man of great mental ability; of remarkable ac- quirments; noted for his sterling character; re spected and esteemed by his superiors, his sub ordinates and his soldiers; and held in high re gard by the entire Confederate army, as well as the citizens occupying the territory which the fortunes of war placed under his control.” This is all the information I have been able to gather up from various sources, after much pa tient effort, in regard to the death of Gen. Mc Pherson. Many of my letters to prominent mil itary men have never been replied to, while others have called out only apologies for being unable to give any new facts. Gen. Sherman, when my letter reached him, had just returned from a long official visit to the Indian country, and he was reluctantly compelled to content himself with these few words of thanks and apology: “I am much obliged for your courte sy in sending me that printed slip describing the ‘McPherson Memorial,’ and its location. I could write you much on this subject, but real ly am too fully occupied at this time.” As he does not in any way refer to discovered errors in his published account of McPherson's death, which formed a portion of my article, it is right to presume that no new facts have contradicted the narrative given by Gen. Sherman in his •Memoirs.’ It is true that Gen. Strong fixes the death of McPherson between bneand two o’olock in t‘ e afternoon, while Gen. Sherman places it between eleven and twelve o’clock in the fore noon. Both may err in their recollection as to the exact hour, but it is known that his death ooourred between the hours of eleven and two o’clock. The exact time is unknown. Kimball-House, Jan., 1878. — A cargo of nitro-glycerine exploded at the Jackson mines, near Negaunno, Mich. Seven men were blown to atoms. The shook was plainly felt three miles away. The Jew as a Debtor. “Swindling Jew,” is an epithet that has very often been applied to the Israelite. Indeed no H ie have ever been so grossly maligned, so y traduced, as the Hebrew people. For long centuries have they borne unmerited and persistent woes. For long centuries, have they been the victims of scorn, of hate, of falsehood and abuse. But it is needless to rehearse the past—to relate anew the story of wrong and suf fering inflicted upon our people. That story is familiar t'o every student of history. It is with the present that we desire to deal. To refute falsehood, to dissipate error, to expose malevolence and hate, to answer the charge ot dishonesty so often brought against the Hebrew people—shall be our task to-day. “The Jew as a debtor” is the question we de sire to discuss. How does he compare with the debtors of the Gentiles in honesty and integrity? To answer these questions truthfully and satis- faetorily, an impartial statement of facts and figures must be made. There are, in the United States from 300,000 to 500,000 Israelites. Of these, probably 50,000 are male adults Wno follow some business or oc cupation. The vast majority of these male adults are engaged in commercial pursuits. Compara tively few are professional men, farmers or me chanics. Hence, it may be safeiy stated that from 35,000 to 40,000 Israelites are, strictly speaking, business men, and are, to a certain extent—as the credit system is so much in vogue —debtors. The question therefore arises: Are these 35,000 or 40,000 Israelites as prompt and as honest in the payment of their debts as 40,000 merchants, bankers or manufacturers selected at random from among the general population ? Let us take the city of New York as an example. There are in that city, about 75,000 Israelites. Of these 75 000, about 12,000 are male adults and at least 7,000 of these male adults follow com mercial pursuits. Of the general population, about 150,000 are male adults, of which not more than 35,000 follow commercial pursuits. H;nce, while according to population there is one Jew to every twelve Gentiles, according to occupation, there is one Jew engaged in mer cantile pursuits, to every five Gentiles. There fore, the proportion of failures should be as one to five. According to statistics, not less than eight hundred failures per annum occur in New York. Hence,according to the proportion, there should occur about one hundred and fifty Jewish fail ures per anium. Yet facts and statistics show that there are hardly seventy-five Jewish fail ures. Thus, in the city of New York, there are two Gentile failures to every one Jewish failure. And New York may be taken as a fair example, in this respect, of t ie other cities of the Union. We therefore reply to our first question, that the thirty-five thousand Israelites engaged in commercial occupations in the United States are fully as prompt and fully as honest in pay ing their debts, as thirty-five thousand bankers, merchants or manufacturers, selected at random from among the general population. Again. It has been stated on good authori ty that since the panic of 1873, there has been an average of one bank failure per diem, which would make not less than 1200 bank failures from that time to this. Yet there are not twenty- five Jewish banking houses included in this list. Making all due allowance for the number of Jewish and Gentile bankers, the propoition would ye.t be exceedingly favorable to the for mer. And yet, when the recent failure of the Greenebaums and Netters occurred in New York, some unthinking people railed at “Jewish dis honesty.” Let the impartial seeker after truth examine carefully the records of the Bankrupt and Insol vent Courts of the United States. Let him scan the names of those who have taken advantage of those laws, and few indeed will be the Jewish names found upon those records. Let him in spect the Homestead books, whereon are found the names of those who seek to evade the pay ments of honest debts, by the means which the laws of the various States allow, and on those books he will find Jewish names in an over whelming minority. If he be still unsatisfied, let him examine the records of the Criminal Courts, let him seek the names of those who have been indicted for fraud cenuected with the non- payment of debts, and hardly a Jewish name will greet his eye. Let him inspect the long list of defalcations— of men who, after obtaining possession ol cred itors’ money, abscond without paying one cent of their indebtedness, and he will be unable to find a single Jew on that black roll of crime. Let him gather up the names of those who have defrauded the poor and needy, who have robbed the widow and the orphan, by inducing them to intrust their hard-earned wages in swindling “Savings Institutions,” and he will find Jewish names conspicuous by their ab sence. If he be still unsatisfied, if all these evidences fail to force conviction upon his mind, let him glance back over the pages of history, to the time when Philip Augustus of France promul gated his decree absolving every Christian from his liability to a Jew; when'.Eaglish barons bor rowed immense sums from the Jewish money lenders, and repaid them with tortnre and per secution ; When German princes decoyed unsus pecting Israelites into their dominions, to ob tain possession of their substance, and for pay ment banished them from the land;—then let him turn to the other side of the picture; let him observe how the Israelites scrupulously re paid every debt; how even unjust taxes were cheerfully paid by them; how they rendered to the governments which iobbed and persecuted them, the most oppressive, the most iniquitous exactions. Let him contrast Christian(?) with Jewish debtors in the Medieval ages; then let him ex hibit the result of his investigations to the world, and all must acknowledge that despite the calumny of foes, despite the falsehoods of unscrupulous men, the Jew is atid ever teas an hottest debtor. Not to pay oue’s honest debts is similar to stealing, and “Thou shalt not steal,” is one of the fundamental principles of J udaism. In all their wanderings the Hebrew people have observed this divine command. Through all their vicissitudes, honesty and integrity have been their guiding-stars; have shown as the brightest, fairest gems in Isael’s glowing coronet 1 .Max Mexerhabdz. Rome, Ga., Jan. 8th, 1878. A Child Born in a Grave.—A horrible occur rence is reported from Castel, near Guidici, in Italy. A poor waman, near her confinement, was seized with a fit of catalepsy, which the surgeon who was called in mistook for death. He gave a certificate accordingly, and twenty-four hours later the woman was buried in the oommon grave of the cemetery. A few days afterward, on the grave being opened for the body of anoth er interment, it was remarked that the body of the woman had been disturbed. On examina tion, the eyes were found partially opened and distorted, the bandage in which the legs had been swathed was burst asunder, and a child had been born. The doctor and the president of the commune have been punished for their criminal carelessness by imprisonment for three months. “Things are a-climbin’ down low, sonny,” re marked the old darkey. “Fust, I done come down to two meals a day, den I comes down to one—mighty plain one at dat— an’ now, bress my old hide, ef I don’ got to scratch ’round ter flit so |muoh as one good squar’ lunohin’ a week!” “ 1