The correspondent of the
Confederacy, "One of
Morgan's Men," writes as follows:
‘
A correspondent of a Northern paper, in speaking of
Captain John A. Gurley, says:‘"It is some satisfaction to know that we have at last succeeded in capturing
Captain John Gurley, the murderer of
General McCook.
He has been sent North to be tried, where it is hoped he will be hung without benefit of clergy."’
Captain Gurley is one of the bravest and most energetic officers in the
Southern army.
His killing
Gen. McCook was perfectly honorable and strictly in accordance with the rules of war. It was simple the boldness of the deed which rendered his name so famous among all honorable men, and so hated by the
Yankees.
Gen. McCook had pressed a carriage and horses from a Southern rights gentleman of
Huntsville, and it was the fact of his being in this carriage which enabled
Captain Gurley to identify him. He was traveling with his entire brigade, and was surrounded by a body guard.
Captain Gurley attacked the guard and drove them off, and demanded
Gen. McCook to surrender, and, on his refusal to do so, he shot him. He was justified in doing so, and if we had a few more like
Captain Gurley the country would be rid of many other Yankee scoundrels wearing the stars of a General.
The object of this notice is to call the attention of our Government to his capture; for, unless the
Yankees are notified that we will retaliate, we fear that
Captain Gurley will never again return to his family and friends in the
South.
’
We were informed by an officer who was confined in one of the prisons at
Cincinnati, that while
Morgan was in the neighborhood of that city, an old gentleman came in and inquired of
General Morgan's officers "if there was such an officer in his command as
Captain Gurley. " The officer addressed replied that there was not.--"Well," says the old man, "I can sleep, but I had determined, if
Capt. Gurley was in your command, neither to eat nor sleep until I had revenged myself in his blood for the murder of my son. " The old gentleman remained a few moments longer, talking over his former deeds of valor and the good service he had done his country during the war, with his splendid repeating rifle, although the not required his presence in the field.
When he rose to depart he remarked that he was sorry that
Captain Gurley was not with
Gen. Morgan, for he had resolved to wreak his vengeance on him, even if he had been a prisoner; but, as he was not with the command, he supposed he would have to kill somebody else of
Morgan's command.
When he had gone,
Dr. Miller,
Surgeon for
Dick Morgan's regiment, asked the
Yankee officer of the day who that, man was. The officer replied, in some astonishment at his ignorance, "Why, sir, that is the great
Major Dan McCook, the father of the 'fighting McCooks;' I supposed everybody knew
Major McCook"
"Then," says
Dr. Miller, "if he goes following too close to
Morgan he will get something he didn't want" A few days afterwards the
Cincinnati papers were draped in black, and the first announcement that met the eye, "Melancholy Occurrence-- One of the most dreadful incidents connected with the unholy raid of the thieving
Morgan is the death of
Major Dan McCook.
He was killed near
Burlington Island by one of the horse thieves, who shamelessly robbed him after he had fallen mortally wounded." The paper then went on to give a history of his life, and mentioned the singular coincidence that he was the third of the family who had been killed during the war on the 21st of July. The youngest son,
Daniel, was killed at the
first battle of Manassas, on the 21st of July, 1861; the second son, Robert, on the 21st of July, 1862; and the old man,
Daniel, on the 21st of July, 1863. Perhaps it was the approach of the 21st of September that made Aleek leave the battle field of
Chickamauga in such hot haste.
From the bitterness of feeling expressed against
Capt. Gurley at the
North I fear that, unless our Government have their attention called to his case, he will be murdered in prison, and we earnestly hope that the
Secretary of War will not fall to do what he can to prevent so foul an act of revenge for his heroic conduct.
