(This is the most important issue I have seen in my exploration of local newspapers of the 19th century so far.)
KILLING OF BOOTH.
THRILLING ACCOUNT OF HIS DEATH.
His Last Words,
“I die for my country.”
New York, April 28.
It appears by the Herald’s account that Col. Baker sent Lieut. Col. Conger and Lieut. Baker, of his detectives with Lieut. Dougherty and his cavalry.
On reaching Garrett’s farm, they were told by a son of Garrett that there were two men in the barn. This was at two o’clock A.M. on Wednesday.—Proceeding to the barn, Lieut. Baker was sent forward and called upon Booth to come out, give up his arms and surrender, and that young Garrett would go into the bard to receive the arms.
Upon entering the barn, Booth exclaimed:
“Get out of here! You have betrayed me!”
A colloquy then ensued of which the following is the substance:
Lieut. Baker—“You must give up your arms and surrender. We have come to take you a prisoner, and will treat you as a prisoner. We will give you five minutes to surrender. If you refuse we’ll burn the barn.”
Booth—“Who are you, and what do you want?”
Instructions had been given to Lieut. Baker not to disclose the character of those who were in pursuit.
Lieut. Baker—“We want you. We intend to take you prisoner.”
Booth—“This is a hard case. It may be that I am taken by my friends.”
After some further colloquy of this sort, Booth, seeming convinced that he was in the power of the Federal troopers, said:
“Give me a chance for my life. I am a cripple with one leg. Withdraw your men 100 yards from the barn, and I will come out and fight.”
Lieut. Baker—“We did not come here to fight, but to take your prisoner. You must give up your arms and surrender.”
Booth—“Let me have time to consider.”
A conversation in the barn between Booth and Harold then took place, which was inaudible to those outside, when Booth again called out:
“Who are you? I could have picked off half a dozen of your men while we were talking. I could have shot you two or three times, but I don’t want to kill anybody.”
Lieut. Baker—“Then give up your arms and surrender. We have come here to take you.”
Booth—“I will never surrender. I will never be taken alive.”
Lieut. Baker—“If you don’t do so immediately we will set fire to the barn.”
Booth—“Well, by brave boys, you may prepare a stretcher for me.”
After this conversation took place between Booth and Harold, during which Booth was heard to say:
“You damned coward, will you leave me now? But, go, go! I don’t want you to stay with me.” He then addressed the party outside, and said:
“There is a man here who wants to come out.”
Another talk occurred between Booth and Harold, in which it appeared the the latter was begging to be allowed to take out some arms with him, and Booth was heard to say:
“Go away from me, I don’t want anything more to do with you.”
Harold then came to the door and asked to be let out.
Lieut. Baker said, “No; hand out your arms.”
Harold replied, “I have none.”
Lieut. Baker—“Yes, you have. You carried a carbine when you came here. You must hand it out.”
Booth—“He has no arms. They are all mine. Upon my word as a gentleman, he has no arms. All that are here belong to me.”
Lieut. Baker then approached, and Harold, approaching, put out his hands and was pulled from the door, tied and placed in charge of a guard.
Col. Conger was then satisfied that further parley with Booth was vain, and proceeding to the other side of the barn he pulled out a wisp of hay and lighted it.
Within a few minutes the blazing hay lighted up the inside of the barn. Booth was discovered learning on a crutch, which he threw aside, and with a carbine in his hands came towards the side where the fire had been kindled, paused, looked at the fire a moment, and then started towards the door. When about the middle of the barn he was shot.
Col. Conger and Lieut. Baker on entered the barn and brought Booth out.
After identification, by order of the War Department, the body was privately interred in the clothing which was before upon it.
The Herald’s correspondent says that the parley with Booth laster a long while; that Booth told Lieut. Dougherty he had a bead drawn on him and could shoot him if he chose; that Booth could see those outside plainly while they could not see him inside; that while the fire was lighted Booth could be seen, and then Lieutenant Dougherty ordered Sergeant Corbett to fire, which he did through on of the crevices.
Booth was armed with two six barrelled and on seven barrelled revolver.
When the party started to return with the body, Harold refused to walk, when a rope was fastened to his neck and the other end of it to the saddle of one of the cavalrymen. As soon as a horse could be procured, he was mounted.
The World’s correspondent says it is learned that Harold joined Booth just after the assassination, and it is believed he brought the horse into the alley.
Sergeant Bouton Corbett (sic — his name was Boston Corbett), who fired the shot that billed Booth, says in his statement”
At 3 o’clock, or a little after the barn was fired, and before the flames were kindled, Booth had the advantage of us in respect to light. He could see us but we could not see him, but after that the tables were turned against him. We could see him plainly but we could not be seen by him, and he made a spring towards the door as if to attempt to force his way out.
As he passed by on of the beams in the barn I fired at him. I aimed at his body. I took deliberate aim at his shoulder, but my aim was too high—the ball struck him in the head just below the right ear and passing through came out about an inch above the left ear. I think he stooped to pick up something just as I fired, that may probably account for his receiving the ball in the head. I was not over eight or ten yards distant from him when I fired. I was afraid that if I did not wound him he would kill some of our men.
After he was wounded I went into the barn. Booth was lying in a reclining position on the floor. I asked him, “Where are you wounded?” He replied in a feeble voice, his eyeballs glaring with a peculiar brilliance, “In the head. You have finished me.”
He was then carried out of the burning building into the open air, where he died about two hours and a half afterwards.
About an hour before he breathed his last he prayed for us to shoot him through the hearts dn thus end his misery. His suffering appeared to be intense. (In fact, Booth was paralyzed, and died of asphyxiation. -ed.)
Booth, although he could have killed several of our party, seemed to be afraid to fire. Mine was the only shot fired on either side. When he fell he had in his hand a six-barrelled revolver, and at his feet was lying a seven-shooter, which he dropped after he was wounded, Two other revolvers were also found hear him.
He declared that the arms belonged to him, and that Harold had nothing to do with the murder. We gave him brandy, and four men went in search of a doctor, whom we found about four miles from the scene of the occurrence. When the doctor arrived Booth was dying.
He did not talk much after receiving his wound. When asked if he had anything to say, he replied, “I die for my country,” and asked those standing by to tell his mother so. He did not deny his crime.
The Washington Star says that the bullet which terminated his accursed life entered on the left side at the back of the neck, a point, curiously enough, not far distant from that in which his victim, our lamented President, was shot.
Booth and Harold represented themselves to the inmates of the house they were stopping at as wounded Confederate soldiers, on their way home, and they wore the rebel uniforms.
STATE NEWS
—The Henderson Monitor says that Swan Johnson, now in Ramsey county jail for chopping off the head of his son, is not insane, but is one of the most shrewd and cunning men in his township. He is also said to be a man of violent temper, and a terror to the neighborhood in which he lived.
—A daughter of J.R. Keyser, of Warsaw, about thirteen years of age, was so badly burned by her clothes taking fire, while lighting a fire in the stove on Sunday last, that she died in great agony on Monday. She was literally roasted. —Faribault Republican
—Two Norwegians a few days since while under the influence of liquor got into a difficulty at Northfield, when one of them stabbed the other with a jack-knife in the region of the heart. He was arrested for assault and battery with intention to do injury, and held for trial. The wounded man dying a day or two after, he was arrested and committed for the homicide, —Ibid.
—The Red Wing Argus says that during the march of the procession on Thursday last, a premature discharge of the cannon took place, by which a young man named Peter Moser, who was loading the gun, was terribly mangled and burned.
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(Racism alert. -ed.)
Feller Trablers.—If I had bin a eitin dried apples for a week, an den took to drinkin for a monf, I coodn’t feel more swell’d up dan I am dis minnit wid pride and vanity at seeing sich full tendence har dis evenin’; an’ when I reflect dat it am rite in de wite wasin’ season, when de breddrn am seen a goin round de streets a lookin’ like ole Gypshun mummies preserved in lime, an’ de sisters are up to dar ancles in de scrubbin’ time, my heart yearns towards you, like a piece of Ingin rubber hie a hot stobe, an’ I feel dat I hab an afflickshun for you that nothing can estrange, or syringe, I forgot now which; but one am jist de same as toddler.
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How to catch fleas — go where they are.
LATEST NEWS BY TELEGRAPH
—The steamer Sultana exploded near Memphis, on Friday morning last, killing over one thousand persons, mostly exchanged Union soldiers from Vicksburg. (More info about the Sultana disaster can be found here.)
—The Herald’s Newbern correspondent says the last positive information of Jeff Davis was that he passed through Charlotte on his way south, escorted by a brigade of cavalry, probably Wade Hampton’s on the 23d ult. As Gen. Wilson was at Macon on the 20th, and virtually held all southern Georgia, the chances are that Davis cannot escape.
—The preliminary examinations to the assassination plots, reveal an astounding conspiracy.
DRAFTED MEN, SUBSTITUTES AND RECRUITS TO BE DISCHARGED.
The following dispatch was received on Saturday by Col. Averill, just in time to stop about fifty men who were on the levee prepared to go down on the evening boat:
Washington, April 29th, 1865.
To Col. J.T. Averill, A.A.P.M.G., St. Paul, Minnesota:
By order of the Secretary of War, all recruits, drafted men and substitutes and volunteers for old regiments remaining in rendezvous will be immediately mustered out and honorably discharged the service, under your direction.
As soon as mustered out, report them to Pay Department for payment. Arrange with rendezvous commander accordingly.
Please acknowledge this by telegraph and inform me of number to be discharged.
T.M. Vincent,
Assistant Adjutant General.
PROCLAMATION.
The Day of National Humiliation Changed.
By the President of the United States:
Whereas by my proclamation of the 25th last, Thursday, the 25th of next month, was recommended as a day for special humiliation and prayer in consequence of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States; but
Whereas my attention has been called to the fact that the day aforesaid is sacred to a large number of Christians as one of rejoicing for the ascension of the Savior;
Now, therefore, be it know that I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, do hereby suggest that religious services, recommended as aforesaid, should be postponed until Thursday, the first day of June next. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 29th day of April, A.D. 1865, and of the Independence of the United States of America the 89th.
ANDREW JOHNSON
By W. Hunter, Acting Secretary of State.
Read the rest of this incredible issue here.
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