Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-05-11
Alleged Plot to Assassinate or Kidnap
:. President Lincoln.

President Lincoln.
A Washington correspondent Of the Iri
1ume, who, for some time past, has beer
furnishing the public with startling revala
tions of the Confederacy, gives plausible
statement of plot proposed in the earl.
part of last November:
One hundred and fifty picked men were
to go secretly North, and take quarters il
Washington, Georgetowb,, Baltimore and
Alexandria, SO as to be- able to commuui
cate daily with each other; and upon day
fixed by their leader were to assemble in
Washington, for the purpose of making the
seizure. The President, it was claimed,
could be easily seized at quiet hourat the
White House, or in going to or returning
from church, or on some other. favorable
occasion, and thrust into a carriage and
driven of. The carriage was to be joined,
o few miles of the city, By twenty FIVE OF
thirty armed men on horseback.
{ It was proposed to drive to Indian Point,
about Is miles south of Washington, on the
Potomac-two OF three relays of feet horses
being stationed. on the way-where boat
was to be in waiting to cross the river and
land the captive few miles south Of, Occo.
quan, when it would be an easy matter for
his captors to work their way with him
through the woods by night into the rebel
lines, Toprevent pursuit, every bridge be-
tween Washington and Indian Point was to
be mined beforehand, and blown up as soon
as the captive and his captors had crossed.
Huge trees were also to be ready cut and
thrown across the road in various places as
soon as they had passed by men stationed
along for the purpose, who we're afterwards
to separate and escape as best they could.
The Secretary of War thoughtthis scheme
might succeed; buth doubted whether such
a proceeding would be Of a military charac-
ter and .justifable under the laws Of war.
He promised, however, to conSplt the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Benjamin; (; but what conclu.
sion was arrived att am unable with car
tainty to say About a week, however, af-
ter the plan was submitted, and the same
day that Col. Msrgrare left for the North, !
asked Mr.. Wexford, who is familiar with
all the secrets of the Department, if the
plan had been adopted, and he answered,
"You will see Old Able here in the Spring
as sure as God" A few days afterward I
was sent to Atlanta, and never returned to
Richmond to hear about the matter.
But this is not the only scheme by any
means that has been devised for kidnapping
our President. Last summer club or So
ciety Of wealthy citizens Of Richmond was
formed for the purpose ofraisiag a fund for
this object. Circulars were sent to trust
worthy citizens in every other city and town
in the Coneederacy, inviting cooperation in
the grand undertaking, and immense sums
of money was subscribed. The firm Of
Maury & Co., bankers in Richmond, sub.
scribed $40, ,O00snd Sumper& Arents, snc-
tioneers, subscribed $4,000; and I have.
heard on good authority that there were
several inthe capital who subscribed even,
more literally than the parties named, but
who they were did not learn. One man
Of Charleston, s. c., whose name /, have
forgotten, subscribed $4,000. It was
when all was ready, to obtain Q
furloughsfor Mosby, and make him leader
Of the enterprise.