Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-04-20
Iast Moments of the President.
Intersating Letter from lIaunsen b.
Field, AGSiBtRnt SeereEAEy OF Gne

Field, AGSiStRnt secretary OF the
On Friday evening, April IA, 1866, i
was reading the evening pBper in the read
inc room Of Willard's Hotel, at about 10A
O'CLOCK. when was startled by the report
that An ATTEMPT had been made q few min
utes before to assassinste the President ct
Ford's Theatre. At first could scarcely
credit it, but in few minutes the state
ment was confirmed by number Of people
who came in separately, all telling the same
story, About fifteen minutes previously
had parted with Mr.. Mellur, Of the Treas
ury Department, and he had retired to his
room. Immediately on recsivipg this iu-
telligence notified him of 1t, and We to-
Rether proceeded to the scene of the alleged
assassination. We found not only consid-
cradle crowds on the streets leading to the
theatre, but q very large one in front of
the theatre, and of the house directly OPP
posite, where the President had been car
ried after the attempt upon his life. With
some difficulty obtained ingress to the
house. ] was at once informed by
Miss Harris, daughter Of Senator Harris,
that the President was dying, which
statement was confirmed by three or.
four other persons whom ], met in the
hall; but was desired not to communi-
was in the front parlor. went into this
parlor, where 1 found Mrs. Lincoln, no
other lady being present, except Miss Hsr-
Fis, as already mentioned. She at once
recognized me, and begged me to run for
DR.. Stone, or some other medical man.
She was not weeping, but appeared hyster-
icsl, and exclaimed in rapid succession,
over and over again: "0h why didn't he
kill mel why didn't he kill met" / was
starting from the house to go for DR.. Stone,
when met at the door, Msjor Eckert, of
the War Department, who informed me he
was going directly to Stones house, Stone
having already been sent for, but not hav-
ing yet arrived. then determined to go
for DR.. Hall, whose precise residence did
not know. Upon inquiring of the crowd,
was told it WAS over Frank Taylor's book
store, on the avenue. This proved to be
mistake, and 1 was compelled to re-
turn to his actual residence on the ave.
nue., above Ninth street. found the docs
tor at home and dressed, and he at once
consented to accompany me. Arrived in
the neighborhood of the house, Ihsd great
difficulty in passing the guard, and only
succeeded at last in having the doctor in.
troduced, admission being refused to
myself. 1 returned to Wizards, it
morning, and remained there until
between 8 and 4 o'clock, when again
went to the house where the President was
lying, in company with Mr.. Andrews, late
Surveyor of the port of New York. OBJ.
tanned iDgress this time without any diff.
Guilty, and was enabled to take Mr.. Andrews
in with me. proceeded at once to the
room in which the President was lying,
which was a bedroom in an extension, on
the first or psrlor floor of the house. The
room is small, and is ornamented with
prfnts-a very familiar one of Landseer's, q
white horse being prominent directly over
| the bed. The bed was a double one,
and found the President lying diagenslly
across it, with his head at the outside. The
pillows were saturated with blood, and
there was considerable blood upon the floor
| Immediately under him. There was q
patchwork coverlet thrown over the Pres-
ident, which was only SO far removed from
time to time, as to enable the physicians
in attendance to feel the arteries of the
neck or the heart, and he appeared to have
been Invested of all clothing. His eyes
were closed and injected with blood. both
the lids and the portion surrounding the
eyes being as black as if they had been
bruised by violence. He was breathing
regularly, but with effort, and did not seem
to be struggling or suffering.
The persons present in the room were
the Secretary Of War, the Secretary of the
Navy, the Postmaster.G General. the Attorney
General, the Secretary of the Treasury,
(who, however, remained only till about
o'clock,) the Secretary of the Interior
myself, General Anger, Geu. Halleck, Gen.
Aeigs, and, during the last moments, Capt,
Robert Lincoln aud Msjor John Hay. on
NnFNk FNf kha. Md n q
him, and directly opposite the Presidents
face, an army surgeon, to me q stranger.
another army surgeon was standing, fire.
quently holding the pulse, and another
gentleman, notiu uniform, but whom uu-
derstood to be also an army surgeon, stood
g good deal of the time leaning over the
head. board Of the bed.
For several hours the breathing above
described continued regularly, and an
parently without pain or conciousness.
But about o'clock change occurred. and
the breathing, which had been continuous.
was interrupted at intervals These inter.
walls became more frequent and of-longer
duration, and the breathing more feeble.
Several times the interval was so long that
we thought him dead, and the surgeon an.
piled his finger to the pnlse, evidently to
ascertain II such was the fact.4 But It was
- AAAhuS0o past IN the
morning that the fame iickered out. There
was no apparent suffering, no convuisiye
action, no rattliug of the throat, none of
the ordinary premonitory symptoms Of
DEATH Death in this case was mere ces.
sation of breathing.
The fact had not been ascertained one
inmate when Dr.. Gurley offered up prav.
er. The few persons 10 the,room we're all
profoundly affected. The Presfdenps ewes
after death were not, particularly the right
one entirely closed. closed them myself
with my fingers, and one of the surgeons
brought pennies and placed them on the
eyes, and subsequently substituted for
them silver half dollars In very short
Slme the Jaw commenced slightly falling,
although the body was still warm. / calI.
ed attention to this, and had it Immediate.
! y tied up with a pocket handkerchief. The
expression was purely negative, but ia
ntteen minutes there came over the, month.