Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-12
MIR. Stewards Account OF the Attack
UpOu Him

OF conversation with Secretary Seward,
and Mr.. Frederick Seward, giving des-
cription of their sensations at the time ethe
attempted assassination:
"Mr. Frederick Seward said, that on step
ping from his bedroom into the passage, and
seeing the assassin, he merely wondered what
he was doing there, and called him to ac-
count. On his resisting the fellows endeavor
to press into Mr.. Stewards room, the assas-
sin drew a revolver which he presented at
Mr.. Frederick Stewards head What fol-
lowed. it must be remembered, took place in
a few seconds. Mr.. Frederick Stewards first
thought was, That's navy revolver
The man pulled the trigger, but it only
snapped, and his intended victim thought,
That cap missed fire.
"His next sensation was that of confusion,
and being upon the floor, resting upon his
arm. which, like his fathers jaw, was barely
recovered from a bad fracture-the assassin
had felled him TO the floor with the but of
the pistol-he put his hand to his head, and
finding hole there he thought, That cap
did not miss fire after all.
"Then he became insensible, and remained
so for two days or more. His first indica-
ton of returning consciousness was the ques-
tiou, "Have you not got the ball out ?'
after which he fell offagain into a comatose
condition, which was of long continuance.
On the very afternoon of the day when
Mr.. Lincoln was assassinated, Mr.. Frederick
Seward. who was Arsi slant Secretary OF
State. had asked his father what prepara-
ton should be made for the presentation of
Sir Frederick Bruce, which was to take
place the next day. Mr.. Seward gave him
the points of a reply to be made to Sir Fred
erick. and he laid the outline of the speech
upon the Presidents table, and, as | have
previously informed my readers, Mr.. Lincoln
that afternoon wrote out the reply, adopting
Mr.. Stewards Suggestions, and thus preparing
the reception of the British Minister by
President johnson, which was regarded at
the time by the people to whose representa-
tive it was addressed rs so friendly and fair,
and dignifed.
"Mr. Frederick Stewards first inquiry after
he came fully to his senses, which was long
time after the assassination, was: Has Sir
Frederick Bruce been presented" He
thought that only one night had passed since
he knew not what had happened to him, and
his mind took up matters just where 1t had
left them.
"Mr. Stewards mental experience during
his supposed assassination was in its nature
so like that of his son, that it raises the
question whether this absence of cOnsterna-
ton and observation of minute particulars
is not common in circumstances of unex-
pected and not fulIyapprehended peril. Mr..
Seward was lying upon his side, close to the
edge of his bed, with his head resting in
frame, which had been made to give him
ease and protect his broken jaw from pres
sure.
Gle was trying to keep awake, having
been seized upon by a sick mans fancy-it
was that if he slept he would wake up with
lockiaw. He was brought to full conscious
ness by the scufile in the passage way, fol-
lowed by the entrance of the assassin, and
the cry of Miss Seward, oh he will kill
my father But he saw nothing Of his as
sailant until a hand appeared above his face
and then his thought was, what handsome
cloth that overcoat is made of The assas-
sins face then appeared, and the helpless
statesman only thought, What handsome
mani payne was a fine looking fellOw.)
'Then came a sensation as of rain strik-
ing him smartly upon one side of his face
and neck, then quickly the same upon the
other side, but he felt no severe pain. This
was the assassin's knife. The blood spouted,
he thought My time has come and falling
from the bed to the floor, tainted. His first
sensation of returning consciousness was that
he was drinking tea, and that it tasted good
Mrs. Seward was giving him tea with
spoon. He heard low voices around him,
asking and replying as to whether it would
be possible for him to recover. He could
not speak, but his eyes showed his conscious
ness, and that he desired to speak. They
brought him a porcelain tablet on which he
managed to write, Give me some more tea.
| shall get WE'LL And from that moment he
has slowly but steadily recovered health and
strength"
FREAK OF FoRTUNE.-A lady of this city,
of the highest responsibility and afiluence
before the war, by one of the vicissitudes of
Dame Fortune became separated from her
husband during the early days of the Con-
federacy. For years she had heard nothing
of him, and at last the melancholy conclu-
son was accepted that he was dead. In the
meantime she became reduced in circum-
stances, and at the time when the Federal
troops occupied the city she was compelled
20 dispose of her costly and elegant furni-
turc. This she did, piece by piece, until the
last object which served to bind her to her
former independence had been sent, and she
began to despair. Only few days ago she
received letter from a gentleman residing
in Mississippi, in which she was informed
that her husband had lately died, leaving a
fortune Of over sixty thousand dollars, of
which she was the only heir. A check for
one thousand dollars accompanied the letter
for her immediate wants and she immedi-
ately took her departure for the place where
her unexpected fortune awaited her. 1t APP
pears that her husband, having enlisted in
the army was discharged on account of i'll
ness, and owing 10 the unsettled state of the
country, preferred to remain in the extreme
South until the close of the war. While
there he became engaged in various specula-
tiOns, and made large amounts of money, in
tending to rejoin his family as soon as peace
was declared. He invested his funds in cot
ION, and had just disposed of it when death
closed his career He had written many let
tiers to his wife, but, strange to say, none OF
them reached her ; the above letter being the
first information she had been able to obtain
as to his fate.-Richmond Times