Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-07-20
Con fession Of Payne, alias
Powell.

The Washington Chronicle gives an item
Of interest concerning the would be assassin
Of Mr. Seward
The Rev. A. d. Gillette had great deal
of conversation with Payne. He revealed
George g. Powell, Baptist clergyman, re-
county, Florida. He had two brothers,
both Of whom, he believed, were killed in
the Confederate service, and several sisters
He says he enlisted in the rebel service
when he was sixteen years of age, and is
now about twenty years old. He was cap
tured at the battle of Gettysburg and i'm
prisoned at Baltimore, where he succeeded
in making his escape. He subsequently
joined Harry Glmore's forces but he be-
came dissatisfied and deserted. He after
wards connected himself with Mosby's band
Of guerillas, and here he says he found a
most desperate set of fellows He says he
enlisted in the rebel service from a sense of
duty and conscientious belief that he was
performing an obligation he owed to his
(the COnfederate) government. Ii should
be here stated that he says, he entered the
rebel service against the will of his parents.
He was induced to join the cavalry forces
under Mosby on account of his inability to
stand the severe marches of the infantry,
and says that he frequently became faint
and fell to the ground To his connection
with Mosbys band he attributes his intro
duction to Booth and the evils consequent
thereto He desired the clergyman to let
Mr.. Seward know that ''he had no malice
against him, as between man and man" to
use his own words, "but he had agreed to
do his duty, and could not back out" He
said he was to have no reward for it-no
compensation had been promised him. The
only benefit he expected to derive was the
approval of his so-callcd government. lie
expected promotion if he was successful,
and he had always been led to believe that
the Confederacy would triumph either by
the force of arms or the recognition of for.
eign powers.
He says his first idea was to capture the
President, Mr.. Seward and other prominent
characters. With that understanding he
was persuaded to lend his assistance. The
plan of assassination was broachcd at the
very latest moment. He requested DR..
Gillette to write to his relatives and say he
repented and had his hope in heaven
He impressed the clergyman as a person Of
more than ordinary intellect, and possessed
of correct religious ideas. He had few
small articles, knife and a bible, which
he desired the clergyman to send to people
He has six sisters In the bible were some
flowers he had prcssed-white convolvu
and blue larkspur that had grown in tn,
prison yard. lie was entirely resigned t.
his fate, and said he could never again en-
joy life, even if he were pardoned. II,
slept about three hours during the night
and ate some toast and drank cup of cot
fee for breakfast. Payne declared positive
ly that he did not know the names of tho
principal men concerned with Booth in ar
, ranging the prciminarics for the assassina
ton. He saw number of men in Rich
, mond who appeared to be deeply intereste
, in the scheme to abduct the President ant
they were sanguine of the success of th
Confcdcracy. But Booth himself he con
sidered tn, leading spirit in the whole trans
action
Payne said he had regretted more thar
any thing else the part he had taken ir
bringing Mrs. Surratt into trouble, and de
cared that he had no conversation with hel
at her house the night he was arrested
there. His object in going to her houst
was to obtain suit Of clothes that woulC
enable him to make his escape into Vir
ginia He censures her son John III. Sur
raft, in the severest terms for deserting his
mother in the hour of her extremity
Payne was simple in his manners, and ap
peared to be perfectly sincere. He said af
ter he escaped from Mr., Stewards house
on the night Of the attempted assassination
he rode some three miles across the Easter
Branch, when he injured his horse and was
compelled to dismount. For three days anC
three nights he wandered through the
woods, without any sustcnance, every mo
mcnt expecting to be arrested. He felt tina
he had committed a grievous sin, and tina
he would be pursued and overtaken. Or
one occasion party scouting for him drev
very near to where he was secreted. Ii,
climed tree and found secure shelter il
the topmost branches. Then it was tha
the pangs of hunger determined him t.
make his escape if possible. In a disguis
he quickly walked to the house of Mrs. Sur
ratt where he was arrested