Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-29
THE NATIONAL CALAMITY.
Further Details of the Assassination
President LincOIn's Last Hours.
Heart-rending Grief of Mrs. Lincoln.
Incidents of the Last Day of the
Presidents Life.
The Attack on Sec. Seward.

The New York Herolds Washington special
of the 18th, gives the following details of
events preceding the assassination of the Pres
ident, and his last hours:
g About half past Z p NJ, the l4th, Hon.
George Ashmun called at the White House
and was ushered into the parlor, where
SCHUYLER Colfax was seated, waiting for a
short interview with the President on BUSH
ness which had bearing on his proposed over
| land trip. A few moments elapsed, when
President Lincoln entered the room, and a
short conversation took place on various
matters. The president was in happy and
iovial frame of mind. Mr.. Ashmun desiring
to see him On special business, and there be-
| ing no time to attend to it then, the Presi-
dent took out a card, and placing it on his
knee, wrote as follows
"sAlow Mr.. Ashmun and friend TO come to me
at A. NJ. tomorrow. A. LINCOLN.
"sApril 14th, 1862
"These were the last words that he
penned. 1t was the last time that he signed
| his name to any order, document, or message
Mr.. Lincoln finally stated that he must go to
the theatre, and warmly pressed Speaker
Colfax and Mr.. Ashmun to accompany him,
but they excused themselves on the score Of
previous engagements.
/ AT ABOUT . L. III. MT. anu 1AEs. LlAASOih
started for their carriage, the latter taking
the arm of Mr. Ashmun, and the President
and Mr.. Colfax walking together. As soon
as the President and Mrs Lincoln were seated
in the carriage, the latter gave orders to the
coachman TO drive around TO Senator Harris
residence for Miss Harris. As the carriage
rolled away, they both said GOOD bye,
good bye to Messrs. Ashmun and Colfax, and
the carriage had in moment more disap-
peared from the ground in front of the White
House.
"A few moments later, party Of four per-
sons-the President and Mrs. Lincoln, Miss
Harris, and Mr. Rathburn, of Albany, step
son of Senator Harris, arrived at the theatre,
and entered the front and left hand upper
private box.
"a moment before the attack was made,
the President was leaning forwerd, resting
his head on his hand, in his accustomed care
| less way, his eyes bent upon the stage, and
enjoying hearty laugh.
Miss Harris, who was in the box with the
President, makes the following statement
Nearly one hour before the commission OF
the deed, the assassin came to the door of the
box and looked in, to take a survey of the
position of its occupants It was supposed
at the time that it was either a mistake or
the exercise of impertinent curiosity The
circumstance attracted no particular atten-
ton at the time. Upon his entering the box
again, Major Rathburn rose and asked the in
truder his business. He rushed past the Ma
jor without making a reply, and, placing his
pistol close TO the back of the Presidents
head, actually in contact with it, fred, and
instantly sprang upon the cushioned baluster
of the box, when he made backward plunge
with his knife, aimed at the face or breast of
Mr.. Lincoln. Major Rathburn, springing for
ward to protect the President, received a
STAB in his arm The murderer then jumped
upon the stage and effected his escape. The
rapidity with which all was committed was
astounding. Mrs. Lincoln saw the form Of a
person go down from the box, and thought
Mr.. Lincoln had fallen out, and looked to see
if she could not see him on the floor, and
barely saw the culprit jump to the stage
When all was over, she turned her eyes to
the box and saw that Mr.. Lincoln's head had
dropped forward upon his breast, and at once
realized what had transpired.'
"The murder of the President was at once
announced at Growers Theatre. Little Tad
Lincoln was in attendance there, and the
moment he heard the statement he seemed
to 60 almost crazy. He shrieked and sobbed
in a heartrending manner. The poor boy
was taken to the White House, and was soon
auieted when it was ascertained that his
father was still alive.
SFrom the moment the President was shot,
I'D TO his death, he was insensible, and exhib-
tied no signs of pain, recognized no person,
and, in fact, believe, did not open his eyes
Blood troubled his breathing, often making it
extremely difficult He was watched with
tender care, and all that could be was done
for him.
"Vice President johnson visited the Pres
II IL b,.f ,aI IN,
about an hour. In fact, many of those who
had rushed to assist in taking care of the
President found that their presence obstruct-
ed rather than gave assistance, and therefore
left Among these were many members of
Congress and western men. The number
present was reduced to but few before he
breathed his last.
"The scene at the Presidents bedside was
most affecting 1t was surrounded by his
cabinet ministers, all of whom were bathed
in tears, not even excepting Mr.. Stanton,
who, when informed by Surgeon General
Barnes that the President could not live I'M
I'll morning, exclaimed, '0h, no, General
no. no p and, with an impulse as natural as it
was unaffected, Immediately sat down on a
chair, near his bedside, and wept like child.
Senator Sumner was seated on the right of
the Presidents couch, near his head, holding
the right hand of the President in his own.
He was sobbing like woman, with his head
bowed down almost on tue pillow of the bed
on which the President was lying"
"About 8 o'clock this morning, / reached
the house where the President lay in his dy-
ing agonies He was lying upon his bed, APP
parentIy breathing with great difficulty. He
was entirely unconscious, as he had been
since his assassinat ton. His eyes were pro-
truding from their sockets and suffused with
blood. In other respects his countenance
was unchanged. In an adjoining room were
Mrs. Lincoln, her son, Capt. Robert Lincoln,
Miss Harris, who was with Mrs. Lincoln at
the time of the assassination of the Presi-
dent, Rufus F. Andrews and two lady friends
of Mrs. Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln was under
great excitement and agony, wringing her
hands and exclaiming-'Why did he not
shoot me instead of my husband? / have
tried to be so careful of him, fearing some
, thing would happen, and his life seemed to
be more precious now than ever. l must go
with him. and other expressions of like
character. She was constantly going back
and forth to the bedside of the President, ex-
claiming in great agony, How can it be so p
The scene was heartrending, and it is impos-
sble to portray it in its living light. Capt.
Robert Lincoln bore himself with great firm
ness, and constantly endeavored to assuage
the grief of his mother by telling her to put
her trust in God and all would be we'll Oc-
casionally, being entirely overcome, he would
retire into the hall and give vent to the most
heartrending lamentations. He would re-
cover himself ard return to his mother, land