Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-05-05


My worldly race is almost run,
And life so merrily begun, r,s
Must end this way. 3
o demon thought fOrsake my breast
And while I'm dying, let me rest
One single moment unoppressed,
Then | viii go.
Virtue, Home, Friends, depart depart
Your arrows rankle in my heart;A 81
O death release me with thy dart,
If thought twill slay.
Death comes.--But yet its sable wings
No ease unto the wretch it brings,
But him into perdition filings,
of endless woe.
Frepaont, Aprd 18Th, 1855.
......... 81
End of BOoth-His AccOmplIce Captured.
WaR DEPARTMENT., WASHINGTON, !
April 9th, . % A. ii.
To Mdior General Dir: r'fia
j. Wilkes Booth and Harold were chased
from the swsmps in st. Mary's county, Mary
land, to CARROTS Farm near Port Royal, on
the RappahannOck, by Colonel Bakers force
The barn in which they took refuge was fired.
Booth in making his escape, was shot through
the head and killed, lingering about three hours.
and Harold was captured. Booths body and
Harold are now here. ft b.
E. N. STANTON, Secretary of War.
DETAILS OF THE TRANSACTION.
Washington, April l7th-To Col. L. @. Ba-
ker, Special Detective of the War Department
and his admirably trained detective force and
the 18th New York Cavalry, active partieipa-
tors in the seisures of the criminals, the co0n-
try owes debt of gratitude for this timely SER
vice. 1t seems that detachment of the 10Th
New York Cavalry, numbering 25 men, was
despatched from this city on Monday, under
the direction of Col. Baker, in command of 1t
Dougherty, accompanied by two of Col Baker S
detective officers, to wit: Lieut.. Col Gonger
and Lieut.. Baker, who captured and killed
Booth and captured Harold, one of his accom-
plices. The cavalry, after leaving here, landed
at Belle Plain in the night, and at once started
out In the pursuit of Booth and Harold, hay-
ing previously ascertained from colored man,
that they had crossed the river into Virginia at
Swan Point in a small canoe hired by booth
from man for $500. Proceeding ON toward
Bowling Green. some three miles from Port
Royal, Lieut.. Dougherty discovered that Booth
and Harold were secTeted in large barn,
owned by man named Garrett, and were well
armed. Proceeding to the barn, Lit. Baker was
sent forward and called upon Booth to come
out, give up his arms and surrender, and that
young Garrett would go into the barn To receive
their arms. Upon his entering the barn, Booth
exclaimed, ''Get out of here; you have betray-
ed me-.
A colloquy then ensued, of which the follow
ing is the substance:
Lieut. Baker-s'You must give up your arms
and surrender. We have come to take you a
prisoner, and viii treat you as prisoner, We
give you five minutes to surrender, or we viii
burn the barn. ~ .
Booth-"Who are you, and what do you
want?"
instructions had been given to 1t Baker not
to disclose the character of those who were in
pursuit. rl
Lit. Baker-''We want you, and we intend to
take you prisoner"
Booth--''This is hard case. 1t may be am
to be taken by my friends. 60 t5
After some further cOllo9uy OF this sort
Booth, seemingly convinced that he was in the
tolls of Federal soldiers, said 'sGive me chance
for my life. am q cripple, with one leg
Withdraw your men 100 yards from the barn
and will come out and fight YOU sss
LIT. Baker-"we did not come here to light,
but to take you prisoner. You must give up
your arms and surrender. as
BOoth-'sLet me have time to consider
then took place in the barn, which was not
overheard by the party outside. In about Is
or 20 minutes BOoth called out, ''WhO are you 4?
l could have picked off half dozen of you
while we were talking. l could have shot you
two or three times, but don't want to kill
ui liiias f7I sH
Lit Baker-''Then give up your arms and
surrender We have come to take your
BOoth-'tI will never surrender. | will new
er be taken alive
1t. Baker-'sIf you don't do so Immediately, y,
we will set fire to the barn. . ~
Booth-"Well, my brave boys, prepare a
stretcher for me-
After this conversation took place between
Booth and Harold, during which Booth was
heard to say, "You d-d coward will you
leave me now2 But go! go, L don't want you
to stay with me-" l -..s 4l-ssi.
He then addressed the party outside, There
is man here who wants to come out. = fir
1t. Baker-.SThen let him hand ont his arms
and come. " ", ~ ~
Another talk here occurred between Booth
and Harold, in which it appeared the latter
arms with him and Booth was heard to say, =
''Go away from me; don't want anything more
to do with you"
Harold then came TO the door and asked to
be let out. Lieut.. Baker said No, hand out
your arms.
Harold replied, have Bone''
Lit. Baker-''Yes you have; you carried a
carbine when you came here. You must hand
it out
Booth--@He has no arms; they are mine =
Upon my word, as gentleman he has no arms;
all that are here belong to me. -
Lieut.. Baker then approached the door. Har-
rold thrust out his hands and was pulled from
the door, tied and placed in charge of guard.
Col. Conger was then satisfied that further
parley with booth was vain, and proceeding to
the other side of the barn, he pulled out wisp
of hay and lighted it. Within a few minutes
the blazing hay lighted up the inside of the
barn. Booth was discovered leaning on a crutch
which he threw aside and with carbine in his
hands, came towards the side where the fire had
been kindled, paused, looked at the fire a mo-
ment and then started towards the door W hen
about the middle of the barn he was shot Col.
COnger and Lieut. Baker at once entered the
barn and brought Booth out. a
The ball struck Booth in the head, Just be-
low the right ear, and passing through come
Dut about an inch above the left ear He sur
vived the wound nearly three hours but suf-
fered intense pain, and about an hour before he
lied begged the guard to shoot him through the
heart and thus end his misery.
When asked if he had anything to say, he
replied ssTell my mother l died for my cOun-
try" When questioned he did not deny his
crime. i @ -
Besides the carbine, when he fell, he had in
his hand six-barrelled revolver, and at his
feet was lying seven shooter, which he drop
ped after he was wounded. Two other revOlv-
srs were also near him. H
II WAS ahout dtiak on T'uesdav avaniuc,
when the expedition reached the barn, and it
was not until 3 o'clock the next morning the
barn was set on hire. ..--s--as-s-.s- sssss-sss'7
1t was Sergeant Boston Corbett who shot
Booth. The pistol used by him was regular
large sized cavalry pistol. as
Booths body was taken to Washington, and
after being fully identified, was buried in a
manner commensurate with his great crime.
While the remains of Lincoln lay in state in
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, seventy five