Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-02-10
NUMBER 5.


The American correspondent of the London
Spectator writes that he recently heard Secretary
Seward and Frederick Seward give the following
account of their own sensations at the time of the
attempted assassination
Frederick Seward said that on stepping from
his bedroom into the passage and seeing the
sassin, he merely wondered what he was doing
there and called him to account On his resist
ing the fellows endeavor to press into Secretary
Stewards room, the assassin drew revolver,
which he presented at Frederick Stewards head.
What followed, it must be remembered, took
place in a few seconds Frederick Seward 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 right arm,
which, like his fathers jaw, was barely recover
ed from bad fracture. The assassin had felled
him to the floor with the butt of the pistol.
He put his hand to his head, and finding hole
there, he thought, q That cap did not miss fire,
after all" Then he became insensible, and
manned SO for two days and more. His first in
dicaton of returning consciousness was the
question: "IIave you got the ball out?' After
which he fell off again into comatose condi-
ton, which was a. long continuance. On the
very afternoon of the day when Lincoln was
ant Secretary of State, had asked his father what
preparation should be made for the presentation
of Sir Frederick Bruce, which was to take place
the next day. Seward gave him the points of a
reply to be made to Sir Frederick, and he laid
the outlines of the speech upon the Presidents
table, and, rs have previously informed my
readers, Lincoln that afternoon wrote out re-
ply, adopting Stewards suggestions and thus
preparing that reception of the British Minister
by President johnson, which regarded at
the time by the people to whose representatives
| it was addressed, friendly, fair and dnifed.
Frederick Stewards first enquiry after he came
fully to his Senses which long time after
the assassination, @ Has Sir Frederick
Bruce been presented?' He thought that only
one night had passed since, knowing not what
had happened to him, and his mind took matters
just where it had left them.
Stewards mental experience during his sup
posed assassination in its nature so like that
of his that it raises the question whether
this absence of CONSERVATION and observation of
minute particulars is not common in circumstan-
ces of unexpected and not fully apprehended
peril. Seward was lying upon his side, close to
the edge of the bed, with his head resting in a
frame, which had been made to give him ease
and to protect his broken jaw from pressure
He was trying to keep awake, having been seized
upon by sick man fancy-it was that if he
slept he would wake up with lock- jaw He was
brought to full consciousness by the scuffle in
the passage-way, followed by the entrance ofthe
assassin, and the cry of Miss Seward, " Oh he
will kill my father!'' But he saw nothing of
his assailant until hand appeared above his face,
and then his thought was, what handsome cloth
that overcoat is made of. The assassin face
then appeared and the helpless statesman only
thought, =" What a handsome man." payne
was fine looking man.
Then came n sensation as of rain striking him
smartly upon side of his face and neck, then
quickly the same upon the other side, but he
felt no severe pain. This was the assassins
knife The blood spouted he thought, " My
time has come, and falling from the bed to the
floor, he tainted. His first sensation of return
ing consciousness that he drinking tea,
and that q it tasted good" Mrs. Seward was
giving him tea with spoon. He heard low vol
ces 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 con-
seriousness and that he desired to speak. They
brought him porcelain tablet, which he
managed to write: tGive me some more tea. /
shall get we'll And from that moment he has
slowly butsteadily recovered health and strength.