The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-05-30
AN DREW JOd NSON.
"WAR DEPARTMENT,

WASHINGTON CRY, May IA, 81. I
SIR have the honor to sub
NIT herewith copy of the entries
contained in the memorandum.
book found ON the person of J
Wilkes Booth at the time of bis
capture, certified to by Gen. Holt
Judge Advocate General, who has
possession of the book, together
with his report in relation thereto
The memorandum, book was first
seen by me about the 26th day ol
April, 1865, shortly after Booths
capture, and a few hours before his
remains reached Washington.
1t was brought to my house by
Provost Marshal Baker and anoth.
er person, who was, | think, Lieu
tenant Colonel Conger. The book
was then examined by mo in pres
ence of General Eckert, Assistant
Secretary of War, and was found
to contain only the entries certi6
ed by General Holt; also some pho
tographs OF females. Immediately
preceding the entries, some pages
appeared to have been cut out, but
there was nothing indicating what
had been written thereon, or wheth-
er anything had been written, nor
when or by whom they had been
cut out.
"Immediately after a careful ex.
animation Of the book and its con.
tents, it was placed in the hands of
General Eckert, in the same condi-
ton as when l first saw it, to be de-
livered to the Judge Advocate Gen.
eral, in whose possession, after its
delivery to him by General Eckert,
/ am informed and believe, it has
continued until the present time.
The last time | saw the book was
some time last winter. 1t was
then before the Judiciary Commit,
tee of the House of Representatives,
and was, in all respects, in exactly
the same condition as when l saw
it first, without any change or al
teration, so far as l could discover,
in its contents.
General Eckert reported to me
that upon receiving the memoran.
dunn book from me he sealed it up,
and locked it up in his safe, and it
continued In his possession until he
delivered it to the Judge Advocate
General, and that it was then in
the same condition as when it was
brought It to my house by Baker
Very respectfully your obedient
..
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War"
TO the President:
"The following is copy of the
writing, which was in pencil, found
in the diary taken from the body of
J. Wilkes Booth. J. HOLT,
"Judge Advocate General. "
"Ty Amo, April 13-14.-Friday
.he ides. Until to-day nothing was
sver thought Of sacrificing to our
,ountry's wrongs. For six months
We had worked to capture; but our
,ause being almost lost, something
decisive and great must be done;
out it's failure was owing to others,
who did not strike for their country
with q heart.
II struck boldly, and not as the
papers say, | walked, with firm
,tep, through a Thousand Of his
friends, and was stopped, but push
ID on. shouted SIC semper before
[ fred. In jumping / broke my
leg.
II passed all his pickets, rode
sixty miles that night with the
bone of my leg tearing the flesh at
avery jump. l can never repent
i, though we hated to kill. Our
owed all her troubles to
him. and God simply made me the
instrument ofhis punishment. The
,ountry is not what it was.
"April, May 8, 1865.--This forc-
ID Union is not what l have loved.
care not what becomes of me; |
have no desire to outlive my coun.
.rv. This nicht-haEorA the dead