Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-23


in this city. That gentleman writes;
| will make a statement Of all that
transpred at my house, in order that
YOU may see how far Baker and his com
rades have told the truth. On Monday
morning the 22d Of April, 1865, three
men rode up to my yard, and went ont
to them. The foremost one introduced
himself to me as Capt Jett, of the Con-
federate service, and then introduced the
two men with him, one as Lieutenant
Ruggles, and the other as his friend Mr.
BOYD. He stated that the latter was
wounded Confederate soldier, belonging
to Gen. A. p. Hills corps, that he was
shot below Peterburg, and had one Of the
bones Of his leg broken, at the same time
requesting me to take care oil
him until Wednesday morning, at
which time he and his friend Ruggles
would call for him. that they were going
on scout towards Richmond, and would
return at the time named. Believing
what they stated was true, and as the
man was wounded and suffering, | con
sented to take care of him until that
time. He remained with my family un'
til Tuesday evening about four o'clock.
AT that time two men, with third man
behind one Of them, came from towards
Bowling Green to my road gate and put
down the man who was behind de
came to the house, and the two that were
riding went out towards Port Royal.
The man who was put down at the gate
came in the house, and, in my absence,
asked my son, John Garrett, to give
him lodging for the night A very short
time after he arrived at my house, the
two men who brought him came back rid.
ing very fast, and said to the two men
who we're here that the Yankees were
crossing the river at Port Royal, and
that they would have to take care OF
themselves, and then rode off again very
RAPIDLY. One of these men who rode off
was Ruggles, who came with Jett when
they brought the man they called Boyd,
and the other was represented as Lieut..
Burbridge / was with my hands at work
when they came, and did not know of it.
But one of my children came where |
was and told me the Yankees we're com.
ing, and as | started to the house | saw
the two men going toward the woods
The man who turned out to be Harold
soon returned to the house, and my Son
told him if they had done anything to
make the Yankees pursue them that they
ought not to remain here that they
would endanger themselves and probably
us. lie said they had done nothing,
and he did not suppose they
were in pursuit of them, that he
had heard that some horses belonging
to Yankees had been stolen the night be-
fore, few miles above this, and he reck-
oned they were in pursuit of the thieves.
The company of Yankees soon passed
nv house aud went toward Bowling
Green, and, soon after, Harold went to
the woods and brought back his compan
ion. who turned out to be Booth, and
they took supper with my family, about
S O. clock. | went from the supper table,
which was in an out house, to my private
room, being unwel, and the two men,
with my two sons, went to my front
porch. Some time after, they proposed
to sleep in the house where Boyd had
slept the night before, but my son OBJ
iected, and they then said they would
sleep under the porch, but my son TOLD
them that as my dogs were vicious, they
would be disturbed there. My son told
them we had tobacco house that hat
hay and fodder in it and they. could
sleep there. This they concluded to do
and after they had retired my son con
cluded he would take them blankets and
sleep himself in a corn house near the
tobacco house, as he feared the men
might get up in the night and take the
horses in our stable, since they had made
inquiry about getting O conveyance to
carry them towards Orange Courthouse
and one of them had remarked that ht
would like to have the horse he had seen
nv son riding. When my son went tC
the corn house, he took the keys anC
locked the door of the tobacco house
thinking thereby he would prevent theil
coming out to get the horses in the
night. About two o'clock the mex
morning my house was surrounded by
the party in pursuit, and | rose in my
night clothes and opened the door tC
nv end porch, when three men
sprang in, and one of them put a pisto
TO nv breast, and asked me if two meT
were not in my house, and said If | die
not tell the truth | would be dead mar
in q minute | told them there were nc
men in my house; that two men wer'
here in the evening when they passed
that they went to the woods, but re
turned and got their suppers, and dit
not then know where they were. One o
the men inside the door then called to 4
man outside to hand him rope, that h'
would hang me; that | was not telling
them the truth. About this time one OF
INV sons came in at the door and said
"Pa, we had better tell them where thu
men are" He then said they were IL
the tobacco house They then put mi
under arrest at the door, and went will
my son to the tobacco house, and forcet
him to 20 in to endeavor to get Boot
aud Harold to surrender. Boot
said to my son: Go away; yo'
have betrayed me My son then cam
out, and they fired the house and shot
Booth by the light, Harold having al
ready surrendered One the officers
Baker, demanded candle to be lighted
and went toward my private chambei
door. / asked him not to enter, as ia
dies we're in the room, undressed. H'
did not enter, nor did he make the re
marks attributed to him. His conduc
was bad enough without doing this act
There is no truth in my getting on m.
knees. / was excited, but it was no
through fear that they would shoot o
hang me- This is a plain and truthful
statement Of the facts Of the case.
(Signed,) RICHARD II. GARRET.
Nowhere in his letter, either in tina
portion we have given or in what pre-
cedes it Of a private character to hi