Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-05-29
EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY.

'ldes. Until to-day nothing was ever
thought Of sacrificing to our countrys
wrongs. For six months we had worked
to capture, but our cause bel e almost
lost, something decisive and Fat must
be done; but its failure was owing to
others who did not strike for their coun-
try with heart. [ struck boldly, and
not as the papers say. I walked with
bold step through thousand Of his
friends and only stopped once. A Col
onel was at his side. [ shouted sac SEM
per before | fred. In jumping I broke
my leg. | passed his pickets, rode sixty
miles that night, with the bone of my leg
tearing the. flesh at every jump. | can
never repent it, though we hated to kill
0 UT. country owed all her troubles to him,
and God sim ply made me the instrument
for his punishment. The country is not,
in April, 1865. what it was, This forced
Union is not what | have loved. [ care
not what becomes Of me. [ have no de-
sire to out,ive my country. This night,
before the deed, [ wrote a long article and
left it for one of the editors Of the Ma
tional hstezhgencer, in which [ fully set
forth the nature Of our proceedings.
FRIDAY, 2lst-After being hunted
like dog through swamps and woods,
and last night being chased by gunboat
till was forced to return wet and starv-
ing, with every mans hand against me, [
am here in despair, and why j.? for doing
what Brutus was honored for, and what
made Tell kill a tyrant. Yet L, for strik-
ing down a greater tyrant than they ever
knew, am looked upon as common cut
throat. My act Was purer than theirs.
One hoped to be great, the other had not
only his country's, but his own wrongs to
ayenge. | hoped for no gain. | struck
for my country and that at once--a coun-
try that groaned beneath this tyranny and
prayed for this END, and yet now behold
the cold hand they extend to me. God
cannot pardon me if [ have done wrong,
/ yet | cannot see nay wrong except in serv-
ing degenerate people. The little, the
very little, l left behind to clear my name,
the government will not allow to be
printed. So ends ali for my country. [
have given up all that makes lite sweet
| and holy, brought misery upon my family,
| and am sure there is no pardon IN heaven
Tor me since man CONDEMNS me so.
| have only heard what has been done ex,
cept what [ did myself, and it fills me
with SORROW. Col try and forgive me and
bless my mother. To night 1 will on, e
more try the river, though have greater
desire, and almost mind TO return to
name, as | think L can do. | do not re-
pent the blow. l think have done we'll,
though | am abandoned, with the curse
OF Cain upon my brow, when, If the
world knew my heart, that one blow would
have made me great, though | DID oesiIe
no 8 eatness. Tonight try to escape
these bloodhounds once more. VI BIO can
read his fate Gods viii be do1e i
| have too great heart to die ike cri -
lnal. May be spare me that and let ,le
die bravery. [ bless the entire world ;
have never hated or wronged any one.
This last was not wrong unless u cd
judges it so, and it is with ii I'M to damn
or save me-. Hardtor this brave boy $ It'll
| me, who often prays-yes, before and
since thls-wlth a true ueart w as it
crime Tor him {? If SO, why can be pray ?
| do not wish to shed a drop OF blood,
but must fight the course, It's all that 5
left."
Upon a piece Of paper found in the
diary, and supposed to have been torn from
it, was wrlttel- the following
Dea-:(piece torn OUT Forgive me,
butt have some little pride. L caunot
blame you for want of hospitality You
know your own affairs. | was sick, tired
with broken limb, and in need of med
| lcal assistance. [ would not have turned
a dog away from my door in such a
/ plight. However, you were kind enough
to give US something to eat, for which [
not only thank you; not for the rebuke
and manner in which to-pece torn out)
1t is not the substance but the way In
which kindness is extended that makes
one happy in the acceptance thereof
The sauce to meat is ceremony Meeting
were bare without it. Be kind enough to
! accept the enclosed five dollars; although
hard to7share, fr what We hive had"
Judge Holt says:
The diary purports to be one for 1854,
and the leaves cut or torn from ii prob
ably contained entries of that year, and
were tnus destroyed by Booth himself.
1t is absolutely certain that the diary is
in respects as it was when it came into my
| hands, and Colonel Conger, who was prom
inent IN the purs it ard capture of Booth
after having carefully examined it in my
presence, on yesterday, declared its con
dition to be precisely the same as when
he took it from Booths body, when he
was shot, the writing being the same, and