The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-21


H 1hs facIs connected with its capture and its
possession by the War Department. ,,ao,y
(slgned) ANDRE" 'ohN''-
IMPLY OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR
wan DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY May
"a. lS67sir;-I have the honor ooniained 10 in the
Inemorandum book found on the peLson oor,J or
Wilkes Booth at the time OF hvocare. ms General
VINO has possession OF the DDOk' , ,ro ,,inno
hisreportin relation thereto Inc me 5SIh day of
Anil 1865 shortly after Booths capture a,p Inu
few hours before his remains ,se hy prnvost
Nsrshal Baker and another person Wuo rt Was, ,i =
think IieutenantC Colonel CohgeI, as aa1 oOOS nf
We nnaso.aI se I,oSeTt Assistant Secretary OF war,
and was found 10 contain only the enuies
certided by General Holt also some phoVo-
rsanhsN of females Immediately preceding
Ibe entries some pages appeareu W Icy nMe
been cut out, DnI t, onnIe vc~idten thereonl or
ThetfIer ything had been written, nor when
or by whom they had been cut out ,ii immeal,
its contents, IL was placed in the hands OF
General EckerJ in the same condition as when
first saw 1t, to be delivered to the Judge Al
Yocate General, in whose possession, after It's
delivery to him by General Eckert am in-
formed and believe it has continued until the
present time. Tue last time l saw the book
was some time last winter. IL was then before
sentaliyes and was in ali respects in exactly
the same condition as when saw IL hrst with
out any change or alteration, so far as could
discover, in its contents.
General Eckert reported to me that upon
ceiving the memorandum book from me he
Continued in his possession until he delivered
it TO the Judge Advocate General, and that it
was then in the same condition as when 1t was
brought to my house by Baker.
Very respectfully, your obedtent servant,
EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary OF war.
To the President
CERTIFICATE OF JUDGE ADvoCATE-GE ENERAL
r.. JOSEPH HOLT.
no 4 n which
was in pencil found In the diary taken from
the body of j. Wilkes Booth
(Ofhclal copy) j. HOLT,
Judge Advocate General.
THE DIARY OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
"TI ABlo," April l3, IA, Friday. the Ides-
Until to-day nothing was ever thought of sacri
hcing to our country's wrongs For six months
we had worked to capture But our cause being
almost lost, something decisive and great must
be done. But its failure was owing to Others
who did not strike for their country with
1 struck boldly, and not as the papers say
walked with firm step through thousand
A colonel was at his side. l shouted "Sic Sem.
per" before fired; in jumping broke my leg
i passed all the pickets, rode sixty miles that
night with the bone of my leg tearing the flesh
at every jump; i can never repent 1t, though
troubles 10 him. ana God simply made me the
instrument of his punishment.
The country is not, April, 1865, what 1t was.
noS m nsI
to ontl1ve my country. This night, Before the
deed" wrote long article and left it for one
of the editors of the National InteLLigencer, in
which fully set forth our reasons for our pro-
ceediDgs. Ae of the Government
Friday, 2l.-After being hunted like dog,
through swamps and woods, and last night
reufn k wet wet, cold, and Starving With Ve every ~
mans hand against me, am here in despair
and why? For doing what Brutus was honored
for, what made Tell a hero; and yet 1, for
striking down greater tyrant than they ever
knew, am looked upon as common cutthroat
My action was purer than either of theirs. One
hoped 10 be great The other had not only his
Scountry's, but his own wrongs 10 avehge I
Ioped for no gain. knew no private wrong
] struck for my country, and that alone-a
country 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 l have done wrong Yet cannot
see my wrong except in serving a degenerate
people. The little, the very little I leave
will not allow to be printed-so ends ALL For
my country nave given up all that makes
as ms s%Her fs%y ana and h0 am sure there's is p
pardon in the heaven for me, since man
what what has been done. except what did my:
2 self, and it fills me with horror. God try
and forgive me, and bless my mother. To
night will once more Try the river with the
Intent to cross, though have a greater desire,
and, in a measure, clear my name, which feel
can do. do not repent the blow struck; /
may before my God, but not to man. 1 think
have done well, though am abandoned with
the curse Of Cain upon me, when, If the world
knew my heart, that one blow would make m me
night try to escape these bloodhounds once
more Who can read his fate? Gods will be
done. l have too great soul to die like q
criminal. Oh, may He spare me that, and lei
me die .brave1yi bless the entire world; have
never hated or wronged any one. This last was
net wrong unless God deems 1t so, and IT'S
with him to damn or to bless me. And for this
brave boy with me, who often prays, yes. before
and since, with true and sincere heart-was II
crime in him? If so, why can he pray the
same7 do not wish to shed a drop of blood
but must fight the course 'Tls all that's
left me.