The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-04
Airtluuud lispatrt1,
WEDNESDAY. ....... AUGUST 4, 1859
From Our Special Correspondent.

kunrscrEnaStcrs...E Of stDOsB
and Capture of Harrold---Beeth VI"
DahIgrcn----How is the First an
Assassin and the Last noble
Martyr "-~Tombsfone OF Rev. An
drew observation-disclosures TrHde---n
I.fugcring Trace of Furnishes van
daiisrn.
KING AND QUEEN, August 2, 1869.
The old town Of ''Port Royal was
famous place in its day, and Mt one time
hid fair to become city of considerable
commercial Importance. But its glory de-
narsed. and the waters of the Rappahan-
mock flow by "unvexed y ny the Keeis OF
commerce. save now and then steamer
bounl for Fredericksburg, or Baltimore, or
some small craft which trades along the
river. But the old town awakened many
memories Of more recent date. Along
the shore of tho river in the winter OF
lS62-G3, our ragged boys stood plcsc'' ah1
cracked their jokes, or (by means OF moaeI
boats. which sailed without crew or Piio1J
exchanged tobacco Tor coneG WIN n't
Yanksn on the opposite side. On tha'
,;n Colo,eI Hilary Jones planted Long
IT,, J, and drove back the Federal gun
boat thus originating the story long current
in the camps that "0ld Jack had charged
= cnnboat with cavalry and sent it bowling
down the river"
H,rc sold Jubal' used to come TO stir
up the pickets, and ferret out any delln-
ouency with that keen eye which made the
bows declare that he " had spies among
them Ii was not far from here tnal
General Jube" had his headquarters,
from which he issued his famous dnn-
qc0mcn" order which caused such tiutter
among officers wives who were VISITING
their husbands. 1t WIS here that he began
to stir UP the quertcrmasters and co1nihis-
sarics so sharply that one OF them lace,
tiously remarked that So the gray mare couiu
not cast the shoe Of her left hlnd 1oot
without on immediate order from ola
Jubc' demanding to know the cause 81 the
mishap." But it was this rigid discipline
watch brought Early's division to that state
Of efficiency which it ever exhibited when
under the leadership Of that noble ola ho-
man. We growled little at 1t then (espe
cislly at the "snti-womcn order J, put
were led to see that in it all "old Juoa!
1.-THE old hero, if his eye should fall on this,
will pardon the soubriquct which IS as IA
miliar as his old white hat) was actuated
by high sense Of what he thought the
interests Of the service demanded.
But another incident has thrown a his
toric interest around Port Royal, and at
trsotei hither not few northern tourists
and relic hunters. Wilkes Booth and Har-
rold crossed the river at this ferry, md az
ter seeking shelter in vsin in the village,
went three miles of TO the house OF Mr..
Garrett. where Booth was killed and Har
rold captured. Your correspondent 1oun'
here = most hospitablo nights entertain
ment on his return from Shiloh, and re-
ceivcd from Mr.. Garrett a very intelligent
aid deeply interesting account of the affair.
Booth and Harold, accompanied by Il
CAPTAIN Jett and another Confederate SOL
dicr-to whom, by the way, they had very
imprudcntly revealed their identity with
the assassins Of Lincoln-came to Mr.. Cor
rett's one night, and representing Booth as
n wounded Confederate soldier, asked Tor
lodging for him. This was readily granted,
and the others went off, while Booth and
Harold remained. Booth did not seem to
be suffering very much from his fractured
limb, and might have hired a conveyance,
and perhaps made his escape; but they
fingered there until the next afternoon,
when company of Federal cavalry dashed
by the gate on the road to Bowling Green.
Even with this warning, and despite the
circumstances of MIR. Garrett (who still
thought them Confederate soldiers), they
persisted in remaining there another
night; and instead of taking to the woods,
slept in q tobacco-housc not far from
the dwelling. The Federal cavalry over
took Captain Jott at Bowling Green, re-
turned Mt once to Mr. CARROTS, and sur
rounded the house. Booth and Harold
were rudcly awakened from a deep sleep to
find their retreat surrounded by armed men.
To summons to surrender, Harold at
once yielded, but Booth refused, and def
untly offered to come out and fight the
whole company if they would give him fair
play. This was of course declined, and for
one hour and half this wounded despe-
RADIO kept ut bay this company of brave
troopers, whose exploits upon the occasion
have been so highly eulogized. At last the
house was set on fire, and when it was seen
that Booth was resolved to perish in the
flames rather than surrender, he was shot
from the outside Of the house, and being
thus rendered entirely helpless his body
was borne of in triumph to the porch of
the dwelling where, in a short time, the
spirit of Wilkes Booth had taken it's fight,
and only his cold clay remained.
The day after leaving the scene of Booths
death your correspondent passed near the
spot where Dahlgren was killed, and heard
from the gentleman who commanded the
King and Queen Home Guard, and who
stood within few feet Of Dahlgren when
he fell, q full account of that affair.
The papers found on Dahlgren's person
disclosed plot to assassinate President Da-
Wis and Cabinet, burn Richmond, and turn
loose an infuriate mob Of released prison
crs upon helpless women and children.
The authenticity OF these papers and
the proof of this ncfarious plot are
placed beyond all question by the teB
timony Of the first men in the county. And
yet Dahlgren is eulogizod as &" heroic
martyr" most brilliant funeral process
sion accompanies his remains to the tomb,
and the Confederate soldier who shot him
while charging at the head of his troopers
is denounced as cold-blooded assassin, l"
while Booth is declared fiend in human
shape"-the men who shot him from safe
distance "herocs" of the first water-his
body unworthy of decent burial, and the
clergyman who four years after his death
dared TO give his remains quiet fu-
neral unworthy OF place IN New York
hospital. Such is the public sentiment Of
people who talk SO fiippantly of "rebel
barbarism."
We do not, of course, approve OF Booths
deed, but we confess to being unable to see
wherein he was more culpablc than Dahl
gren.
But we passed Salem church, Caroline
county, and paused to visit the grave of q
far different character from either of those
we have Just mentioned. A simple marble
slab marks tho last resting place Of Rev.