The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-12-30
COL. DEM. M.--- VOL. XXXIV.. NO. As


in a similar enterprise. Shortly after
our abandonment of the abduction
scheme, some dispatches came to me
which / was compelled to see through
to Richmond. They were foreign ones,
and had no reference whatever to this
affair. / accordingly left home for
Richmond, and arrived there safely on
the Friday evening before the evacua.
ton of that city. On my arrival l went
to Spottswood Hotel, where l was told
that Mr.. Benjamin, the then Secretary
of War of the Confederate States, want
ed to see me. / accordingly sought his
presence. He asked me if would car
ry some dispatches to Canada for him.
l replied "Yes." That evening he
gave me the dispatches and 5000 in gold
with which to pay my way to Canada.
That was the only money l ever re-
ceived from the Confederate govern
ment or any Of its agents.
1t may be well to remark here that
this scheme of abduction was concocted
without the knowledge or the assist
ance of the Confederate government in
any shape or form. Booth and | often
consulted together as to whether it
would not be well to acquaint the au-
thorities in Richmond with our plan,
as we were sadly in want of money, our
expenses being very heavy. In fact,
the question arose among us as to
whether, after getting Mr.. Lincoln, If
we succeeded in our plan, the Confed-
crate authorities would not surrender
us to the United States again, because
of doing this thing without their
knowledge or consent. But we never
acquainted them with the plan, and
they never had anything in the wide
world to do with it. In fact we were
jealous of our undertaking, and wanted
no outside help.
l have not made this statement to de-
fend the officers of the Confederate gov
ernment. They are perfectly able to
defend themselves. What have done
| myself l am not ashamed to let the
world know. left Richmond on Sat
urday morning before the evacuation
of that place. and reached Washington
the following Monday at O'Clock p.
NJ. , April 8, 1865. AS soon as | reached
| the Maryland shore l understood that
the detectives knew of my trip South
and were on the lookout for me- | had
been South several times before for the
secret service, but had never been
caught. At that time | was carrying
the dispatches Mr.. Benjamin gave me
in book entitled "rhe Life of John
| Brown" During my trip, and while
reading that book, | learned, to my
utter amaZement, that John Brown
was a martyr sitting at the right hand
of God. l succeeded in reaching
Washington safely, and in passing up
Seventh street met one of our party,
who inquired what had become OF
Booth. l told him where | had been ;
that / was then on my way to Canada,
and that had not seen or heard any
thing of Booth since our separation.
In view of the fact that Richmond had
fallen, and that all hopes of the abduc-
tion of the President had been given
up, l advised him to go home and &c
to work. That was the last time | saw
any of the party. | went to hotel
and stopped over that night as de.
tective had been to my house inquiring
of the servant my whereabouts. In
the early train next morning, Tuesday,
April 4, 1865, / left for New York, and
that was the last time l ever was in
Washington until brought there by the
United States Government captive in
irons, all reports to the contrary not
withstanding.
The United States, as you will re-
member, tried to prove my presence in
Washington on the 18th of April, the
day on which Mr.. Lincoln met his
death. Upon arriving in New York
called at Booths house, and was told
by the servent that he had left that
morning suddenly, on the ground OF
going to Boston to fulfill an engage
ment at the theatre. In the evening OF
the same day took the cars for Mon
treal, arriving there the next day. |
, put UP at the st. Lawaence Hotel, reg
istering myself as "John Harrison"
! such being my two first names. Shortly
afterwards / saw General Edward Ct.
J Lee. to whom the dispatches were di
rected, and delivered them to him.
J Those dispatches we tried to introduce
as evidence on my trial, but his Honor
Judge Fisher ruled them out, despite
, of the fact that the Government had
tried to prove that they had relation tC
the conspiracy to kill Mr.. Lincoln
They were only accounts of some mon
. ey ransactions-nOthing more or less
: A week or so after my arrival there
General Lee came to my room ana told
me he had plan on foot to release the
J Confederate prisoners then in Elmira
New York. He said he had sent many
frightened, and only half executed
, their orders. He asked me if / would
90 there and take a sketch of the pris
} on, find out the number of prisoners
also minor details in regard to the mum
her of soldiers on guard cannon, small
, arms, etc. l readily accepted these
, new labors, owing TO the fact that
could not return to Washington for feal
) of the detectives. The news of the
evacuation of Richmond did not seen
to disturb the General much in his plan
as he doubtless thought then that the
) Confederacy wanted men more thar
ever, no one dreaming that it was vir
: tually at an end. | was much amused
= at one expression made use of by al
eX-reb with regard to the suddenness o
> its demise: "D-n the thing, it didn'
even flicker, but went right out" Ii
accordance with General Lees order,
went to Elmira, arriving there on Wed
nesday, TWO days before Mr.. Lincoln,
r death, and registered at the BrainarG
. House, as usual, as John Harrison
t The following day went to work, anC
made a complete sketch Of the prison
f and surrounding About 10 O'Clock OF
Friday night | retired, little thinking
t that on that night a blow would bt
r struck which would forever blast my
/ hop, and make me wanderer in /
foreign land. | slept the night through
and came down the next morning LITTLE
dreaming of the storm then brewing
around my Heuu, w neH look my
t seat at the table about 8 O'Clock A. NJ,
5 IA gentleman to my left remarked
. "Have you heard the news ?" "NO
= I've not" l replied, "What is it?
l "Why President Lincoln and Secretary
1 Seward have been assassinated.
= really put SO little faith in what thI
r man said that | made a remark that i
e was too early in the morning to get OF
: such jokes as that. "It's so,' he said
at the same time drawing out pape
/ and showing it to me. Sure enough
e there | saw an account of what he toll
4 me, but as no names were mentioned
p it never occurred to me for an instan
, that it could have been Booth or any q
!, the party, for the simple reason that
: had never heard anything regarding
| assassination spoken of during my in
+ tercourse with them. l had good rea
. son to believe that there was anothe
Il.