Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-04-21
ANNALS OF THE WAR
THE DEATH OF J. WILKES
BOOTH.
BY BOSTON CoRBErr.

From the Philadelphia Weekly Times.l
On the morning of April l5, 1860,
the startling news reached us that Pres-
ident Lincoln had been assasslnated.
Our regiment, the Sixteenth New York
Volunteer Cavalry, then lying at Wen
na, Virginia, was ordered out in pursuit
of the assassin the same Gay. It was
not until tie afternoon that we learned
the name Of the man who fired the fatal
shot. We were deployed as skirmlsh-
ers and advanced toward the Potomac,
searching houses, barns, and every place
I that would be likely TO afford shelter to
the fugitive. and while engaged in the
pursuit we learned that it was John
Wilkes Booth who had shot the Presi-
dent the night before at Ford's Theatre
in Washington.
The search at that time was unavaii-
.ing we got no trace OF the guilty.
While resting in camp, the next day oe-
ing the Sabbath, an order came for a
detachment of men to 20 TO ashlng-
ton for scouting service, to hunt for
Booth. l asked permission OF Captain
Lawrence Leahy (the captain OF our
company, L,) to go with the party,
which he freely gave. We went to
Washington, and soon atterward the
| entire regiment was sent to Washing
ton for this duty. On the day OF Pres
ident Lincun's funeral we were III at
tendance, and formed part OF the tuner-
al processiou,a ou,accompauylng the remains
from the White House 10 the Capitol.
After leaving the Capitol, and on the
way back 10 camp, Lieutenant Doherty
(tne first lieutenant of our company re-
ceived all order to take twenty five men
and follow some carriages thai were
ahead of us, OH a scout after Booth. L
was one of the number on that occasion,
also. The carriages were tiled with
detectives we found, and they took the
road that Booth had followed in his
flight, crossing the Eastern Brancli OF
the Potomac by the Anacosta bridge.
After going down into Maryland, and
reaching the place where Booth had
been, we returned again, disappointed,
TO Washington, as he had succeeded III
crossing the river into Virginia.
THE PURSUIT
On April oath the bugle sounded
''boots aud saddles" and we sprang for
our horses and equipments, and the first
men III the saddle we're selected 10y
Lieutenant Doherty 10 accompany him
on another scout after Booth. Twenty
five men were called tor but twenty-sIx
responded, and although one OF the
men was told to go back, as only twen-
ty-tive were called for, yet he woaid 90
along, ami ne great objection was made
to it. Lieutenant Doherty proceeded
with his command TO the headquarters
of l.. G. Baker, Chief Government De-
tective, who gave him instructions to
proceed by steam-tug John 5. lde TO
Belle Plaius, land his men and scour
the country between the Potomac aud
Rappahannock rivers, az he believed
Booth to be in that direction. We got
OH board the tug at Sixth street wharf
and there found two detectives, who
were to 90 with u.s. The Lieutenant
had already given me charge OF the
men as acting orderly sergeant of the
troop. therefore took their names :
Andrew Wendell, Co. E; Henry Pot
nam, 90. G; Michael Uniac: Co. { +;
Frank Mcdaniel, Go. &; Chas. thinner,
Co. Z; Lewis Savage, Co a John
Winter, Go. |; Abraham Snay, Co. a !;
IL. Newgar.en, Co. H; Emory 9arady,
Go. ii; ,ohn Walz, Co. ii; David Ba-
ker, Go. Ii Oliver Lonkey, Go. L /;
Wm McQuade, Co. IL; Micharl Orms-
by, Co. IL John Milington, Co. ii +;
John Meyers, Co. G; Fred. Dietz, Co.
E John Ryan, Co. &; J. Adolph Sing,
rr, Co NJ; VIM. Byrnes, Go. 9 Carl
Steinbrugge, Co. NJ; Philip Hoyt, Co.
{; Joseph Zisgep, Go. NJ; Martin Kel-
ly, Go. {.
We landed at Belle Plains about mid
night, and Immediately began our
search, but it was not Till the afternoon
OF the next day, April 25th, that we got
on the trail. While taking breakfast at
the table of a lady who was kind euouSh
to furnish food for some OF our men
that morning Qor we left camp hurried
| ly without rations, aud the nature Of
the service we were on left us no time
tor food, except as we found at times
some one willing to supply our need),
! the lady asked me what our errand was
in that part OF the country. | told her
we were in pursuit OF Booth. She re-
ii d, Il hope you don't expect to fud
him in this part OF the land Z l answer
ed that | did not know where else he
could go aud look for friends. And
sure enough, by the morning after that,
we found him not very far from that
place We reached Port Conway in
The afternoon, and there received intor-
nation that two OF the men we were in
search OF had crossed there tie day be-
fore. The photograt OF Booth, Har
ruld and Surratt were shown TO the fer
ryman, and he recognized two out Of
the three as the men who had crossed
the river 10 Por; Royal on the day be
fore. We also learned of the where
aboats of i Confederate officer who had
given him a lit on the road. 1t took
some time TO cross the ferry at this
place as the boat could only take over
about seven men with their horses at a
time. was sent over with the first,
with orders 10 keep the men together
as they reached the other side, the lieu
,,ith tho ias- Wbila