Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-02-16
Extracts from Wilkes Booths Diary,
after the Assination of Mr.. Lincoln.
Washington Cor. n. y. Graphic.

A correspondent of the Gruphtc,
in the spring, in writing OF the assas-
sinatlon of Abraham Lincolr, attrib-
uted to Wilkes Booth a desire to re-
vengr, in killing the President, the
death of his friend Beale, whom Mr..
Lincoln had failed to pardon. In
the Bureau OF Military Justice is
kept the diary found on Wilkes
Booth when his dead body was cap
tured. | have been permitted to
copy some entries from this diary,
ami requested to publish them i'll the
G. uphtc in refutation of the suppos-
ed caust Of his crime. This, | am
told, has never beeu in print:
AyrH IA, Fridoy, the Mes-Until
to-day nothing was ever thought OF
sacrificing to our country's wrongs.
For six months we had worked to
capture, But our cause being al
most lost, something decisive and
great must be done. But it's failure
was owing to Others who did not
strike for their country with a heart.
struck boldly, and not as the pa
pers say. | walked with Il firm step
through Il thousand of his friends,
was stopped, but pushed on. a Col
oncl was III his side. ! shouted sic
Semper before l fired. In jumping
/ broke my leg. ] passed all his pick
cts, rode sixly miles that night, with
the bone of ms sjag tearing the flesh
at every Jump. 4 ,san never repent
it, though we hat 4d t. kill, our coun-
try owed all her troubles IL him, and
God simply male me the insstEemrni
of his punishment. The country u
not wha, it was. This forced Union
is not what | have loved. I care not
wha becomes of me. have no de
sire to outlive my country This
night, before the deed. wrote Il
long article and left it for one Of the
editors Of the .Nrt;o"H Ife'iyc"-
err, in which | fully set forth our
reasons tor our proceedings. He or
the South.
Fijd"y, 2l.-Atter being hunted
like dog through the swampS.
woods, and last night being chased
by gunboats till | was forced 10 re-
turn, wet, cold and starving, with
every mans hand against me, | am
here in despair. And why? For
doing what Blulus WAS honored tor
what made Tell a hero. And vet
I, for striking down Il greater tyrant
than they ever knew, am looked up
Oh as a common cutthroat. My act
MAS purer than either of theirs. One
hoped to be yseat himself; the other
had not only his country, but his
own wrongs to avenge. hoped for
gain; l knew no private wrong. l
struck tor my country and thar alone.
A country greaned beneath his tyr
amy, 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-any wrong except in serv
ing degenerate people. The little,
the very little left behind to clear
my name the Government will not
allow to be printed. SO ends all.
For my country l have given up all
that makes life sweet and holy,
nrough, misery upon my family, and
am sure there is no pardon in the
heavens for me since man condemns
me SO. have only heard of what
has been done Except what did
n,yselD, and it fills me with horror.
God! try and forgive me and bless
my mother. Tonight | will once
more try the river with the intention
to cross, though have greater de
sire and almost Il mind to return to
Washington and in measure clear
my name, which | feel can do. |
do not repent the blow l struck. l
mly before my God, but not to man.
| think l have done well, though |
am abandoned with the curse of
Cain upon me, when, if the world
knew my heart, that one blow would
have made me great, though | did
desire no greatness. Tonight try
to escape these bloodhounds once
more. Who can read his fate?
Gods will be done. have too great
Il soul to die like criminal. Oh,
may he spare me tnat and lel ME die
brively! | bless the entire world.
Have never hated nor wronyed any
one. This last was not wrong. un-
less God deems it SO, and it's with
hlm to damn or bless me. And for
this brave boy Harold, with me, who
often prays (yes, befo.e and slnce),
with true and sincere heart, was 1t
a crime in him? II SO, why can ne
pray the same? | do not wish to
shed Il drop of blood, but must
fight the course. Tis all that's left
me.
A set of false teeth was found on
the floor of the Board of Trade room
in ,hirau., hut thn owner wnnII not