Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-04-21

leveled at his head the trembling
wretch in mortal terror of his life,
quickly consented to take them to
where he had left the doomed fugi-
tives. On they came, like the winds,
over the dozen miles that lay be-
tween them and fortune. Now they
are here and-but what more can
be said? We have told you the
rest. How the barn was fired and
how he stood calmly gazing upon
the mighty funeral pile, while not
muscle BETRAYED a sign of fear at the
near approach of death. Captain"
he cried, stthis is hard that this
mans property should be destroyed
for me when he knows nothing OF
me-" And again, Captain, if you
will draw off your men fifty yards
/ will come out and fight them ALL"
But that would no do, you know !;
he might escape. The balance you
know. We have told you the plain,
unvarnished truth. We have added
nothing, and have left out nothing.
/ The part that relates to the time
after he came to our house, we saw
and heard ourselves, the rest was
| taken from the sworn testimony at
the trial of the other conspiratOrs.
Nothing remains to remind us of
I the dark tragedy that was enacted
on the spot but one charred and
| blackened post that stands where he
/ fell, and that is almost cut away By
relic hunters. We have still a piece
of his crutch, and a dark glossy curl
/ cut from his brow after he was dead.
/ We shall keep them, not because we
/ admired the man, but to remind US
of his mistaken sacrifice.
Many believe that Booth Is still
/ living, that it was not the right
man, but the idea is too absurd for
credence. The chain of evidence
was too complete, not link is miss
ing from the time he left Washing
4 ton to the time of his death. And
then there were so many that knew
him personally that fully identified
/ his body, which answered every de
cription, even to his name in India
ink upon his arm. No, reader! all
that was mortal of j. Wilkes Booth
is sleeping in GTeenmOunt Gene
terry i'm Baltimore. If there are any
that see this that knew him i'll life,
and loved him then, it may be some
comfort TO them to know that WO-
mans tender hands (rebel women
they were called them ministered
to his dying wants, wiped the death
/ sweat from his clammy brow, and
at last closed the dead eyes with
gentle sympathy. Does any one
think the less of them for it?
Others, more foolish still have
dared to say that my brothers be-
trayed him to his death. To this
charge we do not cOndescend to
notice, suffice it to say that it is as
false as the souls of those who make
it, and any one who will take the
trouble to look into it, can see at
once the absurdity of it. And now
we are done. The sad story is fin
ished, for it is sad, sad story at best.
One that made an impression on
our young heart that time can never
efface. We shall never write it
again. 1t were better, far better
that it had never occurred, for it has
caused a world of woe. Hearts have
been broken, homes made desolate
and u nation wept over the sad dra-
ma. 1t is past now. Let Us strive
to forget, and let no bitter memo
rieS arise that would cause us to up
braid the dead, for we must with
them "ansWer for the deeds done in
the body" All must be judged,
Abraham Lincoln, a. well a his
unhappy destroyer, John Wilkes
. ROOth