Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-01-20
ST H oU Rs ,al +. :.
J. WILKES Il BOOTH;
ONE WHO WAS WITH HIM

death of John Wilkes Booth, the slayer
of Abraham Lincoln. Though many
wears have passed since then, and
though your correspondent was but
child, the incidents connected with his
death are as fresh in my memory as il
they had just occurred. To compre-
bend fully the details of bis capture, |
will have to give short description OF
nv fathers house and farm where be
was shot.
Our farm is situated in Caroline coun-
ty, Va, little more than two miles
south of the little village Of Port Royal
on the Rappabannock River Our
house is on the right of the stage road
leading from PoH Royal to Bowling
Green, the County Seat, and about
quarter of mile from the road.
| 1t was in the afternoon OF Monday,
April oath, 1865, that Booth came to
nv fathers house. He was brought
there by two ex.Coniederate soldiers,
Willie Jett and Lieut.. Ruggles, and IN
troduced to my father as James W:
Boyd, a Confederate soldier who had
been. wounded at the battle OF Peters
burg. 1t will be remembered that Mr.
Booth had broken his leg in jumping
from the stage of the theatre in Wash
ington after shooting the President.
MIR Jett asked my father if he could ac-
commodate Mr.. Boyd for few days
until he got better and could travel.
You know true NirSiuian never re-
ssts an appeal like that, and of course
Mr.. Boyd was welcomed at once,
Messrs. Jett and Ruggles then rode
away towards Bowling Green. MIR.
Boyd and my two brothers (who had
just returned from Appomattox,) re-
mained on the porch talking until sup
per was announced. After supper Mr..
Boyd complained of his wound, said
that riding Jared it.
lie retired early / slept in the same
room with him that night and noticed
that he had two handsome revolvers,
and dirk with a pearl handle. The
latter he said was the gift OF friend.
He slept sound!y and when | arose in
the morning he was still sleeping. l
remember looking at him as l left the
room, and thought that had never
seen a finer specimen of mani y beauty,
and still think that he was the hand
soonest man ever saw. He was very
fair, and his jet black curls were brush
ed back from a forehed rather low, but
very broad. His glossy black mus
tache shaded a mouth as soft and tender
as woman's while his square chin told
of reSolute will
But l am DEPRESSING from my subject.
Nothing of interest occurred during the
forenoon Of the next day Tuesday,
My brothers went away in the morning
and did not return until dinner. After
dinner they amused themselves firing
at a post in front of the house with pis-
tolls. Mr.. Boyd surprised us all, for he
would strike the mark every time.
About the middle Of the afternoon, an
other man came, whom Mr.. Boyd called
Davy. This man was Harold who at
tempted to Kill Stanton. They then
asked my brothers ii they could hire the
horses to 90 to Milford Station, on the
X. +. 81 p. r. R., the next day. My
brothers replied that they could not
spare their horses, but that there was a
colorcd man who lived near who would
take them. They went to see this man
and engaged him TO take them away
early the next morning. He did 50,
but he only took the bleeding corpse of
one, and the mangled wretch who was
so soon to expiate his crime upon the
galows. -
That night Tuesday Booth and
Harold proposed to sleep in the barn,
as they wanted to make an early start
and did not wish to disturb the family
My brothers, fearful of losing their
horses, slept in all adjoining barn.
About 2 o'clock on the morning of the
26th, ny father was awakened by
noise at the door, and on going to an
swer the knock, was confronted by a
man who placed cooked revolver at
his head, and led him into the yard,
where he was greeted with cries OF
'Hang the id Rebel !" "Hang him
here is rope" &c. The whole prem
ises were surrounded by horde of ex-
cited men, searching in every house and
corner. They soon found out that there
were men in the barn, upon which they
surrounded it, not forgetting TO leave
my poor old father in the yard in his
night clothes, guarded by two men
who even refused to let him put on
coat, but kept him in the chill night air,
old and feeble as be was, without any
thing to protect him from the cold.
At the barn, more than fifty men
were engaged in trying TO persuade one
man TO surrender. Failing in this they
resorted to the bright idea of burning
nim out. The barn was fired, and then
they seemed no nearer their object than
before, ,until at last one man,more humane
than the rest, walked up to the side of
the barn, put his pistol through crack
and fred. Then my brother and a sol
dier rushed in and dragged him from
the flames that were almost upon him,
took him out and laid him upon the
grass in the yard. Finding that life
still remained, they brought him on the |
porch, when mattress was spread tor
him. ., rr.. .-g.r
A man was dispatched tor Doctor,
who soon arrived, but too late-for hu-
man skill could not avail where death
had already Sc: his seal. The glazing |
ewes, the clammy brow now wet with .