The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-05-09
WILKES BOOTHS DIARY.
How He Tried to Convince Himself That
His Great Crime Was an Heroic Act.

VA1OA oOObu N1tS captured MS U1afY
was found beside him. He had kept
faithful record to the last moment
This diary was deposited in the Depart
ment of Justice, and is now there.
make the following extracts
APRIL 14.-Friday, the Ides. Until TO-DAY
nothing. was ever thought of sacrificing to oul
country's wrongs. For six months we haG
worked to capture. But, our cause being al
most lost, something decisive and great must
be done. But its failure was owing to Others
who did not strike for their country with 8
heart. struck boldly, and not as the papers
say. | walked with firm step through 8
thousand Of his friends, was stopped. but
pushed on. Colonel was at his side. I
shouted Sic semper !" before I fred. In
jumping broke my leg. / passed all his pick
| cts, rode sixty miles that night, with the bone
| of my leg tearing the flesh at every lump. I
can never repent it. Though we hated to kill.
| our country owed all her troubles to him, and
God simply made me the instrument of his
punishment.
The country is not what it was This forced
| Union is not what have loved. [ care not
| what becomes of me. I have no desire to out
| live my country. The night before the deed I
wrote 8 long article and left it for one of the
| editors OF the National Intelligence, in which
| | fully set out our reasons for our proceedings
He or the South.
FRIDAY. 21st.-After being hunted like q
| dog through swamps, woods, and last night
| being chased by gunboats till was forced to
return, wet, cold aud starving, with every
mans hand against me, / am here in despair
Ana for why? For doing what Brutus was
| honored for-what made Tell hero. And
| yet l, for striking down greater tyrant than
| they ever knew, am looked upon as a common
| cut-throat. My act was purer than either of
! theirs. One hoped to be great himself the
other had not only his country but his own
! wrongs to avenge. | hoped for no gain;
| knew no private wrong. struck for my coun-
| try, and that alone country groaned be-
meath this tyranny and prayed for this end.
| And yet, now behold the cold hand they extend
to me. God cannot pardon me if have done
| wrong. Yet cannot see any wrong except in
serving a 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 have given Jp all
| that makes life sweet and holy, brought misery
upon my family, and am sure there is no par
don in the heavens for me since man condemns
me so. [ have only heard what has been done
! Except what did myself 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 q greater desire and almost a mind to re-
| tarn to Washington, and in a measure clear
| my name, which feel can do. do not re-
| pent the blow l struck. 1 may before my God.
but not to man. I think I have done well,
! though I 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 To-
| night try to escape these blOOdhOunds once
more. Who can read his fate !? Gods will be
| DONE I have too great soul to die like a
criminal. Oh, may He, may He spare me that
and let me die bravely I bless the entire
world. / have never hated or wronged any
one This last was not wrong, unless God
| deems it SO, and it is with Him to damn or
| bless me. And for this brave boy Harold, with
me, who often prays Eyes, before and since),
with true and sincere heart, was it crime in
him? Ii 80, why can he pray the same? / do
not wish to shed drop of blood, but I must
fight the course. IT'S all that's left me-
These were the last words he re-
corded.
What picture is here presented of
the state of mind under which the
great criminal labored How he still
seems to have tried to keep up the de-
fusion that he had performed an heroic
act Not even to himself would he adj
NIT the pangs of remorse. Evidently
he felt that he had sinned against the
laws of God, and scarcely dared to plead
for forgiveness. His prayer was an
swered that he might meet his fate
bravely. Hunted like a wild beast, he
sought refuge in barn, refusing to sur
render even after having been wounded.
| He defended himself to the last, and
cheated his captors out of the triumph
OF being taken to Washington alive.
The Secretary of War saw fit to invest
the death and burial of Booth with mys-
terry, so that for several years it was not
known where the body was buried. The
commonly-receiyed story at that time
was that, after the remains were brought
to Washington, the Secretary examined
them, had the head cut off, the body
mutilated, and then caused weights tC
be attached to the feet, and the mangled
remains conveyed to the deepest part o.
the river, and there sunk fathoms deep.
This report was not denied until the ole
arsenal was destroyed. when the families
of Booth, Mrs. Surratt, and the others
who were hung for being accessories tC
the conspiracy, were notified that they
would be permitted to remove the bod
les. Wilkes Booth lies in the family
burying-grounda at Baltimore. The bul
let which killed Mr.. Lincoln, and th'
bullet which was extracted from TIT
head of Wilkes Booth are both among
the curiosities of the Medical Museum
in this city.
It seems strange for Booth to have re
garded Mr.. Lincoln as tyrant. Bootl
spent much time In Washington, ar'
must have known how tender and pitifu
Mr.. Lincoln was to Southerners and al
who appealed to him. He was univers
ally beloved and trusted above all 9th
5 ers. Wilkes Booth boarded at the Ma
: tional Hotel. He was on terms of grea
/ intimacy with the two daughters of Sen
3 ator Hale. It was said he was engage
to one of the two sisters one who
Q now the second wife of w. E. Chandler
9 Wilkes Booth breakfasted as usual wit
the young ladies on the morning OF tn
: 18th. He was as handsome, gag an
q debonnair on that occasion as he a1way
g was. Treason and murder seemed nc
to enter his thoughts. How little "