, 1878-06-28
Wilkes Booths Diary.

diary was deposited in the Department
of Justice, and is now there. make the
following extracts:
"ApaIL 14,--Friday, the Ides. Uutil
to-day nothing was ever thought of sac.
rifcing to our cOuntry's wrongs. For
ak months we had worked to capture,
but, our cause being almost lost, some
thing decisive and greet must be done.
But its failure WAS owing to others who
did not strike for their country with a
heart. struck boldly, and not as the
papers say. walked with firm step
through thousand of his friends, was
stopped but pushed on. A Colonel was
at his side. | shouted Sic semper!
before fired. In jumping broke my
leg. passed all his pickets, rode sixty
miles that night, with the bone Of my
les tearing the flesh at every jump.
can never repent it. Though we hated
to kill, our country owed all her troubles
to him, and God simply made me the in.
strument of his punishment.
The country is not what it was. This
forced Union is not what | have loved.
I care not what becomes of me- | have
no desire to Outlive my country. Tie
night before the deed, wrote long ar
tcle and left it for one Of the editors of
the National Inteliigencer, in which l
fully set our reasons for our proceedings.
He or the South.
"FRIDAY, 21st.--After being hunted
like dog through swamps, woods, and
last night being chased by gunboats till
| was forced to return, wet, cold and
starving, with every mans hand against
me, am here in despair Aud for why2
For doing what Brutus was houored for
what made Tell hero. Aud yet l, for
striking down a greater tyrant than they
ever knew, am looked upon as a COM
mon cut-throat, My act was purer than
either Of theirs. One hoped to be great
himself; the ether had not only his coun,
try but his own wrongs to avengc. l
hoped for no gain; l knew no private
wrong [ struck tor my country, and
that alone; country groaned beneath
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 degenerate
people. The little, the very little, left
behind to clear my name the government
will not allow to be printed. So ends
oil. For my country / have given up all
that makes life sweet and holy, brought
misery upon my family, and am sure
there is no pardon 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 greater desire and almost
mind to return to Washington and in a
measure clear my name, which feel |
can do. / do not repent the blow |
struck. l may before my God; but not
toman. think 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 great
ness. Tonight l try TO escape these
bloodhounds once more. Who, who can
read his fatc2 Gods will be done.
have too great soul to die like crimi-
nal. Oh, may He, may He spare me that
and let me die bravely! | bless the en-
tire world. never hated or wronged any
one. This last was not wrong, unless God
deems it 80, and it is with Him to damn
or bless me. And for this brave boy,
Harold, with me, who often prays (yes,
before and since), with true and sincere,
heart, was it crime in him' If SO, why
can he pray the same9 | do not wish to
shed u drop of blood, but I must fight the
course Tis all that's left me.'n
These were the last words he recorded
What picture is here presented of the
state of mind under which the great crimi-
nal laboredl How he still seems to have
tried to keep up the delusion that he had
performed an heroic actl Not even to
himself would he admit the pangs of re-
morse. Evidently he felt that he had
siDned against the laws of God, and
scarcely dared to plead for forgiveness
His prayer was answered that he might
meet his fate brayely. Hunted like wild
beast, he sought refuge in barn, refus-
ing to surrender even after having been
wounded. He defended himself to the
last, and cheated his captors out of the
tiumph of being taken to Washington
alive. The Secretary of War saw fit to
invest the death and burial of Booth with
mystery, 80 that for several years it was
not known where the body was buried.
The commonly received story at that
time was that after the remains were
brought to Washington the Secretary ex
amined them, had the head cut off, the
body mutilated, and then caused weights
to be attached to the feet, and the man
gled remains conveyed to the deepest
part of the river, and there sunk fathoms
deep. This report was not denied until
the old arsenal was destroyed, when the
families of Booth, Mrs. Surratt, and the
Others who were hung for being
accessory to the conspiracy, were
notified that they would be permitted
TO remove the bodies. Wilkes Booth