Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-10
]. WILKES BOOTHS DEATH.

Il hkC SAOEy oEARhACahy AOAu
OnceMOre-An Interesting
Description of the Pursuit
of the Murderer by Lieu
tenant L.. B. Baker, who
Had Command of the
Party.
Lansing Mich Republican.l
In recent number of the New
Orleans Picdytt,ae appears state
ment purporting to come from
Captain Edward p. Dorherty, now
a street contractor in New Orleans,
in which are detailed some of the
incidents relative to the capture
and killing of John Wilkes Booth,
the assassin of President Lincoln.
There are so many glaring mac
curacies in the article, SO many
statements that are not substan-
tiated by facts and by the records
of the War Department, that we
have obtained history Of the ex-
citing event from the lips of Lieu
tenant l.. b. b. Baker. now a
clerk in the Auditor-General's
Office, but who had command of
the party which captured the
murderer
At the time when Booth shot
President Lincoln April IA, 1865,
in Ford's Theater-General l.. G.
Baker, Chief of the Detective Force
of the War Department. and Lieu
tenant l.. B. Baker were in New
York City looking for bounty
Jumpers. Secretary Stanton tele-
graphed these two officers to come
to Washington Immediately. They
arrived in Washington the morn
ing of the third day after the ter
rible deed was committed. Cav
airy had secured the country in
every direction for miles around
Washington, and kilograms were
sent over all the lines. General
Baker gained all the information
he could in regard to the route
Booth and his accomplices would
probably take and concluded that
they would go down the Potomac,
taking in Surrattsville, cross the
river, and make their way to
Richmond. He sent a telegraph
operator and a detective down the
river by boat TO Port Tobacco and
vicinity, with orders to tap the
wires and let him know if there
was any trace of the escaping flu
gitives. Near Chappella Point the
detective found negro whom he
brought to Washington, and who
stated that he was positive he saw
Booth and Harold, whom he knew
well, crossing the river in fishing
boat. At first the General discred-
tied his statement, but on show
ing him several likenesses of the
assassins and others, the colored
man pointed out Booth and Har-
old as the men whom he saw.
An escort of twenty-five caval-
rymen, under General Dorherty,
were placed at Lieutenant Bakers
command, who had orders 10
"bring Booth, dead or alive" At
the request of Lieutenant Baker,
Lieutenant-Colonel K. j. Conger,
brother of Congressman o. ID.
Conger, an experienced cavalry
officer, who had just been muster
ed out,of the United States service,
was added TO the party. Colonel
Conger had raided the country in
every direction, and was valuable
on account Of his familiarity with
the roads and for his undaunted
courage and bravery. The party
went on board the tug John S. Ide,
and steamed down to Belle Plain,
near the mouth of Aqua Greek.
They landed about ten o clock at
night, and commenced the search.
Lieutenant Baker and Colonel
Conger would leave the escort a
short distance behind them, and
call at .the various farm houses.
pretending to belong to Booths
party, but from whom they had
been separated in crossing the
river. They found many sympa-
thizers who were ready TO aid
them, but could find no one who
had seen Booth. The night was
spent in making such inquiries.
The next morning the party left
The Fredericksburg road, where
they had been searching, and
turned their horses heads across
the country toward the Rappahan-
mock, and about noon reached the
river at Port Conway. The horses
being jaded, and the men exhaust
ed, a rest was made here, and most
Of the men went 10 sleep.
Lieutenant Baker told Colonel