Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-17
ST. T.FRANClSVIIIE IA, JULY L. 1880

'"S wa" III progress ne was summoned Il
the front, and assisred to the comnlant
OF the Middle Military Divisic", will
| headquarters at Winchester, Va. a fore,
Oh .'o,oco men was orgaLizcd for the par
purpose or moving upon I.ynchburg i.
clsc Leo should retreat to that uoirt ~
| to embark on transports TO inin Gen
Sh"luan on he Southern SCI, coast i,
case Lee shnnld fall back on Dany;lJe
but the Surrender Of Lee ana the captur.
OK Richmond removed the necessity o
any such movements. This, tho last o
his active military service, while marked
with no shock Of opposing forces, was
! nevertheless, destined to be period OF
great excitement to himself as well .,s
to the country, While his headquarters
were still III the Valley OF the Shenan
doah, in April, 1855, the conspirators
against the life of the President ard his
Cabinet consunlated, III part, their plot.
and President Lincoln was murdered
Secretary Seward was nearly stahbed f.,
death, and the country was panic strick-
en- by the cvidence ofa deep laid plot to
destroy tho government by the abomni
mated method of secret and concerted as
sasslnation: y feeling of unive: sal fear
aud dIstrust pervaded the north. Happi
ly, this feeling WAS only temporary. but
While IL lasted it was universal and real.
Zen. hancock was summoned to Wosll-
'ngfon The extent of the conspiracy
became known, and the measures taken
oy him t" comfort the secret peril were
thorough, aud contributed greatly to al
-iy the terror.
Hcn. Hancock remained in Washing
on, by o.der of PRESIDENT johnson. du
ing the days of the trial of the conspira- |
Or:, and until after their execution.
luch interest has been exhibited in this
art of his service, and the prominence |
his position has, in the minds of some.
lade his connection with the execution
the prisoners more intimate than true |
must be remembered that with the. de- |
Ills OF the guarding and care of the pris-
lers he had nothing whatever to do. A
illtary commission, ordered by the Pres
ent, tried the prisoners, found them
lilty, condemcd some Of them to dca th,
ia the findings of the military court :
ere approved by the President. It was r
lquestonably to be lamented that they e
ould have been thus tried. The con-
c'ion of the guilty could in all peoba- v
lIty have been effected by jury. But V
G nation was in a bloody struggle for a
istencc, and martial law prevailed. 1t
Is particularly to be lamented that one S
the condemned persons was woman,
q the regret is deeper when, in calmer e
les, people who considered the case Il
refui!y, are convinced that, as far as II
, crime of assassination is concerned. W
, was guitiess The execution had ~
en ordered for the Sth day of July. al
II. Hancock saw that the only hope for
$. Surratt lay in the power of her
lighter to move the Presidents heart, d
Il he so Informed the daughter, and III
We her every facility in his power to -
in access to the President. So great p;
s his anxiety in regard to the looked 81
pardon or rcpricve that he placed a "
G of mounted sentinels from the White pl
use to the place Of eX ecution, that the III
r"s of grace, if spoken at the last II
mute, should go surely and swiftly. lit
no such words were spoken, and to- u
now almost universal regret of che In
'ple, Mrs. Surra tt died, III
After the close of the war, in July, ne
>, Gen. 1a ancock was assigned to the w
nmand of the Middle Military Depart G.
Mt, with Headquarters at Baltimore, L.
III August, 1866, to the command of ar
Department of Missouri. In the lat as
capacity his services were of great ~
'ortance III harmoniziug the conflic- Ct
2 elements III Missnuri, arising out of w
occupation Of the State troops under Ct
State authorities, and the presence w
lie men of the Southern Confederacy, by
had just returned to their homes. co
lle still III the Southwest he was also gu
aged III campaign against hostile po
la:.s in Kansas and Colorado. At this ou
1t was intended to place him in stl
lmand OF ore of tho military districts th
he South created under tho Recon- Tr
lction acts of Congress. BY remain an
iii the field and taking no part in po- =,
al affairs, Hancock, although conser-
i've in his views, had won the good Nv
alike nf Republicans and Democrats no
desire to retain it was more inviting ''
nm than the opportunity to WELD the 3,
nitcd power which the suggested as .''S
ment presented. Hence he sought to ,-S
excused from such duty in the South,
ut first his ;nclinatlons were respect ~
subsequently, however, in opposi-
to his wishes, in tho latter part OF ,r,,
he was ASST gncd to the command of An
Fifth Military District, comprising
States of Louisiana and Texas, with
lTuarters at New Orleans. Congress ~
invested Sn,b ram n1r,S Will, ,lnS-