Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-07-08

men formed two lines through which
we walked, the guards presenting
arms to the President as We bore nm
along. When we reached the streetit
was as densely packed as the theater,the
news having spread like wild fire, and
A Captain of calvary came Ito me and
asked for instructions. l asked nm
"a clear the street so that the Presl-
dent could be carried to Mr.. Patter-
son's house across the street. The
crowd was quiet and the passage was
easily made. We took the President
into room and placed him in bed.
AS he was very tall, the bed was too
short for him and we had to lay him
diagonally across it, and the obStruct
| inc boards at the foot of the bed were
broken Of. He was covered with
warm blankets, bottles of hot water
were placed at his extremitles, and
other restoratives and remedies were
used. All this happened In twenty
minutes from the time Of the assass-
nation.
Mr.. Lincoln was now breathing
more regularly, but this regularity
decreased whenever blood was allowed
to coagulate at the wound. removed
the clots when these symptoms occur
red. and the Presidents extremities
were eonstantlyru BY this time
DR.. Stone, the family physician arrlv-
ed; he was followed by DR.. Barnes, the
Surgeon General, and his assistant,
DR.. Crane. All that was done for the
President during the rest of the night
was Just what | have described to
you.
have frequently been asked if the
President ever regained conscious
ness. He was never conscious for
moment from the time he was shot 1n-
til the last, and he never spoke. Dur
ing the night the Cabinet arrived, all
but Secretary Seward. Charles Sum
ner came soon after the President was
removed from the theatre and
remained until after he died. Sscre.
tary of War Stanton came
early in the evening and imme-
diately established his Office in a
room adjoining the Presidents. he
kept his orderlies running all night
long bearing the news OF the Presi-
dents condition to the people and
telegraphiDg it all over the country.
A strong guard was stationed in front
of the house and only people having
business there we're admitted. Mrs.
Lincoln was in the room all night long,
except when she was forcibly taken
away. Two or three times she was
taken out in a faInting condition aud
throughout she suffered terribly.
Several times she called for her little
son Tad to be brought from the
White House to see his father before
be died. Mrs. Lincoln was kindly
cared for BY Mrs. Dixon, wife of the
Senator from Connecticut. Robert
Lincoln, now Secretary of War, came
lin after his father was removed to Mr..
Patterson's house. He bore up well
during the painful night. Very early
liz became apparent that the President
could not recover. As nearly as
remember those who visited the death
bed were Secretary of the Navy ells,
lGovernor Farwell, Secretary McCul-
Iloch, Governor Farnsworth, Vice
| President johnson, Speaker Colfax,
| DR.. Stone, Postmaster General Denni-
son, Private Secretary Major John
Hay, Surgeon c. s. Taft, Attorney
General Halleck. General Augur
Secretary Stanton, General Meigs and
the Rev. DR.. Gurley, the President
pastor. At the time that death
seemed to be impending, the Rev. DR.
Gurley offered a solemn prayer as the
few of US who remained in the room
knelt around the bedside. This was
only a short time before the last
moment. Mrs. Lincoln was carried
from the room fainting; l thinkRober
Lincoln had also left the room. A.
the moment of death Surgeon Genera
Barnes was sitting on the bedside
with his finger on the Prenident's car.
otid artery; / was feeling the pulse al
his right wrist. As death was ar
nounced l closed the President
eyes, and again we all knelt arounC
the bed while DR.. Gurley offered al
impressive prayer for the distraetei
family and for the bereaved an,
afflicted country"