The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-07-06
Abraham Lincoln's Assass1ns


The execution of Charles j. Guiteau, for the
assassination OF the late President Garfield
naturally causes the memory to revert to the
execution which took place on the 7th of ,Tulv
1865, when Lewis Payne, David e. Herold
George A. Atzerodt, and Mary E. Surratt sui:
ferred the extreme penalty of the law for the
assassination of President Lincoln. and the at.
tempted murder Of William Ii Seward Their
Secretary of State That was nearly seven.
teen years ago, and since that time new gen
Grafton has come up who know comparatively
little about that tragedy. That execution took
place III the Arsenal grounds, ut Washington
and the condemned criminals
HAD BUT TWO DAYS
after the PRONUNCIATION of the findings of the
military commission by which they were tried
in which to make their preparations for eter.
nifty. The condition of the city and country
was vastly different from what it is now ;.
The infamous act, it will be remembered. was
committed just at the close of the war of the
rebellion. when the whole Nation was full al
joy at the near approach OF the close of The
four years of bloody strife that had cost an
much of valuable lite and so much of treasure
The shock of the assassination was great and
the joyful heart of the Nation was turned To
bitter sorrow. Mingled with the peoples woe
was feeling of revenge at this most Infamous
act, and the consplratOrs were quickly arrested
and speedily arraigned.
THE METHOD OF TRIAL
was by military commission inasmucb as the
District OF Columbia was under martial law
The composition of that commission was as
follows: Maj Generals David Hunter and
Lewis Wallace, Brevet Major-General August
V. Kautz, Brigadier- Generals Albion P, Howe
Robert s. Foster, James A. Ekin, and Thomas
M. Harris, Breyet Colonel Charles Fl, Tomn-
kins, .. s. A., Lieutenant Colonel David +.
Clendenin, Brigader- General Joseph Holt.
Judge Advocate General, U. s. A., Judge AID,
vocate and Recorder. Hon. John A. Bingham
of Ohio, and Major Henry L. Burnett, were
appointed assistant judge advocates.
THOSE WHO WERE ARRAIGNED
before this commission were David E. Herold
George A. Atzerodt, Lewis Payne, Michael
O'Laughlin, Edward Spangler, Samuel Arnold
DR.. Samuel A. Mudd, Mary E. Surratt. The
act of assassination was committed by Booth
on the 18th of April; on the Goth of that
month he was captured and killed, and on the
10th OF May the commission commenced the
taking of testimony which continued until
June %, at which time the arguments were
submitted and the record was then reviewed
by the judge advocate general who transmit.
ted it to the Secretary Of War and then to
President johnson, who approved the findings
and sentences of the commission Although
it was not known what the sentences were
until their PRONUNCIATION in the order of july
it was generally supposed that
IN THE CASE OF MRS. sURRATT,
because she was woman-not because she
was not deemed clearly guilty of full partici-
patton in the cOnspiracy-would not be com.
PEELED to suffer the extreme penalty When
the order was made public every effort that
could be DEVISED was used to obtain mitiga.
ton of the sentence. Judge Holt and Presi-
dent Johnson were besieged by persons high
in authority and influence, the former to rec
ommend and the latter to bestow clemency.-
Judge Holt had united with the other members
of the court in recommending Mrs. Surratt to
executive clemency, but the President declined
to grant it. and approved the findings of the
commission. So persistent were those who
interested themselves in behalf of Mrs Sur
raft that the President was obliged to shut
himself up in his private apartments and de-
cline to see any one. Mrs. s. A. Douglas was
one who haunted the White House and plead
ed for the life of the unfortunate woman
There was quite pressure for clemency in
behalf of Herold, who had been known in
East Washington as sort of reckless but
harmless young fellow, with no more brains
than the law allowed. There was painful
scene in the office of the Judge Advocate Gen
eral on the morning of the day OF execution.
TWO SISTERS OF HERoLD,
both clad in deep mourning, called upon Judge
Holt to intercede for their brother. As they
were shown into the judges private room an
expression of mingled pain and sorrow passed
over his features as he rose to receive them
Then with tears streaming down their cheeks
and sobs choking their utterance they begged
for the life of their misguided brother. The
Judge told them he had no power in the mat
ter, that the president alone could grant their
request; but they fingered, loath to leave, and
seemed to think that because Judge Holt had
been the recorder of the commission and was
hen iudge-advocate general, he could aid
Them. Finally they departed to make an ef-
Tort to see the President, and the judge put on
ais hat, left the bureau, and did not return that
lay.
THE PASSES FOR ADMITTANCE
o the arsenal grounds to witness the execu-
ion were issued by Gen. W. s. Hancock, and !