Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-12-14
Wilkes Booths Diary.

was found beside him. lie had kept
faithful record to the last moment
The diary was deposited in the De-
partment OF Justice, and is now there.
We make the following extracts:
APRIL l4-Friday, the idea Until
today nothing was ever thought OF
sacrificing to our country's wrongs.
For six months we had worked to
capture. But our cause being almost
lost, something decisive and great
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 a firm step through
a thousand of his friends, was stopped,
but pushed on. A Colonel was at his
side. | Ishout,d Sic sempern before
| fired. In jumping | broke my leg.
| passed all his pickets, rode sixty
miles that night, with the bone of
one leg tearing the flesh at every
jump. | can never repent it. Though
we hated to kill, our county owed all
her troubles to him, and God simply
made me the instrument of his pun
ishment The country is not what it
was This forced Union is not what
| have loved. | care not wat becomes
of me. | have no desire to outlive
my country. The night before the
deed | wrote long article and left it
for one of the editors of the National
Mte'ligeHcer. in which l fully set out
the reasons for our proceedings. He
or the South.
FRIDAY 21,-After being hunted
like a dog through swamps, woods,
and last night being chased by gun
boats, till | was forced TO return, wet,
cold and starving, with every man S
hand against me, am here in despair
And for why: Fer doing what Rru
tus was honored for, what made Tell
a hero. And yet |, for striking down
a greater tyrant than the world ever
knew, am looked upon as IA common cut
throat. Ny act was purer than either
of theirs. One hoped to be great him.
self; the other had not only his coun,
try tat his own wrongs to avenge. /
hoped for no gain /; | know no private
wrong. struck for my country, and
that alone a country groaned beneath
this tyranny and prayed for this end.
And yet now behold the cold hand
they extend me. God cannot pardon
me if ! have done wrong. Yet | can
not see any wrong except in serving a
degenerated people The little, the
very little. | left behind to clear my
ns:ns TIE GoHrnmeAt Will not allow
to be printed. SO ends all. For my
country have given up all Il a. 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
come once more try the river, with the
intention to cross, though | have a
greater desire and almost a mind to re-
turn to Washington, and in measure
clear my name, which | feel | can do.
| do not repent the blow struck. |
may before my Goo, but not to man.
| think | have done we'll, though am
abandoned with the curse of Cain up
on me, when, if the world knew my
heart, that one blow would have made
me great, though | did desire no great
ness. To night try to escape these
bloodhounds once more. Who can
read his fate? Gods will be done. |
have too great soul to die like Grim
inal. Oh may He, may lie spare me
that, and and let me die bravely. |
bless the entire world. | have never
hated or wronged any one. This last
was not wrong. unless God deems it
SO, and it is with Him to damn or bless
ne. And for this brave boy Harold
with me, who often prays, Eyes before
and since with true and sincere
heart, was it crime in him? If so,
why can he pray the sames | do not
wish to shed drop of blood, but |
must fight the course. 'Tis all that's
left me.
These were the last words he re-
corded.