The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-26

other negroes also pulled oars in Jones
boat.
About the third yeal of the war, Jones
understood that very important act had
been agreed upon, namely to seize the
! President In Washington, and BY relays
Of swift horses, take him to the west side
Of Port Tobacco Creek, and dispatch him
across the Potomac prisoner of war
possess the names Of the two persons on
Port Tobacco Creek, who, with their sons
were prominent in this scheme. 1t was
given out that ''the big actor, Booth, -
was also in il" Jones heard of this
about December, 1864. He regarded it
as proper undertaking in time of war
From the time this scheme was proposed
until the very end Of the war, the bateau
which was to carry Mr.. Lincoln off was
kept ready, and the oars and men were
ever near at hand.
That winter was unusally mild, and the
roads were particularly bad in this clay
and marsh, circumstance which perhaps
spared Mr.. Lincoln the terrors of such a
desperate expedition. Inquiries were
made from time to time as to when the
thing was to be done, and it was general
dHSWCICu tudl tIC lOi0S NClC lUO ncdNS
to give the opportunity. The idea j ones
has of this matter is that Mr. Lincoln was
to be seized, near the Navy Yard, and
the carriage then driven across the
Navy Yard bridge while the captors
were to point to the President and wave
their hands to the guards on the
bridge. saying, ''The President of the
United States" When we consider
= lo x,-oS Gnal1, 1-i11aJ -, he
of vast audience, and that his captors
then crossed the same bridge without
opposition aud without passes, the origi-
nal scheme does not seem extraordinary.
The calculation of the conspirators was
that the pursuers would have no oppor-
tunity to change horses on the way,
while the captors would have fresh
horses every few miles and drive them
to the top Of their speed, and all they
required was to get to the Potomac
| River. The distance was from thirty
six to thrty-eight miles, and the river
could be passed in half an hour with the
boat all ready. Jones thinks that this
scheme never was given up, until sud-
denly information came that Booth had
killed the President instead of capturing
him. Jones had never seen Booth, and
had scarcely any knowledge of him.
When Jones went to Richmond, just
before the assassination, it was to col
lect his stipend, which he had conliding-
| ly allowed to accumulate until it
amounted to almost twenty-three hun
dred dollars, presumably for three years
work. He reached Richmond Friday,
and called on Charles Caywood, the
same who kept the signal camp in the
swampy woods back of Grimes's house.
The chief signal officer said he would
pay five hundred dollars on Saturday,
but if Jones would wait till Tuesday the
whole amount would be paid him.
Jones waited. Sunday night Peters
burg fell, and on Monday Richmond
was evacuated, so the Confederacy ex-
pired without paying him cent. More
over, he had invested three thousand
dollars in Confederate bonds earlier in
the war, paying for them sixty-five
cents on the dollar, and keeping them
till they were mere brown paper in his
! hands.
! Jones heard of the murder of Lincoln
on Saturday afternoon, April 18th, at OF
near his own farm of Huckleberry. Two
Federal officers or cavalrymen came by
on horseback, and one of them said to
Jones, is that your boat piece above
here?" Yes said Jones. Then
you had better take good care of it, be-
cause there are dangerous people around
here who might take it to cross the riv-
er."
president Lincoln was killed last
night, and we are looking out for tho
men, who, we think, escaped this way
ION Sunday morning, the 10th o
April, about nine O'Clock, a young white
man came from Samuel Cox to Jones's
second farm, called Huckleberry. The
new farm was much retired, was not on
the public road. and consisted of clear
ings amidst rain-washed hills with deeI
gullies, almost impenetrable short pines
and some swamp and forest timber
Henry Woodland, the black slave
about twenty-seven years old, was still
Jones's chief assistant, and was KEEP
farming and fishing.
The young man who came from Cox:
told Jones that Colonel Cox wished bin
to come Immediately to his house, abou
three miles to the north. The young
man mysteriously int;mated that there
were very remarkable visitors at Cox.
the night before. Accustomed to obey
the summons of his Odd friend. Jone.
mounted his horse and went to CoX's
The prosperous toster-b brother lived in {
large two-stOry house, with handsome
piaZzas front and rear. and a tall. win
dowless roof with double chimneys a
both ends.
Taking Jones aside. Cox related tha
ha ni,,ht fho q
President Lincoln had come to his house
in company with another person, guideC
by negro, and had asked for assistance
to cross the Potomac River; and
said Cox to Jones, you will have tt
get him across" Cox indicated where
the tugitives were concealed. perhap.
one mile distant. Jones was to give I
signal by whistling in a certain way a.
he approached the place, else he nigh
be fired upon and killed.
There is no doubt Of the fact thai
when DR.. Mudd found Booth on hi:
hands on Saturday, with broken ankle
and the soldiers already pouring into
Brvantown, he and Booth and Heroic
became equally frightened, and in The
early evening the two latter started by
a road to the east for Cox's house
turning Bryantown and leaving it to the
north, and arriving about or before mid
night at Cox's. There the negro wa:
sent back Herold advanced to tht
, porch and communicated with Cox. ant
, Booth sat on his horse off toward th'
outer gate. The two men cursed Go,
, after they backed out to where the ne
gro was,-he remaining at the QUITE
cate, and said that Cox was no gentle
t man and no host. These words wer,
probably intended to mislead the negr,
) when they sent him back to DR.. MuGd' 5
: This negro was arrested, "a was col
| ored woman in Cox's family, and, will
| the same remarkable fidelity l hav,