The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27
THE DEATH OF LINCOLN.
Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain Describes
How the News was Received by the
Army of the Potomac,
INBoston NoNgrogatlonaIlst

tering phalanx which had engaged all
our energies through four years OF NOR
tai struggle had vanished as into air.
The arms that had poured such storms
of death upon us had been laid at our
feet. The flags that marked the path
of that stubborn valor which gave to a
false cause a glory not its W had
been laid forever down. The men whose
word of honor given never to strike
again at the old flag had changed them
from enemies to fellow-countrymen, had
scattered on their hom0ward way, near
or far, and left the field desolate, and
US also. The very object of our exist
ence was gone.
So it was no longer with senses and
mind alert, but in a penSye IL l~istless
mood, thatwe set on through rain and
mud to retrace our fields and marshes, \
to return to the constitutional authorit-
les our insignia of war, and to
the peaceful works of citizens. A days
march took US to Farmviile, Va. 1t
was Sunday at about noon that we
tered a beautiful grove in the suburbs
for a camp. The sun had now come
out, and a soft air and brilliant light
lay on the scene. 1t was a Sabbath
peace. The old first division, swart and
worn and torn as its battle-fags, be-
took itself to rest.
Headquarters had been taken in the
yard of an old mansion of the better
class, Here, toward evening, a fine
German band came over from mi of
the brigades, kindly offering to play us
some of their choice music. They were
in the midst of a bright and joyous
strain, when there came galloping up
the old familiar figure-the mud
.splashed, keen-eyed calvalryman mes
sage-bearer. 1t was no uncommon
thing to receive a military telegram,
but something in the look of the mes
senger made me step apart from the
company as / took this. /
read, as L remember, thus
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1855.
The President died this morning.
Wilkes Booth the assassin. Secretary
Seward dangerously wounded. The
rest of the cabinet, Gen. Grant and
other high officers of the government
included in the plot of destruction.
The first thought was of our soldiers.
They, for every reason must be held in
hand. "Tell the brigade commanders
to put a double guard on their camps
Immediately, and not allow q man to
leave" This was the first word spoken.
At a sign to tAe band they gently with
drew. The army could be trusted well
to bear and blow but this. Their love
for the president was something mar
velous. After each great success or
great reverse he had been accustomed
to come out to see them. That honest,
homely face, showing how heavily bore
the terrible burden that had come upon
him-of settling the "~irrepressible con-
hict" which for "a century had to be
managed by COMPREHENSIVE look of
infinite sadness in the eve hat rested
on these men as the only instruments
with which to fulfill this task,
but yet shrunk from the sacrifice
had taken strange hold of the
soldiers hearts. Now the cowardly,
brutal blow, when his words of gentle
ness were still warm az the breath of the
returning spring, must stir them to their
deepest. 1t would take but little to
rouse them to a frenzy of wild evenge.
And right before them lay a city-an
inviting and easy prey to vengeance.
Large quantities of goods had been
stored there, it was said many citizens
had gathered there for safety against
the marauders Of a demoralized coun-
try; a young ladies' seminary, we are
told, serving especially as a sort Of sane
tuary in..thSse troubled times.
How could we be sure that change of
century had made men different from
what they were when lilly at Magde-
burg, Cromwell at Wexford, or We'll
iington at San Sebastian, had been pow
erless to restrain dire passions excited
by far less cause? How could we be
sure that lessons and thoughts of home,
and discipline and habit Of the field,
would be sufficient to hold within bounds
Of patience men who saw that most inno-
cent and best beloved the stricken victim
of internal outrage? knew my men,
long suffering and self controlled; but
what if now this blacklist crime should
fire their hearts to instant and exter-
minating war.
But a heavier responsibility, perhaps,
awaited us. Strangeforebodings passed
upon the mind. 1t seemed as if the
darkest things were yet to come as if,
now that men Of honor had given NO