St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-17
LINCoLN's LAST NIGHT.
A Letter Written by a Lady Me-

A Letter Written by a Lady Mem
Der of His Party in the TheateP.
A. j. Symington, F. R. S., n. A., in hide
pendent
In 1865, sixteen-page letter, written
that year by Miss Harris, who was in
the theater box with the Lincoln party
when the president was shot. was given
me by a friend who had just received it
from Mrs. Stowe. Of this letter Mrs.
Stowe remarked that under the circum-
stances itwould one day be regarded as
historically valuable and OF national in
terest. AT all events, in it Intelligent
and reliable testimony is borne to the
domestic virtues of one of the gentleSk
best and wiSest of men. 1t is sad to
know that other tragic events followed
the party, for Miss Harris, who after
ward married her Stepbrother, Maj.
Rathbone, was killed by him in Ger
many, and Rathbone. l believe, is at
present the inmate of alunatic aSyl um.
Following is the letter:
''Washington, April 29. My Dear NJ,
] was very glad to hear from you again:
your letter proving thatin all the events
of your matrOnly life our old friendship
is not forgotten.
"YOu may we'll say that we have been
passing through scenes sad indeed.
That terrible Friday night is to me yet
almost like some dreadful vision. /
have been very intimate with Mrs. Lin
coin and the family ever since our mu-
tual residence in Washington, which
began at the same time, and we have
been constantly in the habit OF driving
and going to the opera and theater to-
gether. 1t was the only amusement,
with the exception of receiving at their
own house, in which the president and
Mrs. Lincoln were permitted, according
to custom, to indulge, and to escape
from the crowds who constantly
thronged to see them; more than from
any decided taste for such things, they
were in the habit of going very often to
hear Forrest, Booth, Hackett and such
actors when playing in Washington.
1.-THE night before the murder was
that of the general illumination here,
and they drove all through the streets
to see it. A less calculating villain
might have taken that opportunity for
his crime. or the night before, when the
White house alone was brilliantly
Illuminated, and the figure of the presi-
dent stood out in full relief to the i'm
menSe crowd below, who stood in the
darkness to listen to the speech. He
spoke from the center window of the
executive mansion. / had been invited
to pass the evening there, and stood at
the window of an adjoining room with
Mrs. Lincoln, watching the crowd be-
low as they listened and cheered. OF
course Booth was there watching his
chance. wonder that he did not choose
that occasion, but probably he knew a
better opportunity would be offered.
After the speech was over we went into
Mr.. LincOln's room: he was lying on
the sofa, quite exhausted, but he talked
of the events of the past fortnight; of
his visit to Richmond: of the enthusiasm
everywhere felt throughout the country;
and Mrs Lincoln declared the past few
days to have been the happieSt of her
life. Their prospects indeed seemed
fair-peace dawning upon our land
and four years of happy
and honored rule before one of
the gentleSt, best ard loveliest
men l ever knew. l never saw him out
of temperate kindeSt husband, the
tendereSt father, the truest friend, as
we'll as the wisest statesman. Our Be-
loved President'-when I think that l
shall never again stand in his genial
presence, that have lost his friendship
so tried and true. feel like putting on
the robe of mourning which the country
wears.
"My own dear father was deeply at
tached to Mr.. Lincoln; they thoroughly
sympathized in many things. and Mr..
Lincoln, perhaps being able to discern
in him an honest, unSelfish nature, in
that akin to his own, was wont with
him to throw off the restraints of the
politician and talk over things as if with
an old friend.
'''The shock has been terrible one to
him; he feels his death TO be deep
personal affection.
''You are right In supposing the Maj.
Rathbone who was with us to be the
Henry you knew in Albany.
1--WE four composed the party that
evening. They drove to our door In the
gayest spirits, chatting on the way-and
the president was received with the
greatest enthusiasm.
C"They say we were watched by the
asSasSins; aye, as we alighted from the
carriage. Oh, how could any one be so
face? And when think. of that fiend
barring himself in alone with us, my
blood runs cold. My dress is saturated
with blood; my hands and face were
covered. You may imagine what
scene, and so, all through that dreadful
night when we stood by that dying bed.
Poor Mrs. Lincoln was and is almost
crazy.
Henry narrowly escaped with his
life. The knife was struck at his heart
with all the force of a practiced and
powerful arm; he fortunately parrled
the blow. and received wound in his
arm, extending along the bone from
the elbow nearly to the shoulder. He
concealed it for some time, but was
finally carried home in a swoon; the
loss of blood has been so great from an
artery and veins severed. He is now
getting quite well, but cannot yet use
his arm.
II hope you will pardon me this
dreadfully long letter. 1 did not real
ize how much / was writing. l have
been quite i'll, and have as Unanswered
scarcely any of the numerous letters l
have received in the last two weeks.
r. EvQr VOurS SInoprpIV