Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-08
WILKES BOOTHS DIARY.
lie struck Eo;diy--His Experience IN III
FIjght-Did Not Repent


Tho following is an extract ron o..
Wilkes Booths diary, found IL nis clothing
after his death. IL is now IN possession Oh
the Department Of Justice:
sApril l4-Friday. the ides.--tnul To-
dav nothing was ever thought OF sacri-
6c'no 10 our cOuntryis wrongs. For six
months we had worked 10 capture. But
our cause being almost lost, something u 'e
cisive and great must be done. Dlt us
failure was owing TO others, VINO uhd noS
strike for their country with heart.
strurk boldly. and not rs the papers say.
I walked with q firm step through 'hou-
sand Of his friends was stopped, but push
eI on. A colonel was at his side. shout
cd SIC seyaper' before | fred. In Jump
inc broke nv leg. passed all hrs pIckets'
Rode sixty miles that night. with the bono
of nv leo tearing the flesh at every Jump;
| can never repent 1t. Though we hatru
TO Kill. our country owed all our troubles
to hln. and God simply made me the IN
strument Of his punishment. MI.
The country is not what IT was. ms
forced Union is not what have loved. l
care not what becomes OF me. nave 10
desire to outlve my country. Inc nlght
before the deed | wrote long article ana
left II for one Of tho editors Of the Ndit0ndt
In,eiLGenocr. in which | fully set ont our
reasons for our proceeding. lie OF tue
South.
Friday. 2f.-After being hunted like
dog through swamps,. woods, ana ias'
niGbt beinr chased till was forced to re-
turn wet cold and starving. with every
mans hand against me, ! am here IN de-
spalr. And for WIN? For dong what
ErItus IVES honored for-what made Tell
hero. And vet /, for striking down
greater tyrant than they ever Knew am
looked upon as common ut-throat. My
act was purer than either OF theirs. ono
hoped to DO great himself; the othcr nau
not only his cOuntry's, but his own wrongs
10 avenge. hoped for no gam; Knew 10
private wrong. / struck for my country,
and that aone--a country ground beneath
this tyranny-and prayed tor TINS ,ehu;
And vet. now behold the cold hahu
tLey extend 10 ne, God cannot pardon
me If have done wrong. Yet cannot SEQ
any wrong except In serving q degenerate
pe0ple. The little, the very little, leit
behind 10 clear my name the Government
will not allow TO be printed. 30 ends all
For my country / have gwen up all thaC
makes life sweet and holy, brought misery
upon INV family, and am sure there 10 no
pardon in the Heavens for me, since man
condemns me 80. | have only heard what
has been done Except what did myself
and II fills me with horror. God. try
and forgive me, and bless my mother {.
u
Tonight | will once more try the riVer,
with the intention to cross, though nave
greater desire and almost mind to
return to Washington, aud IN a measure
clear nv name, which feel can DO. l
do not repent the blow struck; ! may
before nv God, but not to man. think !
have done WELL though am abandoned.
with the curse of Cain upon me; when, II
the world knew my heart. that one bl9w
would have made me great, though dld
desire no greatness. Tonight l Try, 10
escape these bloodhounds once more. VINO
can read his fate? Gods will be done!
have too great q soul TO die like a criminal;
Oh, may He. may He spare me that, ana
let me die brlvely. ] bless the entire
world. | have never hated or wrongeo
any one. This last was not wrong, un-
less God deems it so, and II Is with lin to
damn or bless me. And for this brave boy
Harold with me. who often prays yves. hc-
fore and since) with true and sincere
heart, was II crime III him If so, why
can he pray the samey do not WISH ~
shed q drop of blood, but must fight the
course. IT'S all THAT'S left me"
These are the last words in the diary
and probably the last he ever wrote, as he
was killed very shortly afterwards.