Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-12

Il
to be taken to the camp At Piscataway, six miles
off.
spent the night at their camp and the next
morning was sent by an ambulance to the
headquarters OF the company at Chapel Point
on the Potomac. There was Lieut. L in
command, who asked me great many aues-
tons with pompous air. / admitted that |
was an officer of the confederate army going
abroad for my health and produced my sick
leave. He ordered me TO be taken to the suard
| house, where remained several days
NEWS OF THE ASSASSINATION.
On Saturday morning. the 18th, was walk
ing back and forth before the guard house.
| when, glancing up toward the church which
stands on the hill above the point | saw a man
riding at full speed down the hill. His horse
was breathing hard and all afosm. He rode up
| to Lieut. Is quarters, threw himself OF
| and ran in.
In a moment there was commotion in the
camp. An orderly came running to the guard
| room, crying, Turn out the guard" and the
drum beat to quarters.
The guard formed in front Of the guard
| house. Lieut. l. came down with his sword
| buckled on and seemed greatly excited. On
seeing me standing in the door Of the guard
| room he marched the guard of about fifty
yards and made an announcement TO them,
| which, as l could see, produced CONSERVATION
| among them. Then they broke ranks and the
bugle call Ito saddle" was Immediately sounded.
The company was forming hurriedly when
Sergeant s., with whom had made friends,
entered the guard house and said in half
whisper to me, Colonel, your people played
| hell up in Washington last night" What was
| it?' Inquired, never dreaming of the announce
| ment he had to make.
why" said he, trembling with excitement.
''they murdered President Lincoln and Secre-
tary Seward at Fort Thayer."
| Who did?"
"Why Maj. B-did it," "He fed down
this way and we are now going in search Of
| him. He can't get away for the whole country
| is covered with soldiers"
| What q mountain of trouble and anxiety
| this terrible news cast on my shoulders he
| never suspected and shall never be able to
tell. The whole thing seemed to fash on me
| in an instant.
Maj. B was a confederate officer, and
was the man whom had seen and talked with
on my ride from Aliens Fresh to Charlotte
| Hall on the Saturday before. l remembered
that had told him of the evacuation of Rich
mond, that he had said he was going to recross
the river that night if he could get his boat
which had gone adrift. 1 remembered. too
that he was drinking heavily, so it ran to this
| conclusion in my mind.
A NATURAL CONCLUSION.
| B. had not been able to recross the river;
he was beng closely pursued al. the time; he
was wild about the condition Of affairs in the
south. Gen. Lee-as l now knew-had sur
| rendered. All was lost. B. rendered des-
perate by the situation and crazed by drink,
| had mounted his horse, ridden boldly to Wash
ington where. an opportunity offering. per-
| haps at some military review at Fort Thayer.
he had. on seeing the President and Secretary
Seward together. and on the sudden impulse
| which seizes drunken men. drawn his revolver
and killed them both on the instant. This,
| say, was what thought might be the case.
| knew that all his movements would be sifted to
| the bottom; that it could easily be shown that
| had been IN earnest conversation with him n
week before; that was in the enemy's lines in
! disguise, or at least not in uniform; that a
southern conspiracy to assassinate them would
be set up. and my connection with it would
| thus be shown. and that sure as the rising
of the sun / should be hanged Innocent as a
baby though | was, of ever having had a
thought Of such thing, knew that should
| nevertheless be put to the extreme penalty of
the law, and my name perhaps never be vindi-
cated-the burning shame never removed.
In the next twenty-four hours / endured a
silent anguish, such as | trust no other mortal
may be called on to suffer In those few hours
| l aged ten years.
During the night the company returned to
| its camp. No spoke to me, nor to each
other in my presence. Already" thought,
Il am an object of suspicion
SENT TO WASHINGTON.
Early in the morning was informed that
would be sent on to Washington and that
should be ready for the march in ten minutes
Promptly was ordered out between file of
| six cavalrymen-three on each side of me-but
was much relieved to find Sergeant S in
command of the guard. Arrived at the village
OF Port Tobacco the sergeant ordered a rest.
as was laboring heavily. The mental strain
that was undergoing had completely pros
trated me. 1t was Easter Sunday, and as lovely
a spring day as ever dawned on the earth. To
me, and until now, it was the blacklist had
ever seen. Finding an opportunity asked the
sergeant if they had caught B." He replied
CURLY, as thought, that they had not at last
accounts, but that he would surely be taken, as
rabbit could not get through the Gordon by
which he was surrounded"
Resuming our march, we had not gone far
before we were overtaken by two-horse wagon
driven by an old colored man. The wagon was
empty. The sergeant asked him where he was
going. and on his replying Ito Washington
told me to ''get in l gave the old man a dol
lar for the ride and took a seat beside HIM. |
could not have gone q mile further on foot.
The entire time was one of almost unbroken
silence on my part, either because my faculties
were benumbed with misery or because the
| men III the guard regarded me with suspicion
and avoided all communication with me-
At last We reached the top OF the hill which
overlooks the city and began the descent TO
the bridge over the Eastern Branch At the
southern end OF the bridge I saw, as we drew
near, a crowd of at least hundred people
men and women-all looking with expectancy
IN the direction from whence we were coming.
ohu 40 VIC pdeScu lueUl Etdu III their
faces the intensity of their feelings. At the
north or city end of the bridge was still
greater crowd all intently looking toward US.
The reason of this that the assassins of
the President had fed down this road and it
was by this way it was thought that they would
be brought back. A man in the crowd called
| out to the guard. ''Who is he?" to which one of
the men replied, "A rebel prisoner and il
was relief to me to know that was so recog-
| niZed.
In passing through the last crowd a thought
| flashed upon me which filled me with a new
| terror. IL was that down in the city would be
SEIZED BY THE MOB
and be torn limb from limb. 1 reflected that
the city must be full of Infatuated men athirst
for blood; that it was Sunday, when all classes
would be free to be in the streets, and that
their unreasoning fury would be increased
enormously by drink. In short L saw a hell
yawning at my feet, through which 1 must
pass. My imagination did not overdraw or too
wildly paint the actual and real situation, as
| found ii,
But a man does not give up, no matter how
| terrifying the dangers which surround him. /
expressed my fears to the sergeant. who. being
in no danger himself, could not see that was in
| any. But, determined to do what could for
protection, told the old negro driver that if
he would lend me his coat and hat and let me
| take the reins would give him another dollar
| This he was glad 70 do. So, quickly divesting
| myself of my own coat and hat. put on his
and, changing seats with him, took the reins
To this device, simple as it was. I've no doubt