The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-03-14
A TRAGEDY RETOLD.
The Story Of the Capture ]. Wilkes
Booth.

try. The officer who comnlanded the company
of cavalry which tracked Booth TO his hiding
place after he had assass;nated President LIN
coin in April, 1865, lives in New York City.
The circumstances leading up to and following
the killing of Booth are as fresh in bis memory
now as if they had happened yesterday. 1t was
into his arms that Booth fell when shot.
Edward r. Dohcrty, the General Inspector oi
Paving in the Department of Public Works.
lives at 81 East One Hundred and Sixteenth
street. He is Commander OF Veteran Post,
436 ga r.. and Grand Marshal for the City
and County of New York. At the time oil
President Lincoln's assassination he was IN
command OF Co. q, 10th N. \. Cav. lie had
not vet received his commission as Captain, but
had Just been promoted from Lieutenancy in
q company of the same regiment.
His regiment was at the front, but the COM
pany was ordered TO Washington to take part
in the funeral of the martyr President. The
company was CHARTERED in Lafayette Square, in
Washington. During the exciting days fol-
lowing the assassination, squads OF the troopers
in Capt. DOherty's company were ordered to &C
company parties of detectives, who were follow
ing every clew which might lead to Booths
capture 1t was tiresome work, and Capt.
Doherty said recently that the men in his COM
mand began to have very little faith in the
detectives.
One day CAPT Doherty received an order from
Gen. Howard to report to Col Baker, the Chief
Agent of the War Department, with % men,
well mounted aud with three days rations and
forage. What happened Capt. Doherty tells as
follows:
81 reported. and Col Baker gave me the pho
tograph OF John Wilkes Booth, Daniel Z. Har-
rold, and the others who were thought to be
implicated.
Il was ordered to 90 to Fredericksburg
where no troops had yet been. i moved
down to the Sixth street wharf, and Capt
Allen, of the Quartermasters Department.
furnished me with the steamboat John ;.
1de and the necessary forage and rations. i
told the Captain to take me down the river as
far as Aqua Greek. On arriving near there
told him to run up to Belle Plain. i wrote an
order to the Captain directing him, after land
ing me, to anchor out in the river and TO re-
main there until o'clock p. NJ. of April 26. III
he did not hear from me by that time he was
TO report back TO Capt. Allen at Washington.
This was at ~ o'clock midnight.
"Hsving landed struck across the country
toward Port Conway, intending to go up the
Rappahannock on the north side OF the river.
halted at o'clock in the morning Tor the
men to fix their saddles. A negro came along,
and told me that regiment had gone up TO
Fredericksburg several hours before. halted
about o'clock that evening within a mile OF
Port Conway. and ordered the men to unsadde
and feed rode down with the bugler to Port
Conway. Here were some women at the ferry
mans house j got into conversation with
them. and showed the photographs Of Booth
and the others, which had received in Wash
ington. The women picked out the photo
graphs of Booth and Harold. and told me that
they had been there the night before and were
going to hire the ferryman, who was the bus-
band of one Of the women, 10 take them TO
Orange Courthouse. They offered him $40.
But Jett Ruggles and cambridge, three of
Nosby's men, rode up just then. and one of
them, thiuk it was Jet, recognized Harold
as an old schoolmate
Harold took Jett to one side, and told him
that they were the murderers Of the President.
Booth showed the tattooed letters, J. w. B.,
on his arm as 3 means OF naturalization. The
woman told me that Jett was counting young
woman named Goldman, whose father was
keeping hotel at Bowling Green, Va, and she
had no doubt that they had all gone there.
!" Booth and Harold decided not to hire the
ferryman. but TO ride double with Mosby's
men, and the party, the women said, rode away
in the direction of Bowling Green.
al sent my bugler after Serg't Corbett and
The rest of the men. told the woman 10 call
her husband who was out fishing. On his ar
rival ] seat him for a f1atboat, which was on
the other side OF the Rappahannock River
Meantime my men had ridden up. We were
ali ferried across to Port Royal. Only eight
men aUe horses could cross at once, so the ferry
had to make several trips before the company
was all on the other side Of the river. On the
last trip arrested Rawlins. the ferrymsn. He
got his horse out and ordered him to guide
me by the nearest road 10 Goldman's hotel in
Bowling Green. 1t was Is miles away. Get
ting near TO Bowling Green j left all except
eight men in the outskirts Of the town. With
this detail ! surrounded Goldman's hotel.
There, after some delay, ] arrested Jett This
was about midnight. Jett denied all knowl-
edge OF Booth at first.
I'D ft1-V bot
Offering a reward and giving description of
the assassins. ] showed this TO Iett When
he had read il. ] said to him:
al know your movements for the last two
days. If you lie to me, I'll take you out aud
hang you. III you tell the truth, I'll protect
you
al had my revolver in my hand ready cooked.
Iett hogan to cry. Then he said:
49, left him at CARROTS house, three miles
from Port Royal You passed kim on your way
here
al put Jett on a horse under guard, and with
my men and Rawlins went back TO where the
other troopers were waiting.
They were very tired and had fallen asleep.
With great difficulty woke them up Then
we retraced our way TO CARROTS house. Rawlins
WAS riding at the head of the column with me.
aud Jett WAS Immediately behind. ] told
Rawlns to notify me when we came within
aeuar,er Of q mile Of the Garrett farm.
AT a little after o'clock in the morning we
came in sight of the farm. / halted, had the
men take down the fences, told off patrol ofsix
men, gave out the coUntersign of Boston, aud
sent the six men TO the rear Of all ouibuildings
in the fields.
81 told the men that the sssassns were in
CARROTS house, and that / was going to sur
rOnBd IL. 1t was only q short time before we
had pickets all around it. Then ] went up to
the house and kicked on the door. After lit
tie delay Mr. Garrett made his appearance with
q candle in his hand lie informed me that
the persons who had been there had gone 10 the
woods IN the afternoon. told him that was
going TO search his house, and that if there
were any women there for them TO get up and
dress.
AT that moment one OF the troopers sang
out: Oh, Lieutenant. I've got man here.
fonnd him in the corncrib'
This young man, who was one of CARROTS
sons. was brought before me. He began TO
parley. told him that did not want TO talk
'Where are those men p ask ed him.
held my pistol, cooked. TO his ear.
"'They are in the barn. lac said, when he saw
that was in earnest.
o. ordered Corporal with four men 10 guard
the door of the house. ] took the other men,
still holding on TO young Garrett, and sur
rounded the barn The doors were locked with
paddock. Young Garrett told me that bis
brother had the key. ] ran around the barn
tosee If the men were properly posted. There
was large crack at one side. i placed Serg't
Boston COrbett there. Ii was my intention 10
wall until daylight before examining the inside
Of The barn. But the men told me that they
baSfxi yniceS aud fhp movinu ahaut of man in