The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-21
ASSASSIN OF LINCOLN
STORY OF HIS CAPTURE AND DEATH
TOLD BY CAPT. Il. r. DOHERTY.
"Useless, Uselessc' His Last Words
Shot by Sergeant Corbett to Pre-
vent His killing Doherty.

most tragic events in the history of this
country. The officer who commanded the
company of cavalry which tracted Booth to
his hiding place after he had assassinated
President Lincoln in April. 1866, lives in
New York city. The circumstances leading
up to and following the killing of Booth are
fresh in his memory now as if they had
happened yesterday. 1t was into his arms
that Booth fell when shot
Edward p. Doherty, the general inspector
of paving in the department of Public
Works, is commander of Veteran Post No.
436, G. A. r., and grand marshal for the
city and county of New York. AT the time of
President Lincoln's assassination he was in
command of Company G. Sixteenth New
York Cavalry. He had not yet received his
commission captain, but had Just been
promoted from lieutenancy in a company
of the same regiment.
His regiment was at the front. but the
company was ordered to Washington to
take part in the funeral of the martyr
President. The company was quartered in
Lafayette Square, in Washington. During
the exciting days following the assassina-
ton, squads of the troopers in Captain Do
herty's company were ordered to accom-
pany parties of detectives, who were follow
ing every clew which might lead to Booths
capture. 1t was tiresome work, and Captain
Doherty said yesterday that the men in his
command began to have very little faith in
the detectives
one day Captain Doherty received an
order from General Howard to report to
Colonel Baker, the chief agent of the war
Department with twenty-five men, well
mounted, and with three days rauons and
forage. What happened Captain Doherty
tells as follows:
IT reported ard Colonel Baker gave me
the photographs of John Wilkes Booth,
Daniel e. Harold and the others who were
thought to be implicated.
II was ordered to go to Fredericksburg,
where no troops had yet been. moved
Allen, of the quartermasters department.,
furnished me with the steamboat John s.
Ide and the necessary forage and rations
L told the captain to take, me down the
river far as Aqua creek. On arriving
near there 1 told him to run UP to Belle
Plain. / wrote order to the captain di-
recting him, after landing me, to anchor
out in the river and to remain there until
6 o'clock p m. of April &C. If he did not
hear from me by that time he was to re-
port back to Captain Allen at Washington.
This at II o'clock midnight.
CONTINUING THE PURSUIT.
Having landed I struck across the coun-
try toward Port Conway, intending to go
up the Rappahannock on the north side of
the river. 1 halted at 4 o'clock in the
morning for the men to fix their saddles.
A negro came along and told me that a
regiment had gone up to Fredericksburg
several hours before. 1 halted about
o'clock that evening within mile of Port
Conway and ordered the men to unsaddle
and feed. 1 rode down with the bugler to
Port Conway Here were some women at
ton with them and showed the photo
graphs of Booth and the others which
had received in Washington. The women
picked out the photographs of Booth and
Harold and told me that they had been
there the night before and were going to
hire the ferryfnan. who was the husband
Orange Courthouse They offered him $40
of Mosby's men, rode up just then, and one
of them, I think it was Jett, 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 let
tiers. j. w. b. on his arm as means of
identification. The women told me that Jet
was counting a. young woman named Gold
man. whose father was keeping a hotel at
Bowling Green, Va, and she had no doubt
that they had all gone there.
Boom ana Harrolu decioed not TO hife
the ferryman, but to ride double with Mos
by's men, and the party, the women said,
rode away in the direction of Bowling
Green.
II sent my bugler after Sergeant Corbett
and the rest of the men. l told the woman
to call her husband, who was out fishing
On his arrival / sent him for a flathoaf.
which was on the other side of the Kappa
hammock river. Meantime my men had rid
den up. We were all ferried across to Port
Royal. Only eight men and horses could
cross at once, SO the ferry had to make
4
on the other side of the river. On the last
trip arrested Rawlins, the ferryman. He
got his horse. out and I ordered him to
guide me by the nearest road to Goldnans
Hotel in Bowling Green. 1t was fifteen
miles away. Getting near to Bowling
outskirts of the town with this fin detail III
surrounded Goldman's Hotel. There, after
some delay, ! arrested Jett. This about
midnight. Jett denied all knowledge of
Booth at first.
Il had stanton's proclamation in my
scription of the assassins 1 showed this to
Jet. When he had read it, said to him:
81 know your movements for the last
two days. If you lie to me, I'll take you
out and hang you. If you tell the truth,
I'll protect you.
II had my revolver in my hand ready
cooked. Jett began to cry. Then he said
Z" I left him at CARROTS house. three
miles from Port Royal. You passed him
II 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 Sps TheR we retraesd our way TO- to Garrets
the column with me, and Jet was imme-
diately behind. I told Rawlins to notify
me when We came within a quarter of a
mile of the Garrett farm.
RUN TO EARTH.
AT a little after o'clock in the morn
ing we came in sight of the farm. halted,
had the men take down the fences, told off
a patrol of six men, gave out the counter
sign of Boston, and sent the six men to
the rear of all outbuildings in the fields
Il had told the men that the assassins
were in Carrots house and that / was go
ing to surround 1t. 1t was only a short time
before we had pickets all around it, Then
/ went up to the house and kicked on the
door. After a little delay Mr.. Garrett made
his appearance with candle in his hand
He Informed me that the persons who had
been there had gone to the woods in the
afternoon. L told him that l was going to
search his house and that if there were
any women there for them to get UP and
dress.
lat that moment one of the troopers sung
OUT oh. Lieutenant; I've got man here
I found him in the corncrib.'
This young man, who one of Gar
rett's sons, was brought before me. He be-
gan to parley. told him that 1 did not
want to talk.
Where are those men,? l asked him.
I held my pistol, cooked, to his ear
They are in the barn. he said when he
saw that / was in earnest.
II ordered a corporal with four men to
guard the door of the house. took the 9TH
men, still holding on to young Garrett
and surrounded the barn. The doors were
locked with a paddock. Young Garrett told
me that his brother had the key I ran
around the barn to see if the men were
nr0narIV nOSt6H There lor