Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-05
IT IS ALWAYS A DAY OF GREAT
INTEREST TO THE CHRIS
T1AN WORLD.
Commentaries THE
Tragedy on THE CROSS
TO Americans It Recalls the Day Upon
Which president Lincoln Was
Assassinated.


ton, Of tragedy, and of history.
In the religious world the day COM
memorates the tragedy on the cross. To
Americans who pay heed to historical
events of national character it recalls
the assassination of President Lincoln.
To the literary Irishmen of Butte, it
brings remembrances of the battle OF
Clontarf and the expulsion of the Danes.
Perhaps many of our local Celts, after
church this morning. drank a silent toast
to the memory of the great Brian Boru.
Services We're held in all Butte churches
today and will be continued tonight. This
morning at st. Patrick's, the ceremonies
were simple. The affairs We're stripped of
everything. The church wore a gloomy
appearance. Multitudes of Catholics ap-
preached the altar railing and reverently
kissed the crucifx extended by the
priests.
Good Friday marks memorable events
in history. In 1866, Good Friday fell OIL
April IA, and on the evening of that day
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
The civil war was practically at an end.
Grant, at the head of the army of the
Potomac, followed Lee from before Wash
ington to Richmond and Petersburg and
held him in siege to within a few days
of final surrender. Sherman, command
ing the bulk Of the union forces in the
Mississippi valley, swept in a victorious
march through the heart of the cOnfed-
eracy to Savannah on the coast, and
thence northward to North Carolina. Lee
evacuated Richmond April 2, and was
overtaken by Grant and compelled to
surrender his entire army April 9, 1865.
Sherman pushed Johnston to surrender
April 26. Thomas routed Hood at
Nashville. This ended the war, the SUBJ
mission of scattering attachments follow
ing soon after.
Lincoln being at the time on visit to
the army, entered Richmond the day at
ter it's surrender. Returning to Wash
ington, he made his last public address
on the evening of April II, devoted main~
ly to the question Of reconstructing loyai
governments in the conquered states. On
the evening of April IA, he attended
Ford's theater in Washington. Laura
Keene was then in her glory. and the
play staged was Our American Cous-
in" The writer does not recall who took
the part of Lord Dundreary.
While seated with his family and
friends absorbed in the play, John Wilkes
Booth of the great family of actors, who
with others had prepared plot to assas-
sinate the several heads of government,
went into the little corridor leading to
the upper stage box, and secured 1t
against ingress by wooden bar. Then
Mt tho hOv ha 6iSchQrP.
ed a pistol at the head of the president
from behind. the ball penetrating the
brain. Brandishing huge knife, with
which he wounded Colonel Rathbone, who
attempted to hold him, the assassin rush.
ed through the stage box to the front
an! lie ped down upon the stage. Turning
Cor moment to the paralyzed audience,
he lifted his arm and shouted "Sic semper
tyrannis," and then ran behind the
scenes and from the rear of the building.
Booth was pursued and twelve days at
forwards he was shot in barn where he
had concealed himself.
The wounded president was borne to a
house across the street. where he breath
ed his last in the morning of the follow
ing day.
At the time, the writer was boy liv-
ing in Nashville. Tenn, which was the
headquarters of the Army of the Cum
be.land. Newspapers and Geographic SER
vice in those days We're nothing like what
ttey are today. News Of the assassina-
ton and death of Lincoln did not reach
Nashville till noon of April is, the day
following Good Friday.
In the meantime preparations We're 60
ing on for a grand review and parade OF
the Army of the Cumberland, to celebrate
the triumph of the union armies and the
virtual end of the war. From early morn
until noon one could hear scarcely any
thing but the noise Of cannon drum:
heating and bugles blowing, summonins
tattalions and regiments to position In
the grand line of parade.
At last, the great army of the Cumber'
land is in line and awaiting the order
Forward, march," General Thomas
oil. Pap" the soldiers called him-witt
his staff trotted down Cherry street an.
turned their horses heads towards tl'
Granny White pike, first on the line o.
march. An orderly is seen some dis
lance away riding swiftly towards then
and holding aloft something in his hand
What has happened?
The orderly is now beside the com
r,ander and hands the general a DIS
dent was shot last night by an ASSASSIN
and died at this morning"
Old Pap" Thomas, without wort
and with bowed head trotted his hors
a little distance from his staff and re
manned in silent meditation few min
utes Returning he broke the news t,
his staff and directed that the same b.
conveyed to the commanders Of division
and regiments.
Ten minutes after, along the line o
the Army of the Cumberland, this rrde
sounded from colonel to major and from
major to captain: Attention! Reyers
arms! Forward march," Instead Of Il,
inspiring national hymns. the band
struck up the Dead March in Saul
The drums were muffied and the SCUM,
" the bugles corresponded with tn
FL IL A. l.