The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-02-05


About the middle of August, 1859,
Company X of the one hundred and
fifth Pennsylvania volunteers, known rs
the "'Bucktail' Regiment, Of which |
wa, private, was detailed as a body
guard Of President Lincoln and con.
tinucd N that capacity until his as
sassination in the spring Of 1865. Dur.
ing the three years of my stay in Wash.
ingtou, the most critical period of the
nation 5 history, ! saw aud heard many
things that have eve found their way
into public prints. Some Of the body.
guard were constantly with the presi.
dent aud his family, whether at fash.
ionable l%oveos, receptions TO foreign
Legations or private interviews. At all
such functions We were silent spectators
of all that took place. We were al.
ways treated with the highest respect
by the Lincoln family, who regarded
us n a part Of the household. Every
private Of the guard received the same
attentions of courtesy as the most fam.
Gus statesman or diplomat at the CAPT.
tai. We all formed a strong personal
attachment for the president and whom
the grand old man laid down his life
in behalf Of the cause hat had been
his life work We felt as II we had lost
the dearest friend we ever had.
During the first two years Of our
term Of service the most rigid discipline
was enforced. Sometimes we would be
ordered 10 use .traordinary vigilance
and 10 let 10 one enter the grounds Of
the White House without the proper
passes and 20 bee very particular a.
10 who approached the president. Often
the order would come for the guards
on duty to be doubled. II was seldom
that he knew the direct cause Of these
extra precautions, hut we supposed that
the officers Of the secret service were
in possession OF information Of some
plot that brooded harm TO the presi.
dent.
Up TO 1864, owing to our vigilance
and the protecting hand Of Providence.
our beloved'c chief had escaped the hand
Of violence. The back ~ the o nfeder.
ncy was broken, a good feeling per
vaded all Washington and consequent
ly the strict watchfulness that had pre-.
vailed grew into laxity. This was the
fatal period, for IL was at this time
that conspiracies were Matched and con.
federates oyorran the city, comparative
ly unmolested. The president aud fam.
lily spent the summer at the soldier
home, situated about three miles lortb
Of the city, and thither the bodyguard
always accompanied them.
II wa in the summer Of lsgi, while
we were up NJ the home, that an Incl
dent happened that anne very near cul
%minnting in just such an awful tragedy
that followed only q few months later
at Ford : thcatcr. II was the custom
Of the president to remain late at the
war department when anything Of
great Importance vas happening in
the army, consulting with the seere.
tary Of war and transmitting and recciv.
ing dispatches, and after his work was
finished he would ride out 10 the sol.
dier's home. That summer he had per.
sistently refused al escort, imagining
himself perfectly secure.
One night about the middle Of Aug
ust I was doing sentry duty at the
large gate through which entrance was
had into the grounds at the homo. THE
place Is situated about a quarter Of a
mile on the Blandensburg road and
is reached by a devious driveway. About
one o'clock / heard a rifle shot In the
direction Of the city and shortly after.
ward could hear approaching h~oofbeats,
N iva or three minutes a horse came
lear enough so that In the dim moon
ight ! recognized the rider as the he
ated president. The horse, n very
one, belonging to Lamon, the
Of the District Of Columbia,