The National tribune., 1910-08-04


pipe hat"
Saw Booths Body.
Horace L. Trim, 414 Gladstone ave-
nue., Providence, r. L, writes:
"At the time Of the assassination OF
President Lincoln I was a first-class
boy on the e. s. s. Dragon, of the Po-
tomac Flotilla, lying at Point Lookout,
Nd. AFe got the word of the death of
the President Sunday morning at about
O'Clock from a dispatch boat. When
within hailing distance the Captain OF
the boat, thru his speaking trumpet,
told us to get under way and proceed
up the river, that the President had
been shot. Our fires were banked and
our awning was housed, as ii was rain
ing lightly. You ought to have seen
the excitement that was caused in such
short time. We did not wait to raise
our anchor, but slipped the cable, and
had just steam enough to turn around.
But the fires were spread, and in a
short time we were steaming UP river
at fun speed. During the excitement
one of our crew fell overheard, and his
body was never recovered.
"on our way UP we picked up a skif
which they said was the one thaE Booth
and Herold crossed the river in. When
we arrived at the Washington Navy
Yard we made fast alongside the moni-
tor Montauk, and were there when
Booths body lay there. / saw his body
when they sewed 1t UP in a piece of sail
cloth. i saw them lower the body into
the boat, and saw the boat as it was
pulled ont Of sight. II was getting
dark when they started. This was on
April 81.
II saw them take Herold's picture on
the deck of the Montauk. They had a
hard time getting ii, as he was very
restless, and would not keep still long
enough for them to get a focus. /
should like dearly to hear from some
Of the old Potomac Fiotilla."
| President Lincoln Was Not Cheered.
Col. George w. Wilcox, Patriotic In
structor Of Sedgwick Post, Santa Ana,
Cal, in his Memorial Day address dis
! cussed the fact that at Gettysburg the
| hills rang with the applause of Ed
ward Eyerett's mastery Grafton, while
Lincolns immortal address was re-
ceiyed with silence. Col. Wilcox said:
True, but there are emotions with
| in the human breast too sacred for bois-
| ferrous acclaim. No, there was no cheer
| ing. Did you ever think of cheering
the Lords prayer? When the minister
of the gospel dismisses his congrega-
ton, with hands raised toward heaven
with a May God be with you till we
meet again. sublime sentiment that il
| is, yet did you ever think of cheering
No. No; to have cheered the senti-
ments expressed by Lincoln on that oc-
casion Would have been sacrilege, fol
that vast multitude realized that theii
heart strings Of patriotic emotion had
been touched by master hand, and
for moment they stood as if trans.
fixed to the spot and then breaking
into groups passed in silence 10 theil
homes
After the ASA sSinafiOn
". Z. Widrick, Co. ], I'd N Y. II. A.
writes:
April Is, 1865, I was at the OLE
wafer tank on the South Side Railroad
and went there from City Point [ wa.
going TO Rurkvlle Station to visit IN,
old regiment, but the Gen. Dix, tn,
engine drawing the forage train to tn.
front, ran off the track and the trair
came up about 10 o'clock. An Officer
threw a Washington paper off, and i
fell at my feet. 1t contained an ac
count of the assassination of Lincoln
The Sergeant in charge said we mus
get back TO Washington at once. w,
were on detail from the 18th V. r. c.
Co. ], East Capitol Hill "a Sergean
and five men detailed 10 return con
scripts to their old regiments). w,
took a boat at City Point. and got bacl
to headquarters next morning abou
daylight. and were just about 20 breal
ranks when an officer rushed up anC
told the Sergeant to report at the de
pot. We marched to the depot. ant
%ere stationed on a train, one at each
door and went TO Baltimore. We were
on duty for two or three days. If any
Of the old comrades remember the cir
cu:nstances, please write to me-"