Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-04-20
By DR.. GEORGE L. PORTER.

Assistant Surgeon. u. <. A., Retired.
The recent death OF Gen. Thomas L.
Gckert brings WILDLY to the minds OF
I'D soldiers the assassination of Abra-
lam Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth.
At the time Of the death of President
Lincoln, General itckert was an assist
ant secretary of war and the dominant
lead of the United StaeS military tele-
Graph corps. besides being Il man in
xho5a Secretary of war stanton placed
he greatest reliance. and had intruslea
% perform many missions OF gFaNest
Importance to the government.
have nooiced IN come Of the obitu-
iry notices Of Genera Eckert the STATE
nent THAT he was the only surviving
nan who knew all of the facts III one
ii the greatest secrets of the civil war.
he disposition made of the body OF
lonn Wilkes Booth, the assassin OF
Abraham Lincoln
But to my knowledge. the only per
sons present on tina grewsome occasion
Sere the four enlisted men, T.. NJ.
Stebbins. military. storeseepcr of the
arsenal. and myself, the only omnls-
;ioncd officer present, then an assistant
army surgeon stationed at the arsenal
Us medical officer.
L pledged my word as an officer and
=, gentleman that l would reveal Moth
.ng which occurred on the night of
April %. 1868, until such time as all
necessity for secrecy had passed.
In the years which nave passed since
hat awfu April night, the public has
,een given various accounts in the
lewspapers. magazines and books us to
what was done With the remains OF the
lc~tor-assassin, which varied in detali
With the imagination of the relator.
Many of the imaginary stories or
Booths burial mention my presence
md, with partiality and ~eSlgnatlon. my
cath. With the single exception of a
communication to Il Washington. ID. G.,
PAPER some years ago l have never fcad
fairly good description of the first hid
ng of Booths body. That account was
probably inspired by information from
he war department. Ever With that
Information no one could locate the
precise locality, for the building and
nclosing wall of the old pe~nitentiary
we're RACED to the ground over 40 years
,gO.
s a matter of record. When the tax
ng down of the old pcnitcntiary ne
.essitated the emoval of Booths re-
ain the key of the apartment, Whlch
vas neither cellar nor cell. could not
De found and there is said to have
5een a lively time at the war depart
nent. for the key had been in the care
of Mir. Stanton, secretary OF war
Finally. however, it was found, the
place of secretion was unlocked and
II the presence of Il number OF OIL
GERS, tho body was removed i'm 1867 to
one of the large store houses upon the
eastern side of the parade ground OF
he arsenal.
In February. 1869. President Johnson
gave Edwin Booth permission to re-
move it 20 Baltimore. Md. where IT
low eposes i'm the Booth lot in Green
< that the actual location Of the remains
y should not be marked by OF
mound.
The pursuit of Booth and Herold
heir stand in the Darn OF Rlctlaft
Ienry Garrett, three miles from Port
Royal. Carolina county; the surrendel
IF Herold and the shooting of Boot
by Sergeant Boston Corbe of the Six
.eenth New York cavalry, and NJ!
death ut I o'clock in the morning ot
April %. are known TO every Amerl-
can.
Lieutenant Colonel c. j. Congo
.eached Washington at 5 O'Clock in Tho
afternoon of Wednesday. April IS. tn
4aay on Which Booth was shot. and toll
Colonel H.. T.. Baker. head OF the score
s~ervice. OF the capture of Heroid AM
81 the death OF Booth at I q. m. ei
he porch OF CARROTS house, tire
nouns after Corbeti's shot. They re
paired immediately to the nome Of Sec
cetary of War stanton, telling him o
he vents and Tragedy on the Garret
farm. Baker Was ordered to take
lg. so to Alexandra and meet tn
steamer John S. Ide, Captain Wilson
which was coming up the river an
nave him turn over the body OF Bootl
md the prisoner derold to Colone
Baker. The transfer Mas made q
1910 O'Clock that niGht IS the secre
AIRY of'war directed.
At l.45 o'clock on the morning Q
Anril u. the tug which Baker VA
lsing came alongside OF the MONTH