Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-29
Gen. James R. 0'Beirne Was
Provost Marshal of District
Fifty Years Ago.
FOUND CLUES THAT LED
TO CAPTURE OF BOOTH
Under Orders of Secretary Stanton,
He Escorted johnson to Lin
coins Deathbed.

Among the visitors to Washington
for the G. A. r. reunion is Gen. James
II. OBeirne of New York, who was
provost marshal of the District of Co
lumbia the night Lincoln was assas-
sinated, and who talked today with a
reporter for The Star of his expert
ences that night and upon other occa-
sions during the civil war period, IN
connection with subjects in which the
older residents of Washington are
especially interested.
Gen. O'Beirne. who Is now connected
With the supreme court of the state
o6 New York. was at one time assis-
tant United States marshal for the Dis
trict. upon another occasion register OF
Wills of the District, and after the war
he was In charge of the Washington
bureau of the New York Herald During
the evil war while he was provost
marshal, he received the thanks of the
mayor Of Washington, Richard Wal
ZACH, and of the board of aldermen
and of the board of councilmen OIL
Washington, for his services in re-
Nevins the District of what was con-
sidered an excessive draft of men.
Present at Lincoln's Deathbed.
Discussing civil war conditions in
Washington, Gen. OBeirne said today
at the New Ebbitt House, where he is
staying, that the claim that Andrew
Johnson was not present at the death
bed of Lincoln, which has appeared in
print many times, is not true.
Il will state it as fact" the gen.
eraI declared. Andrew johnson was
there, for / brought him to the death
bed on my own arm by direction of the
I
TO bring Mr.. Johnson to that scene ana
I did. Incidentally, L may say that
am the only man now living who was
present at that scene ofticially-
States commissioner of immigration at
New York and commissioner OF charl-
ties of the city Of New YORK, enlste1
for the war in the 37th New York
Potomac. as THE Irish Rifles" This
regiment was not in the famous Irish
Brigade. as, for some unexplained rea-
son, Gen. Kearny would not let the
says. The latter advanced rapidly
through the various grades, and was in
every campaign from the second bat
tie of Bull Run to the battle OF Chan
cellorsvilIe. in which he was shot
through the lungs and the leg and
received shell wounds on both sides
OF the head. making four wounds in
one battle. He received the medal OF
honor and the thanks of Congress Tor
gaiiantry in action, on the recontnen-
dstion OF Gen. Kearny and Gen. Hay
man. at the battle of Fair oaks.
Detailed to Duty Here.
After | became unfit for field duty.
because of my wounds" Gen OBeirne
said. ~ was detailed on duty at the
War Department here in Washington,
in the provost marshal generals bu-
reau. 7 helped to organize the enlisted
men of the Veteran Reserve Corps.
composed of wounded soldi~ rs and fen'-
pcrarily invalided men. There were
tvs enty-two regiments OF them ineh
] was ordered by the Secretary oil war
to take charge Of the provost marshsls
office of the District of Columbia.
1T was l. who directed the drafting
of men III the District of Columbia
Incidentally. ] sent TO the front $3.50
here from the New England states, the
substitutes bringing the fees those
who were drafted aud did not go to
the front paid the government. TINS
sets. Vermont. Rhode Island and New
Hampshire. The money was all sent to
city Point. Va. u was at this time that
I had the opportunity to be of service
to the peple of the District OF Column
bia in getting the draft here cut down.
II know my Washington pretty well,
the old as we'll as the new. for ] was
also provost marshal of the defenses of
Washington during the raid or Gen.
Iubal Early ! paroled his prisoners
and buried his dead ] saw and was
within a few feet Of Lincoln at the
battle of Fort Stevens, when the bull
lets were flying around him in the dust.
and he was being urged by the officers
to remain out of danger. j had a CIR
cult of about twelve miles around
Washington. which 7 rode constantly.
and at the time of Early's raid | was IN
the saddle practically twelve days,
never once sleeping in bed. just
catching 'cat-naps' here and there.
On Trail of Early.
After Early withdrew was sent by
the Secretary of War on scouting par
ties into Pennsylvania to find his
whereabouts after he left the front of
Washington. took twelve picked men,
obtained the information desired and
was back in Washington in eight days.
Later was assigned TO capture Mosby,
after II was learned that he was lying
wounded at Upperville Va, in the Blue
Ridge mountains They got me out of
he'd at midnight one night for that job.
but l missed him. his friends having
spirited him away, although we came
mighty close to him, for got his horse
and sdCQle ana Saodle bags i ndQ a
detail of the Sth Illinois Cavalry on
that trip, and l may say that the 9Th
Illinois Cavalry were the best scouting
troops I ever saw. The horses as well
as the men were trained TO the minute
and they could stand anything and
everything. We made that march in
fifteen hours from Washington. which
was fast time"
After leaving the provost marshars
office here Gen. O'Beirne was placed in
command of the camp of Confederate
prisoners at Cleveland. Ohio, and later
entered civil life, returning eventually
to his home state of New York. Some
of his most interesting "reminiscences.
however, were the result of his expert
ence as provost marshal of Washing
ton, and he said today that IL was he
who found the clue and instituted the
search which led to the capture OF
Booth. Lincoln's assassin.
Clues to Assassination Plot.
when / went to get Vice President
Johnson" the general said. land bring
him to the bedside OF Lincoln. as / had