Year: 1861

serve at all when we entered, their posi-
tion being somewhat concealed, but who
now rose in great apparent amazement,
although | observed that they were moro
than half dressed. We at once turned
to descend, private Browncll leading the
way, and Ellsworth Immediately follow
ing him with tho flag. AS Brownell
reached the first landing place, or entry,
after descent of some dozen steps, a
man jumped from a dark passage, and,
hardly noticing the private, levelled a
doube-barreled gun at the Colonel
Brownell made quick pass to turn the
weapon aside, but the fellows hand was
firm, and he discharged one barrel straight
to its aim, the buckshot with which il was
loaded, entering the Colonel's heart, and
killing him instantly. think my arm
was resting on poor Ellsworth's shoulder
at the moment. At any rate he seemed
to fall almost from my own grasp He
was on the second or third step from the


landing, and he dropped forward with
that heavy, horrible, headlong weight
which always comes of sudden death in
hieted in this manner. His assaiant had
turned like flash to give the contents Of
the other barrel to Brownell, but either
could not command his aim or the Zouave
was too quick, for the slugs went over his
head, and passed through the panels and.
wainscot OF door which sheltered some
sleeping dodgers. Simultaneous with this
second shot, and sounding like the echo
of the first, Brownell's rife was heard,
and the assassin staggered Backward
He was hit exactly in the middle of the
face, and the wound, as aftcrward saw
it, was the most frightful / ever witness
ed. Of course Brownell did not know
how fatal his shot had been, and so be-
fore the man dropped, he thrust his sabre
bayonet through the body, the force of
the blow sending the dead man violently
down the upper section of the second
flight of stairs, at the foot of which he
lay with his face to the floor. Wisner
ran from above crying, "Who is hit |"
but as he glanced downward by our feet
he needed no answer.


Bewidered for an instant by tho sud-
denncss Of this attack, and not knowing
what more might be in store, We forbore
to proceed, and gathered together defen-
sivey. There were but seven of us al
together, and one was without weapon
of any kind. Brownel instantly reload
ed, and while doing so perceived the door
through which the assailants shot had
passed, beginning to open. He brought
his rifle TO the shoulder, and menaccd the
occupants, two travellers, with immediate
death if they stirred. The three other
privates guarded the passages, of which
there were quite number conyerging to
the point where we stood, while the
Chaplain and Wisner looked to the stair
case by which we had descended, and tho
adjoining chambers. Tran down stairs to
see if anything was threatened from the
story below, but it soon appeared there
was no danger from that quarter. How
ever, we were not at all disposed to move
from our position. From the opening
doors, and through The passages, we dis
cerned sufficient number Of forms to
assure us that we were dreadfully in the
minority. | think now that there was
no danger, and that the single assailant
acted without concert with anybody; but
it is impossible to know accurately, and
it was certainly doubtful question then


The first. thing to be done was to look to
our dead friend and leader. He had fall
en- on his face, and tho streams of blood
that flowed from bis wound had literally
flooded the way. The Chaplain turned
him gently over, and l stopped and called
his name aloud, at which thought then
he mu1nured inarticulately. l presume
| was mistaken, and | am not sure that
he spoke word after being struck, altho'
in my dispatch repeated single excla-
nation which | believe he uttered. 1t
might have been Brownell, or the Chap
lain, who was close behind me. Wisner
and lifted the body with all the care we
could apply, and laid it upon bed in a
room near by. The rebel flag, stained
by his blood and purified by this contact
from the baseness of its former meaning,
we laid about his feet. IL was at first
difficult to discover the precise locality Of
his wound, for all parts of his coat were
equally saturated with blood. BY eau
tiously loosening his belt and unbutton-
ing his coat, we found where the shot
had penetrated, None of us had any
, medical knowledge, but we saw that all
hope must bo resigned. Nevertheless, il
seemed proper to summon the surgeon as
speedily as possible. This could not be
easily done, for, secluded as we were in
that part of the town, and uncertain
whether nm ambush might not be await
| ing us also, no man could volunteer to
{ venture forth alone, and to 90 together,
and leave the Coloners body behind, was
out Of the question We wondered al
the long delay of the first company, for
the advance Of which the Colonel had
sent back before approaching the hotel
! but we subsequently, learned that they
had mistaken street, and gone little
| n Il s. u Il