Year: 1867




The following is full report of that part
Of Mr.. Pierrepont's argument in the Surratt
trial which related to President Lincoln's
remarkable presentiment of his own death i:


GENTLEMEN l now come to an act in this
great drama, which, though strange, is not
new. So wonderful is it that it seems to
come 10 us from beyond the veil that separ
ates US from death. As have said before, all
government is Of God. The powers that be
are ordained by God, and for some wise pur
pose which we do not understand, the great
Ruler of all. by presentiments, hY portents,
by bodings and by dreams, sends some
shadowy warning of the coming doom when
some great disaster is to befal nation. So
was 1t in the days of Saul. and SO was i, when
the great Julius Caesar fell so was it when
Brutus died at Phillip; so was it when
Christ was crucifiei, and the wife of Portius
PLATE said to her husband, have thou
nothing to do with this man, for l have suf.
fered many things this day in dream be-
cause Of him;' so was it when the great
Henry ", of France, was assassnated; so
was it with Harold at the battle of Hastings ;
so was it on the bloody day of Bosworth field
so was it when the Russian Gar was assas-
II,
when men in high governmental places have
been stricken down by the assassin's hand =;
so was it before the death of Abraham Lin
coin the President of the United States


In the book which | hold in my hand-in
this Life of Cesar, by DeQuincey in this
Life of Pompey. by Plutarch: and in this
presentation which is given in Julius Caesar
by the great dramatist, Shakespeare, are re
lated the portents which came to warn
Pompey when be left the ship, and landed
on the coast of Egypt; and the warning
given to Julius Cesar. not only in the dream
of Calfurnia, but in his own dream on that
bloody day when he was assassinated in the
Senate. The same was true when the Prince
OF Orange was assassinated and equally
true is this same historic fact, that never in
the whole history with which we have been
familiar has there been a single instance of
the assassination of the head of a govern
ment in which the assassins have not all
been brought to ustce 1t is a terrible thing
to fight against God. Government being of
God, any attempt to throw people into con.
fusion and anarchy is lighting against God.
and in no instance has he ever suffered man
guilty of such a crime to 60 unpunished. -
Though he may take upon himself the wings
of the morning and flee to the uttermost
parts of the earth, yet the eye of God will
follow him and the hand of justice Will evi.
IDENTIFY be laid on him. and compel him to
give rendition of his bloody account.


On the 18th Of April, 1865, Abraham
Lincoln called together his Cabinet. He
was in good spirits, for, as you we'll remem-
ber. we had been receiving most cheering
news; but still upon his soul there lay
l. II, I 7
anxious to hear from Sherman The reply
was, You will hear good news from Sher.
man. There can't be any doubt about that"
Gen. Grant was there, and he knew Sherman.
He took occasion to assure the President that
the news from Sherman would he all right
q don't know" said Mr.. Lincoln, and
then repeated what he had before said, add
ing the remark. Il feel some great disaster
is coming upon us.


Last night | was visited by strange
dream, the same dream that in the darkness
of the night, when deep sleep had fallen on
men, has three times before visited me-
Before the battle of Bull Run, before the
battle of Stone River, before the battle of
ChancellorVille, it came before me in the
same identical, distinct form. and the follow
ing day came the news Of the disaster. As
have stated, this same dream came to me
last night in my sleep, and feel as if some
great calamity is to befall this nation, OF
which | am part" The members of the
Cabinet who heard that will never forget it.
In few hours afterward "a pause) he did
not hear from Sherman, but there came
realization of the dream. and his spirit was
led up to the eternal Godhead.


Lincoln's dream was that he was going
down in a whirlpool being drawn to a great
rock. and just at the moment of striking he
awoke.