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Transcript
of Diary
April 14, 1865 - 12PM
It is just reported that
President Lincoln has been shot and some other person
stabbed.
April 15 - 6am
Report says the
president is mortally wounded by an assassin at Ford’s
theatre. The man reported is Secretary Seward and son about
the same time.
8 O’clock am
I have just heard from a
police officer that the President is dead.
He died at 7:20 am at a private house opposite the
theatre. Mr.
Seward and son is in a very critical condition. Everybody
are in intense excitement. The murderer is John Wilkes
Booth, an actor by profession, he is still at large.
Excitement increases at every moment.
All kinds of reports are in circulation.
All places both public and private are draped in
mourning. The
contrast is great with what it was last evening, it being
all gay and lively. Now,
the streets are one great house of mourning.
April 16
The murderer is still at
large. Everybody
are acting as detectives for the purpose of their arrest.
Fords theatre is under guard.
Company B 24th
are on duty and no one is admitted in the building unless
they have the proper pass.
It will never be a theatre again.
April
Excitement is very
great. Quite a
number of persons have been arrested on suspicion or for
disloyalty. None
of the assassins have been arrested yet.
April 18
Excitement is very high.
None of the persons have been arrested that have been
concerned in the murder.
Ford’s whole company is in the old capital.
Tomorrow, the
funeral takes place, the body has been exposed to view, but
the crowd being so great, the gates to the white house had
to be closed.
April 19
The funeral took place
today, such a throng of people I never saw. There was about
30,000 people in the procession.
People from all parts of the US in the ? .
April 20
This morning the body of
our late president was taken on its way to its last resting
place. There was
a great crowd at the depot to see it off.
The train was very nicely draped. There
was nine or ten cars on the train, left 8 o’clock am.
April 21
It is reported that some
of the accomplices have been arrested.
Also that Surrat (Surratt), the assassin of Seward is
on board a gun board off the Navy yard. But it is but a
rhumor (rumor).
April 22
Today one of the
accomplices of booth was arrested in Maryland.
His name is Azerot (Atzerodt). He was brought from
the relay house to this city and placed in a safe place.
He was caught by a Sgt. and 6 men who were on a
scout.
April 23
Nothing of note
transpired today. There
is all sorts of rhumors afloat concerning Booth but I do not
think he has been caught.
April 24
Nothing has transpired
of note today. Excitement
is still very high.
April 25,
1865
Still booth is at large.
We hear nothing but rhumors (rumors).
Nothing reliable.
It is reported that the doctor who set booth’s leg
which is reported he broke sometime during the night of his
escape is confined in the old capital.
I have heard since that the above doctor is in the
old capital. This is from Lt. Col. Colby who is on duty at
the prisons.
April 26
It was reported that
Booth was seen on the street today in female apparel in the
neighborhood of 12th and Pennsylvania Ave.
The place was searched but he was not found.
April 27
Everything was quite
today. We have
hear nothing as the Secretary of War has prohibited all
publishers to make public anything concerning the assassins.
April 28
Booth was captured but
was shot and died in a short time afterwards.
Harold (Herold) his partner was taken alive.
They were taken at the Acquire Creek Virginia or
vicinity. His
body was brought to this city Washington today and was
announced officially from the War Department.
Harold (Herold) is in a safe place for keeping.
Booth was on crutches and was armed with a carbine
and pistol, and knife. He
was in a barn and refused to come out.
He was burned out.
His brother is also in the old capital.
Junius Brutus Booth is his name also, a actor by
profession. I
was also relieved today from duty at the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad depot and reported to my regiment for duty.
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