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 [April]
15th. We were awakened this morning by an announcement which almost
made our hearts stand still with consternation. The President was
shot last night in the Theater. When the morning paper was issued
he was still alive although little or no hopes were entertained
of his recovery but now the tolling bells tell us he has ceased
to breathe. He is dead. Mr. De Bust has just told Hannah he died
at ½ 7 o'clock. Deeply must the country mourn this death for although
uncouth & ungainly he was true hearted, magnanimous and kind
and in the present crisis ready to follow the such
a course with the defeated belligerants as would win them back to
their allegiance to the Government and subdue the rebellion in their
hearts as well as subjugate their aims. The South has lost in him
a good & judicious friend. His successor Johnson heartily desires
the death of the leaders of the rebellion & is in every way
ultra in his views. I have not given the particulars of the disaster.
It was announced in the yesterday's papers that the President with
Gen Grant would be at Ford's Theater in the evening and a large
crowd collected there in consequence. Gen Grant however left the
city before night for N.Y. Mrs. Lincoln had not been well &
the President went to the place of amusement with reluctance, not
wishing to disappoint the audience. He was received with more than
usual applause. About 9½ o'clock a shot was heard which was at first
supposed to be from the stage and a man leaped from the President's
box upon the stage crying, "Sic semper Tyrannis" "I have done it."
and making his way to the door mounted a horse & rode off. The
shrieks of Madame Lincoln first announced to the petrified audience
the catastrophe which had taken place. The President was found to
be in a state of insensibility, shot twice through the head. He
was immediately conveyed to a house opposite the theatre followed
by Mrs. L. escorted by her friends in an almost frantic condition.
At
the same time of the accident an attempt was also made upon the
life of Sec. Seward. The assasin entered the house upon the plea
that he had brought a prescription of Dr. Verde the physician
of the Sec. He pushed passed the servant into the room of the
sick man & after disabling the attendants inflicted several
sabre wounds in his neck & then made his escape. Sec. Stanton
it is said was warned of the danger and guarded himself against
it. The rain is falling heavily and the bells still toll their
melancholy tale.
7 P.M. The
sad day of excitement is over. The President's body has been embalmed
and lies in state at the White House while the frantic grief of
Mrs. Lincoln has settled into an apathetic dejection from which
it is impossible to arouse her. The President remained unconcious
to the last. The members of the Cabinet, Mrs. & Miss Kinney
and Miss Harris surrounded his bed. Dr. Gurley was present &
afterwards escorted the bereaved widow to her home. At the request
of Mrs. Lincoln, he communicated the mournful intelligence to
poor little Tad who was wandering from group to group of the sorrowing
attendants endeavoring vainly to find out what was the matter.
His cries when he heard that he was Fatherless were exceedingly
touching. He has been the most constant companion of the President.
Johnson has received the oath of office and seems impressed with
the dignity and responsibility of his new office. The assasins
have not yet been arrested but the evidence if conclusive that
Booth a miserable actor and worthless vagrant, a Son of the great
tragedian, committed the deed. That is the murder of the President--the
stabbing of Mr. Seward was probably done by an accomplice. Mr.
Seward is in a critical position and has not been informed of
the death of the President or of the danger of his son, who was
so much injured by the assasin that very little hope is entertained
of his life. The feeling of resentment at the South as instigating
in all probability the murder is deep and I fear will entirely
replace the feeling of kindness before entertained for the insurgents.
The Southerners if they have countenanced the dreadful deed have
fatally mistaken the interest of their cause. |
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