nav bar
assassination header
Assassination of President Lincoln
And the Trial of the Assassins
Brigadier-General Henry Lawrence Burnett



page1></a>
A Lawyer/Soldier Called To Serve
<dd><img src=Colonel Burnett, Mood of the Time, Deathbed
What Was Known
Investigation, Assassination, Seward's Attack, Other Attempts
page2></a>
The Investigation
<dd><img src=First Steps, Military Court
page3></a>
The Conspiracy
<dd><img src=Planning, 14 April 1865, The Escape
page4>
The Search Tightens
<dd><img src=Cornered, Garrett's Barn
page5></a>
The Trial and Its Aftermath
<dd><img src=The Sentences, Habeas Corpus, Gen. Hancock, Mrs Surratt,
An Inhuman Crime?, Pres. Johnson and Gen. Holt, Military or Civil
page6 Lincoln
A Man for the Ages, Lincoln Links, Lincoln Books, Newspaper Accounts
Assassination Microfilm
burnettpage Brig.Gen. Henry L. Burnett


separator

The Search Tightens
CORNERED
Bainbridge went on to Bowling Green, whilst Ruggles and Jett remained over night in the woods near the house, Booth being hidden on the premises and cared for. On the following day Captain Jett went to Bowling Green on a visit, prompted by the tender passion where he remained a few days; and Lieutenant Bainbridge returned to the Garrett Farm, where he rejoined Major Ruggles. The two started for Port Conway but before getting there, learned that the town was full of Union cavalry, when they lost no time in returning to Garrett's and gave warning to Booth, advising him to lose no time in fleeing to a piece of woods, which they pointed out to him, and then turned to look after their own safety. The cavalry of which they got this notice was a squad detailed from the Sixteenth New York Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Dougherty, which had been ordered to report to General L.C. Baker of the Secret Service Department.

Arriving at Port Conway on the afternoon of the day subsequent to the crossing of the parties above referred to, and finding the wife of the ferry keeper at the ferry-house sitting and conversing with another woman, Colonel Conger exhibited to them a photograph of Booth, and informed them that that was the man they wanted. It at once became apparent to him, from the manner and actions of the women, that Booth was not far off. The ferryman, a man by the name of Collins, was sent for and being influenced no doubt by fear of compromising himself became communicative. He told them all about the party that had crossed the day before, one of them, Captain Jett, he knew well, and knowing that Jett had been paying attention to a Miss Goldman, the daughter of a Bowling Green hotel keeper, he suggested that he could most probably be found there. Colonel Conger pushed on with his squad of cavalry, commanded by Captain, then Lieutenant E.P. Dougherty, to Bowling Green, passing the Garrett Farm after dark.

Arriving at Goldman's Hotel, he inquired of Mrs. Goodman as to the men that were in the house. She answered him that her wounded son was in a room upstairs, and that he was all the man there was there. Colonel Conger then required her to lead the way up stairs, telling her at the same time that if his men were fired on, he would burn the building and carry the inmates to Washington as prisoners.

As he entered the room which she showed him, up one flight of stairs, Captain Jett jumped out of bed half-dressed, and admitted his identity. Colonel Conger then informed him that he was cognizant of his movements for the last two days, and proceeded to read to him the proclamations of the Secretary of War, telling him when he had done reading it that if he did not him the truth he would hang him; but that if he truly gave him the information that he sought he would protect him.

Jett was greatly excited, and told him that he had left Booth at the Garrett Farm, three miles from Port Royal. The Colonel then had Jett's horse taken from the stable, making Jett his unwilling guide to the place of Booth's concealment.

GARRETT'S BARN
Arriving at Garrett's the cavalry was so disposed as to prevent anyone from escaping, and after having extorted by threats the information that Booth and Herold were concealed in the barn, it was at once surrounded. They were ordered to come out and surrender themselves, which Booth refused to do. After a considerable parley, Herold came to the door and gave himself up. He was followed by the maledictions of Booth. Booth still refused to surrender.

A wisp of hay was fired and thrown upon the hay in the barn. From this start the barn was soon lighted up with the flames of the burning hay. Both was known to be armed and desperate, and as the burning hay began to illuminate the barn he was seen, carbine in hand, peering through the cracks and trying to get an aim. He had before offered to fight the crowd for a chance of his life if the Colonel would but withdraw his men one hundred yards. Being answered that they had come to capture him, not to fight him, he was preparing to sell his life as dearly as possible.

At this moment, Sergeant Boston Corbett, of the Sixteenth New York Cavalry, fired at Booth through the crack in the barn, upon his own responsibility, the bullet struck Booth on the back of his head, very nearly Corbett in the same part where his own ball had struck the President, only a little lower down, and passing obliquely through the base of the brain and upper part of the spinal core; it produced instantly almost complete paralysis of every muscle in his body below the wound, the nerves of organic life only sufficing to keep up a very difficult and imperfect respiration, and a feeble action of the heart for a few hours.

After Booth was shot he was carried from the burning barn and laid under the shade of a tree on the lawn of the Garrett premises. He was perfectly clear in his mind but could not swallow, and was scarcely able to articulate so as to be understood, although he seemed anxious to talk. He requested the officer who was bending over him trying to administer to him, to tell his mother that he died for his country.

newspaper
NY Times Account of Booth's Death

Booth expired in great agony on the 26th of April, twelve days after the commission of his crime.

The body was brought back to Washington and identified fully. It was buried for a time secretly under the floor of the old capitol prison, but afterwards was given to his friends and taken to Baltimore and there buried in an unknown and unmarked grave.

At the moment the President was shot he was leaning with his hand or arm resting on the railing of the box, looking at some person in the orchestra holding the flag aside to look between it and the post; he raised his head in an instant and then it fell backward. He was carried to the residence of Mr Peterson just opposite the theatre, where he expired about seven o'clock on the morning of the 15th.
CONTINUE


separator
page1></a>
A Lawyer/Soldier Called To Serve
<dd><img src=Colonel Burnett, Mood of the Time, Deathbed
What Was Known
Investigation, Assassination, Seward's Attack, Other Attempts
page2></a>
The Investigation
<dd><img src=First Steps, Military Court
page3></a>
The Conspiracy
<dd><img src=Planning, 14 April 1865, The Escape
page4>
The Search Tightens
<dd><img src=Cornered, Garrett's Barn
page5></a>
The Trial and Its Aftermath
<dd><img src=The Sentences, Habeas Corpus, Gen. Hancock, Mrs Surratt,
An Inhuman Crime?, Pres. Johnson and Gen. Holt, Military or Civil
page6 Lincoln
A Man for the Ages, Lincoln Links, Lincoln Books, Newspaper Accounts
Assassination Microfilm
burnettpage Brig.Gen. Henry L. Burnett



Henry L. Burnett
Map to Gen. Burnett Pages
Gen. Burnett's Will
Gen. Burnett's Grave
Gen. Burnett's Promotions
Biography of Gen. Burnett
Gen. Burnett's Military Career


empty Family Tree
emptyFamily Tree


Morris
NJ Governor
Lewis Morris



Breese
Breese
Family



Henry Livingston
Night Before Xmas
Henry Livingston



Bush
President
George Bush



Father
Father
Bradley Van Deusen


Jean
Mother
Jean Van Deusen


home
Home

favorites
Suggested
Favorite
Pages
site map
Site Map


IME logo Copyright © 1998, Mary S. Van Deusen