crack, fired. The ball entered Booth's head, and he fell. Conger and two sergeants then entered, and carrying him out of the flames laid him on the grass. He appeared to be insensible, but in a few minutes partially revived, and made efforts to speak. By placing his ear close to Booth's mouth, Colonel Conger heard him say, "Tell my mother I die for my country." He was then carried to the porch of Garrett's house. Colonel Conger sent to Port Royal for a physician, who, on his arrival, found Booth dying. Before the moment of final dissolution he repeated, "Tell mother I died for my country. I did what I thought was for the best." When an effort was made to revive him by bathing his face and hands in cold water, he uttered the words "Useless-useless." He was shot at about fifteen minutes past three A. M., and died a little after seven A. M., on Wednesday. When it was ascertained that he was dead, the body was placed upon a cart-the only conveyance that could be procured -and brought to Belle Plain, where it was placed upon the steamer, and conveyed to the navy yard at Washington. After it was deposited there it was identified by Dr. May, who had on one occasion cut a tumor from Booth's neck, and recognised the scar thus made. It was also identified by some thirty others, who were familiar with Booth during his lifetime, as well as by his initials on his arm. The body was somewhat bruised on the back and shoulders by the ride in the cart from Garrett's farm to Belle Plain, but the features were intact, and perfectly recognisable. After the identification, by order of the War Department, the body was privately buried, in the clothing which was upon it at the time Booth was shot. Thus closed the career of Booth, who is to be regarded either as one of that silly weak-minded class in the Border States, who have outheroded Herod in their attempts to gain the good opinions of the South Carolinians, or perhaps more likely as a mere cut-throat, lured by a bribe to commit treason in its most concentrated shape, the assassination of the head of the government, the base-born son of a mad actor, the fitting tool for the last crime of Slavery. |