Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, BY MOORE, WILSTACH & BALDWIN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of Ohio. APPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR, ETC. MILITARY COMMISSION, PENITENTIARY, WASHINGTON, D. C., RIG. GEN. JOSEPH HOLT, Judge Advocate General : } GENERAL-To satisfy the present public desire, and for future use and reference, it s certainly desirable that an authentic record of the trial of the assassins of the Late President, as developed in the proceedings before the Military Commission, should be published: such record to include the testimony, documents introduced in evidence, discussion of points of law raised during the trial, the addresses of the counsel for the accused, the reply of the Special Judge Advocate, and the findings and sentences. Messrs. Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin, publishers, of Cincinnati and New York, are willing to publish the proceedings in respectable book shape, and I will arrange and compile, on receiving your approval. I respectfully refer to the printed work, "THE INDIANAPOLIS TREASON TRIALS," as an indication that my part of the work will be performed with faithfulness and care. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Indorsed and approved by- BENN PITMAN. Recorder to Commission. LEWIS WALLACE, Maj. Gen. U. S. Vols. H. L. BURNETT, Brev. Col. and Special Judge Advocate. BUREAU OF MILITARY JUSTICE, June 30, 1865. By authority of the Secretary of War, the publication of the work referred to in the foregoing letter, will be permitted, on the condition that it be made without cost to the Government, and that it be prepared and issued under the superintendence of Col Burnett, who will be responsible to this Bureau for its strict accuracy. J. HOLT, Judge Advocate General. JUDGE ADVOCATE'S OFFICE, DETI, October 2, 1865. OHIO, } In obedience to the directions of the Secretary of War, through the Judge Advocate General, I have superintended the compilation and publication, in book form, of the record of the trial of the conspirators at Washington, for the assassination of the late President, Abraham Lincoln, and the attempted assassination of the Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, other members of the Cabinet, and Lieut. Gen. Grant, and hereby certify to its faithfulness and accuracy. H. L. BURNETT, Judge Advocate Dept. of the Ohio, and Special Judge Advocate of the Commission. THE entire testimony adduced at the trial of the assassins of President Lincoln is contained in the following pages. It has been arranged in narrative form, to avoid unnecessary repetitions, and to present the facts testified to by each witness in a concise and consecutive form. The phraseology is that of the witness; the only license taken with the testimony has been its arrangement in historical sequence, both as to generals and particulars. Whenever the meaning of a witness was doubtful, or an evasive answer was given, or whenever the language of the witness admitted of a double interpretation, or of no interpretation at all, the questions of counsel, and the answers of the witness, have been retained. B. P. TABLE OF CONTENTS. SPECIAL ORDER No. 211........................ Convening Commission to meet on the 8th of May. .................................................. Accused without counsel. FIRST SESSION...... ..................................................... Acquainted with Thompson, Sanders, Clay, Cleary, Tucker, ......... Accompanied Conover to Montreal; corroborated his state- plots discussed and approved; approval of rebel chiefs in In Montreal after the assassination; rebels burning their In Montreal with Dr. Merritt; corroborated his statement... LIEUTENANT-GENERAL U. S. GRANT...... Jacob Thompson in the rebel military service; extent of the Military Department of Washington; civil courts open..... Assassination discussed by rebel soldiers and citizens... HOSEA B. CARTER.............................. Saw Booth with the rebel clique in Canada.... LIEUTENANT WILLIAM H. TERRY......... Secret cipher found among J. W. Booth's effects.. CHARLES DUELL.......................................................................................... Letter signed "Number Five:" assassination plot............... CHARLES DAWSON................................ Letter signed "Lon," addressed to "Friend Wilkes". JEFFERSON DAVIS AND THE ASSASSINATION. JAMES E. RUSSELL.............................. Testified to character of Lewis F. Bates............. L. F. Bates brought to Washington by order of Sec'y of War REV. W. H. RYDER............................ Letter from W. S. Oldham to Jeff. Davis; proposition for June 9. June 9. June 9. JULES SOULE.. June 8. June 12. NATHAN RICE............................................................... BURNING OF STEAMBOATS, ETC. EDWARD FRAZIER............................... Burning of U. S. transports, bridges, etc., and payment for GENERAL T. D. TOWNSEND.................. Paper signed "John Maxwell," detailing particulars of Proposal "to rid the country of some of her deadliest ene- mies;" referred, by direction of the "President," to the Secretary of War; from the archives of the rebel War Department; surrendered by General Joseph E. Johnston Identified the handwriting of B. W. Harrison, Private Secre- tary to Davis, and J. A. Campbell, rebel Assistant Secre- Confederate commissions granted to raiders.. LIEUTENANT REUBEN BARTLEY............. Torpedo buried under the center of the prison.... Placed there by order of the rebel Secretary of War..... JOHN LATOUCHE.................................. Major Turner to fire it if U. S. troops came to Richmond.. EDWARD JOHNSON...................................................................... Discussion on the admission of the testimony of Johnson; impeaching the testimony of H. Von Steinacker........ H. K. DOUGLAS........................................................................... ASSASSINATION AND ATTENDING CIRCUMSTANCES. |