Containing the Orders convening the Commission; | prisoners in Southern prisons; Attempted burning of Bules for its guidance; Pleas of the accused to the Juris- New York and other Northern cities; Poisoning the diction of the Commission, and for Severance of Trial; water of the Croton Reservoir, New York; Raid on St. Testimony in full concerning the Assassination, and Albans; Contemplated raids on Buffalo, Ogdensburg, attending circumstances; Flight, pursuit and capture of etc.; Burning of Steamboats on Western rivers, GovernJohn Wilkes Booth; Attempted Assassination of Hon. ment Warehouses, Hospitals, etc.; Complicity of JefferW. H. Seward, Secretary of State. Official Documents son Davis, Judah P. Benjamin, Jacob Thompson, George and Testimony relating to the following plots: The N. Sanders, Beverley Tucker, C. C. Clay, etc.; Jacob Abduction of the President and Cabinet, and carrying Thompson's banking account in Canada; The mining of them to Richmond; The Assassination of the President Libby Prison, and preparations to blow it up; The "disand Cabinet; The Murder of President Lincoln by pres-organization of the North" by a system of terrorism ents of infected clothing; The introduction of pestilence and infernal plots; Arguments of Counsel for the Into Northern cities by clothing infected with Yellow Accused; Reply of Hon. J. A. Bingham, Special Judge Fever and Small Pox; Starvation and murder of Union Advocate; Findings and Sentences of the Accused, etc. COMPILED AND ARRANGED BY BENN PITMAN, RECORDER TO THE COMMISSION. PUBLISHERS: MOORE, WILSTACH & BALDWIN, 25 WEST FOURTH STREET, CINCINNATI. NEW YORK, 60 WALKER STREET. APPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR, ETC. MILITARY COMMISSION, PENITENTIARY, WASHINGTON, D. C., RIG. GEN. JOSEPH HOLT, Judge Advocate General: Tuesday, June 20, 1865."} 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— AUGUST V. KAUTZ, Brev. Maj. Gen. U. S. Vols. BENN PITMAN. Recorder to Commission. LEWIS WALLACE, Maj. Gen. U. S. Vols. C. H. TOMKINS, Brev. Col. U. S. Army. 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, DEPARTMENT 21 THE OHIO, ( CINCINNATI, October 2, 1865. 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. WOR 19 FEB '36 TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE EXECUTIVE ORDER.. SPECIAL ORDER No. 211........................ SECOND SESSION.......................................................................................... Ordering a Military Commission... Convening Commission to meet on the 8th of May............ Special Order No. 216; Charge and Specification; pleadings of the accused; rules of proceeding... Counsel introduced.... RICHARD MONTGOMERY... ........................................................... Acquainted with Thompson, Sanders, Clay, Cleary, Tucker, Holcombe, etc., in Canada; their complicity with the rebel chiefs in the assassination; firing of New York; raids on St. Albans, Rochester, Buffalo, Ogdensburg, etc.... Letter from C. C. Clay to J. P. Benjamin, at Richmond....... JAMES B. MERRITT.............................. Intimate with rebels in Canada; assassination and other 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... Military Department of Washington; civil courts open..... HOSEA B. CARTER............................... Saw Booth with the rebel clique in Canada.... .... Saw Booth in Montreal with Sanders; also in Washington on WILLIAM E. WHEELER........................ Saw Booth in Montreal, in conversation with Sanders..... LIEUTENANT WILLIAM H. TERRY......... Secret cipher found among J. W. Booth's effects.. G.W.BUNKER........... Dates of Booth's arrival and departure at National Hotel.... |