SAVANNAH DAJI.V HERALD.
VOL. I—NO. 95.
The Savannah Daily Herald
(MORNING AND EVENING)
IS FCULISHED liH>
O. W. MASON «& CO.,
At til Bay Stkekt, Savannah, Georgia,
terms:
Per Copy Five Cents.
Per Hundred ...; $3 60.
Per Year sio 00,
ADVERTISING:
Two Dollars per Square of Ten Lines for first in
sertion ; One Dollar for each subsequent one. Ad
vertisements inserted in the morning, will, if desired,
appear in the evening without extra charge.
JOB PKINTING,
In every style, neatly and promptly done.
The assassination.
The history of despotic countries, in which
the will of a single' man is paramount, occa
sionally records the atrocious crime of as
sassination. Governments that reflect the
popular opinion rarely exhibit an example of
this crime, as it is supposed there is entire
sympathy between the rulers and the ruled,
which quickly expels from power those who
flagrantly abuse their trusts. The«ssassina
tion of President Lincoln presents an almost
singular exception in the. history of free
States. The matter admits of explanation
on no other theory than that of individual
fanaticism under a mental delusion that good
can come of evil—that the end sanctifies the
means—that the assassin is the chosen in
strument of a work that will redeem him in
the eyes of posterity. - #
Ravaillac assassinated Henry the Fourth of
France, in the persuasion that being the ene
my of the Roman Catholic faith it would be
an act acceptable in the eyes of Heaven to
put him to death. William of Orange was
basely murdered by that sanguinary and
fanatical bigot, Philip the Second, by the
hand of a hired assassin. Charlotte Corday
assassinated Marat, because she conceived
him to be the enemy of France, and Booth
usssinated Mr. Lincoln, imagining, we sup
pose, such to have been his mission. In all
these instances it was fanaticism that led to
the deed.
It is impossible to suppose that fanaticism
is not the source of the crime. The mental
hallucination that loses all sense of moral
obligation, that only can be compared with
the insane ferocity that arras itself with the
weapon of destruction, when a friend or pa
rent is put to death, under an unconscious
delusion, such as that which possessed the
sister of Lamb, the author of Ezia, when
she put her father to death. In the case of
Booth he is not entitled to the benefit of this
plea. His crime was aggravated by having
no personal wrong or injury to avenge.
It was done with the deliberation of a pre
conceived and matured purpose. It was,
in all its stages, calculation and not impulse.
In most assassinations there is some pro
cess of enthusiasm py which the balance of
the mind is lost, but Booth measured every
step of his progress—removed all obstacles
to success. The idea that he conceived
that he was earning for himsef a title to im
mortality—like he who fired the temple of
Ephesus—is preposterous. Booth had too
much rationality for this, which would be
the conception of mental imbecility. This
description may apply to other parties be
sides Booth who may be supposed to have
been concerned in the deeply laid plot or
conspiracy. Some of the plotters, as well
as those entrusted with the execution, may
have been governed by a sense of supposed
personal wrong, and others again by merce
nary motives—by a pecuniary consideration,
but there could have been but a very
limited number influenced by fanatical feel
ings, of which Booth, no doubt, was the
most conspicuous example.
We doubt not that the enemies of Repub
lican government will allege the act as a
pregnant illustration of the violence inherent
in a Democracy. With the same propriety
it might be affirmed that when Percival, the
British minister, was assassinated by Belling
ham, and that when George the Third was
fired at on his way to Parliament, the Brit
ish rule had reached its acme of despotism
and that it was absolutely necessary to put
the sovereign to death at oue time and his
minister at another. There is no possibility
of bringing such occurrences within any rule
of zational human conduct. They are to be
interpreted in conformity with the idiosyn
crasies of the individual.
Assassination will form a singular chapter
in American history. The Asiatic despotisms
in almost every age may be said to have been
tempeied by the dagger, as the Italian Re
publics of the middle ages by the poisoned
( 'Up. let it would appear that in our era of
civilization aud improvement in government,
the arm of the assassin has not been with
held. The life of Louis Napoleon has been
twice attempted, while his uncle narrowly
escaped death from the explosion of-an iu
1< in.il machine. It does not make the wonder
the less that the life of a man clothed with
only delegated authority, devoid of ambition
and free of all sinister purposes, should have
been thus sacrificed.
The Grand Funeral in
New York City.
The metropolis in Mourning.
OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN TEARS.
One Hundred Thousand Citizens
in Procession.
Fifteen Thousand Military as
Escort.
SEVENTH REGIMENT AS GUARD
OF HONOR.
President Lincoln’s Remains Viewed by a
Quarter of a Million of People.
Full Details from Our Own Correspond
dent.
New York, April 30, 18C5.
As I write, the funeral cortege of our la
mented President has nearly reached the last
resting place in the valley of the Mississippi.
The little town of Springfield, Illinois, from
whence Abraham Lincoln was taken rather
more than four years since to become the
Chief Magistrate of a great nation, is to re
ceive in a few days the last remains of the
man who in that four years has become the
conqueror of a mighty rebellion, has extir
pated the curse of slavery from a continent,
has become second alone to Washington in
the hearts of his countrymen, and whose
name has become immortal. New York
rendered such homage to the dead as has
never been received by living or dead Em
peror. Not all the blood of the Ctesars com
bined was ever honored, much le&» mourned,
as have been the mortal remains of Abraham
Lincoln. Accounts of the progress of the
immense funeral procession from Washing
ton to Springfield, and of the interment of
what was but two weeks since President
of the United States, will have reached you
by lightning long ere this letter can be for
warded, and have been read with eagerness
by the people ol' California. They have al
ready contributed their tears to the ocean
shed by the country, and have added their
symbols of mourning to those of the States
east of the Rocky Mountains. Few among
us knew until Abraham Lincoln had ceased
to live, had fallen by the hand of an assassin,
how great was the love we bore him. Not a
tittle of the people of the country had the
slightest conception of how the plain and
simple yet good and great man who was re
moved from us, was esteemed, venerated and
loved by all. His virtues were of such a
cast, that death was the only thing which
could have told to the nation what it had
lost. Mr. Lincoln had never paraded his
statesmanship, nor his merits as a leader be
fore the country, and it is only since his un
timely removal that the entire people have
estimated him at his true worth, or learned
how wise a statesman, how loving a friend,
how cautious a leader, or how honest, truth
ful and just a man they have to mourn.
“His spirit wraps the dusky mountain,
His memory sparkles in the fountain ;
The meanest rill, the mightiest river,
Rolls mingling with hU fame forever."
A monument to Abraham Lincoln more
enduring than those of Egypt, from which
forty centuries looked down upon the sol-,
diers of Napoleon, has been erected in the
hearts of the American people. His services
to the country and to humanity are deeply
imbedded iu the breasts of all. Were there
naught else to cause his memory to be bless
ed, the emancipation proclamation, that sim
ple unpretentious document, will be a monu
ment, more lasting than stone, and more en
during than brass, to the virtue, courage,
statesmanship, and wise leadership of Abra
ham Lincoln. Peace to his ashes ! The grave
at Springfield will in after years be a Mecca
sought by pilgrims from all the a
shrine as much, if not wider sought than
beautiful Mount Vernon.
Without mention of the funeral obseqaies
elsewhere, I will say something of the honors
done byjNew York to the nation’s martyr.
On Tuesday last, the people, who four years
previously had given Mr. Lincoln, at best, a
doubtful welcome, inspired with a common
universal sorrow, sadly followed bis body,
crow-ned with glorious honors as the
nation’s savior. He had conquered the pre
judices of all, and the hearts of the people
beat with love and veneration for the man.
The body arrived on Monday. Ever since
the sad news reached us from Washington
that the President had fallen by the bullet of
an assassin, our city had been draped in
mourning. Day by day the symbols of woe
increased in numbers, until on Tuesday they
reached the acme. From noon of
Monday, till noon of Tuesday, the bodv
lay in stae in the City Hall,
and was visited by probably one
hundred and twenty thousand people,
while full as many were unable to obtain ad
mission to the building. When the coffin
was closed the trains of mourners stretched
SAVANNAH, GA., SATISWAY, MAY 6, 1865.
for blocks in three directio&’anu could have
numbered not less than fifty thousand, who
had gone sadly away disappointed in their
hope to see the face of him whom they had
learned to love. Above Chambers street, as
far as the eye could reach, were to be seen
the gathering cohorts for grand proces
sion. Banners and transpsWepcies floated in
the breeze; the colors of omrwbuntry draped
in black, waved from every ■ousetop; there
was the flashing of bright Jrtlel in the clear
sunlight, the sound of distant martial music,
the muffled tread of ra&ogf feet, the confus
ed murmur of myriads o$ subdued human
voices. Soon after twelve last look was
taken at the kindly face not? stilled in death,
the lid of the coffin was silently screwed
down, and at one o’clock ILx ot the body
guard bore the coffin out ®4he City Hall.
In front of the building \ima clear space,
flanked on all sides by the Se tenth Regiment
(New York's pride) whiclj) lad been the
guard of the remains since their arrival,
and the metropolitan police.
The fune^l. car, drawn |>y sixteen gray
horses, covered by black housings, was in
readiness and was viewed by all with deep
interest. The car itself was magnificent. It
was fourteen feet long, eigbl feet wide, and
fifteen feet high. On the main platform, five
feet from the ground was a dais six inches in
height, at the corners of whip were columns
holding a canopy of blacß cloth which,
curving inwards and upwards towards the
centre, was surmounted by-a piniature tem
ple of jlibeity. The platfojm was entirely
covered with fine black clorn drawn tightly
over the body of the car |nd reaching to
within a few inches of the! ground, edged
with silver bullion. Over tie wing, graceful
festoons of the same materitf) spangled with
silver stars, and edged alafewith silver bul
lion. At the base of ead|, column were
three American flags, slightly inclined, fes
tooned and covered with crape.. The col.
umns were black, covered wfith vines of myr
tle and camelias. Down the lower edges of
the canophy, depended festoous, caught
under small shields and richly trimmed with
bullion. At each corner of the canopy was
a rich plume of black and rwliite feathers.
The temple of liberty was represented
as deserted, having no emblems ot any
kind in or around it, save a small flag
on top at half-mast. The inside of the
car was fined with white satin,
fluted, and from the centre of the roof was
suspended a large gilt eagle with outspread
wings, covered with crape, bearing in its
latens a laurel wreath. The platform around
the coffin was strewn with laurel wreaths
and costly flowers. The procession soon
moved, the military escort, great in num
bers, being the right of the line. First was
a troop of mouunted police to clear the
streets, and here it may be remembered that
they had little to do except to turnoff the
carriages into the by-ways ot the city. The
people reverently fell back to the sidewalks
without remark. Broadway never saw such
a sight as the cleared pathway for the pas
sage of the procession stretching from .curb
to curb, and backed with walk covered, nay
crowded, with the populace eager to see, but
silent and mournful as the grave. Next
came a body of one hundred- dragoons and
following them, four Generals with
their staffs. The Duncan Light Artill
lery, then passed along, and next
came the entire Second Division State Mili
tia from Brooklin, marching in plattoon of
twenty men front, and marching well, si
lent and steadily moved the troops, their
banners draped and folded, meurning em
blems borne by each man and the sidearms car
ried by the oilcer9 bound in deep mourning.
All were in full dress, their muskets at the
shonlder;the troops carried in addition to the
usual badge of mourning, (crape on the left
arm) miniature likeness of the ip-te President
on their breasts. Among them was the gal
lant 14th regiment, which has seen three
years of hard service in the field, and parti
cipated in more than a score of battles.—
Their appearance created a sensation, their
tattered colors enshrouded in deepest mourn
ing. The second division mustered perhaps
five thousand men.
The first division State Militia (city regi
ments) followed, ten thousand strong, and
headed by a body of f*oo veterans from the
garrison, at start Island. The officers of the
79th in their martial Scottish costumes,
though there were but few of them brought
back all the battle-fields from Blackburn's
Ford to Knoxville. The 55th (French regi
ment) with their red caps and pants, recalled
historic scenes of the rebellion, the G9th, 71st
37th, 22d, Bth, 12th, sth, Ctli, and in fact all
the regiments could not be mistaken, and
made everylaxly feel proud of their citizen
soldiery. All marched in accordance with
the solemnity of the occasion, aud the res
pect due to him who was but recently the
commander-in-chief of the army and navy.
The 4th artillery bore along the guns with
which it assisted in driving back the hosts
Lee from the soil of Pennsylvania.
The whole military pageant was grand.
The troops when formed extended in double
line from Barclay street to 25th street, a dis-
tance of four miles. The Seveuth regiment
and a battalion of marines immediately pre
ceded the funeral car, together with a large
number of officers of the Army and Navy.
Then followed Major-general Dix and staff
and a detachment of the Seventh regiment
two deep, in hollow square, as a guard of
honor, inside of which marched the veteran
guard which has accompanied the remains
from Washington, and in the centre was the
funeral car already described. As it passed,
every head was uncovered, conversation was
hushed, all eyes were fixed, upon it, many
moist with tears. It passed on and the last
mortal remains of Abraham Lincoln disap
peared lrom sight.
The second division followed, embracing’
the Government and State officers, Foreign
Consuls, Congressional and State delegation
in carriages, the Common Councils of New
York, with delegations from Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington, Brooklyn, Jersey
City and other places, city offic
ials of all kinds, the employees in
the Custom House, Post Office, Internal Re
venue Department aud Sub-Treasury—all
marching t wenty abreast. Officers of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard and Army and Volun
teers made up the rear of this division.—
Every man wore emblems of mourning.
The Third Division embraced about forty
of the Hawkins Zouaves, carrying their old
battle flags draped in mourning; the Clergy,
in large numbers on foot; the Byr; the
Chamber of Commerce—one of whose old
est members, Col. Murray, had walked in
the funeral procession of George Washing
ton, and who marched the entire route on
Tuesday; the Officers of the Associated
Banks; the Board of Fire Insurance Com
panies ; the Athenaeum Club ; # Union League
Club; the delegation of the Union League
of America, five thousand strong; the Ger
man Central Committee; the Citizens of the
Pacific Coast, headed by Seth Kinman in a
hunter’ suit; the Cadets of Temperance and
the Grand Division Sons of Temperance ; all
had some symbol of the grief which is in
every heart.
The Fourth Division was composed of the
Masonic Fraternity, Odd Fellows, Sons of
the Covenant, Free Sons of Israel, and other
orders, and was at least ten thousand strong.
The Masons all wore sprigs of acacia, the
emblems of immortality, and were dressed in
simble black. The brilliant regalia worn at
holiday times was not there, and yet the ap
pearance of the order was far more striking
to the beholder than if it were present.—
Every man exhibited in his countenance his
grief at the solemn event which put us all in
mourning.
The Fifth division was composed of Irish
men, whose societies turned out, if possible,
even larger numbers than on St. Patrick’s
Day. Green and gold mingled unhappily
with the solemn badge of the grave, were
the devices which each man wore in the
rauks. The sons of Erin testified their vene
ration for him of whom a great nation is be
reft in the moment of victories, and seemed
to feel, in the words of the immportal Moore,
that
“The harp that once through-Tara'e halls,
Its soul of music shedt
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls,
As if that, soul had fled,"
The Sixth division embraced the Caulker's
Association, the Longshoremen’s Protective
Union Association, the Sawyers’ Association,
the New York Steamboilers’ Association, the
Waiters’ Protective Benevolent Association,
and the Coopers’ Benevolent Society. All
were emblems of mourning, and each so
ciety carried appropriate banners in honor
of the departed who like them had been in
early life a son of toil, and who had risen by
the force of his character from flat-boatman
to the Chief Magistracy of a nation.
The Seventh division also was composed
of trades and societies, embracing the Amer
ican Protestant Association, three thousand
strong; the Workingman’s Union delegation,
four thousand in number; the Caledonia
Club, the Italian Society, Ceres Union, Na
tional Glee Club, several social clubs, and
the German Society, several thousand
strong. The Eighth division was composed
of citizens and societies from Brooklyn,
many thousand in number, and the Ninth
division was the colored people of New
York, bearing a banner inscribed with the
words, “ Abraham Lincoln, our Emancipa
tor,” and on the reverse side “Two millions I
of bondmen he Liberty gave.” The banner
was applauded all along the route.
Broadway outdid itself on Tuesday, clad
throughout its entire length in mourning,
vast crowds thronging the sidewalks, windows,
tops of houses, and even the very trees were
heavy with the weight—people upon their :
carts stood ip every side street,, filled with
men, women aud children. On the walks
all was orderly, there was no rude jostling or :
remarks, but all- seemed impressed with the
solemnity of the occasion..’ The military !
marched with measured tread to the solemn '
music of the march from Tannliauser, and
other appropriate selections. A hnudred i
bands with their mournful dirges added addi
tional solemnity to the occasion, and the
rolling of the muffled drums was truly im-1
PRICE. 5 CENTS
pressive. After the funeral car had passed
Chambers street, a large St. Bernard dbg
that was with his master, Mr. E. H. Morton,
bounded forward and secured a position
directly underneath the car. Mr. Morton had *
a short time since taken his'dog with him
while paying a visit to the President at
Washington. Mr. Lincoln bad patted the'
dog affectionately on the head, and seemed
4o take a peculiar fancy to him.
Passing along Broadway, a great number
of appropriate mottoes were seen, the Mono
gram of “A. L." finding a place quite often.
Among the words were the following, which
I transcribe as more striking than others :
“ The workman dies, but his work goes
on.’’
“ Your cause of sorrow must not be meas
ured by his worth; for then there would be
no end.”
“His deeds have made his name im .
mortal.”
“Justice to traitors is mercy to the peo
ple.”
“ With malice towards none, with charity
to all.”
“ A glorious career of service and devotion
is crowned with a martyr's death.”
“ Well done, thou good and faithful sefc
vant.”
The scene along Union Square, the Fffth
Avenue, Madison Square, and in fact to the
end of the route, and the Hudson River Rail
road depot was all the same, mournful dec
oration on the horses, melancholy notes by
the bands, not a loud voice heard during the
passing of the funeral car. The head of the
procession reached the depot at three
o’clock, the column halted, and through
the serried lines of the citizen soldiers of
New York and Brooklyn the last remains of
the sixteenth President of the United States,
passed to the car which was to convey them
onward to Springfield. An hour or two
later the inspiriting soand of lovely music
told ot the return of the military to their
armories, and all that was mortal of Abra
ham Lincoln had gone from among us.
At five o’clock, an immense meeting was
held in Union Square, which was opened by
Ex Governor King, a prayer was offered by
Rev. Dr. Tyng, Hon. George Bancroft de.
livered an oration, Rev. Dr. Thompson
read Mr. Lincoln’s last inaugural, Rev, Dr.
Rogers, and Rabbi Isaacs delivered prayers,
Rev. Mr. Boole mad the 94th Psalm: and an
original ode, and hymn by Wm. C. Bryant
were read by Rev. Dr. Osgood.
Before dismissing the subject, I would add
that probably a million of people reviewed
the procession, which contained at a fair cal
culation 75,000 men, not a single accident
occurred during the day, and not on-s arrest
was made for disorderly conduct. During
the week of mourning in this city, there were
in fact fewer arrests for drunkenness and
disorder, than in any week since New York
contained over one hundred thousand popu
lation. There was an immense jam about
the City Hall during the time the remains
were exposed, and many ladies fainted from
the too great pressure and the confined air
to which they were subjected. But every
body seemed inclined to make the best of
everything, and to allow nothing to interfere
with the solemnities of the occasion.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE SHOOT
ING OF BOOTH.
Headq’rs, ThirteenthN. Y. Cavalry.)
Prospect Hill, Va., April 27, 1865. >
J. W. Flinn :
Dear Sir—Booth, the detested assassin,
was shot last night by Sergeant B. Corbettf
of Company L, Sixteenth New York caval
ry, under command of Lieutenant Docherty,
in a barn near Battle Plain, Caroline county,
Va., a few miles from Bowling Green. Harold
was captured at the same time and place
Lieutenant D. was in the act of pulling Har
old out of the barn, having scold of his wrists,
and Booth was aiming a carbine at the Lieu
tenant, when the sergeant, who had been or
dered by Lieutenant D. to keep a “bead” on
Booth, pulled triggef and shot Booth nearly
in the same locality that the execrable mur
derer shot his victim, the lamented Lincoln,
and thus saved the life of his commander.—
Both Harold aud Booth were heavily armed,
each having two revolvers and a Spencer
(seven-shooter) carbine.
I have just shaken hands with the Lieu
tenant and sergeant. The Sixteenth ’ and
ThirteentlTregiments New York cavalry have
been brigaded together for two years. Dr.
J. M. Homiston, of Brooklyn, formerly of
the Fourteenth, is surgeon of the Sixteenth.
Lieutenant D. had fired the bam before
capturing Harold. This was done for two
reasons —to give light and to compel them to
surrender.
Captain Hoagland, of Company JL Thir
teenth New York cavalry, was the lirst to
get on Booth’s track. He followed on the
same night of the assassination, Ipto St.
Marys county, Md., where Booth crossed
the Potomac, and succeeded in capturing
one of the primary conspirators, together
with thirty other accomplices.
Captain H. is a citizen of Brooklyn,, Lieu
tenant D. lives at 401 Fourth street, New
York. Two of Col. Baker’s detectives were
with Lieutenant D.; but the Lieutenant and
the sergeant got the glory and the bounty.
Brave fellows both.
Booth lived about two honrs after he was
shot. In haste, yours truly,
J. T. Bi roicr,
Asst. Surgeon 13th New York Cavalry.
