THE NEW SOUTH.
J H. SEARS, Editor and Proprietor.
PORT ROYAL, SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1865
Assassination of President
Lincoln and Attempt to
take the life of Sec. Seward.
'Hie Fulton arrived Lore last Tuesday
afternoon (18th), bringing the startling
news of the assassination of President
Linco'n, and an attempt upon the life of Secretary
Seirant. It has thrown our community
into the deepest gloom. The
flags all over the islands and on the shipninsr
were instantly placed at half-mast.
We have only room for a brief summary
of the facts from our exchanges. Papers
of the loth say :
4 An unlookcd for and terrible calamity
Iras befallen the nation. President Lincoln
last niglit received a wound at the
hands or an assassin," the effects of which
the re iren > hopes of his surviving, having
been shot while at a theatre witnessing the
performance of a play. An attempt was
also made, apparently by the same person
who shot the President, to take the life
M of Secretary Seward. The assassin, after
v filing on the President, rnshed in front
r of the box occupied by the latter, and,
> waving a long dagger which he held in
his riirht hand, exclaimed, using the mot
. ^ of the State of Virginia, " Sic Semper
Ttfrannis/" fle then jumped on the
stage, and, amidst the intense excitement
which ensued, escaped through the rear
of the building. The President was shot
through the head. He was immediately
removed, and on examining the wound
the brain was found to be oozing therefrom.
The best surgical skill was instantly
summoned; but it was not thought it
could bo of any avail towards saving Mr.
Lincoln's life. He was still living at an
early hoar this morning; but the last,
melancholy p a ting scene between himself
and family had taken place, and his
death was momentarily looked for.
The attempt to assassinate Secretary
Seward was made at au eariior hour in
the evening than the attack on the President
The assailant forced his way into
the sick chamber where Mr. Seward was
confined t > his bed, and, after dealing
disabling blows on the attendants, rushed
to the bedside and stabbed the Secretary
in the neck an 1 breast. He then fled
from the house, mounted a horse and eseiped,
making u e, as he did so, of the
same exclamation used in ihe case of the
President's assassination Sic Semper
Tyrannis ! " Though the wouuds inflicted
on Mr. Seward are not of a mortal character,
it is fearad that, owing to his previous
deblitatod condition, they may lead to
fatal results.
The assassin hail not been arrested op
to the hour of our latest despatches.?
Who he is is not positively known, though
s ispicion points strongly to a certain individual."
Additional details say the attacks, both
at tlje theatre aud at Secretary Seward's
house, took place at about the same
L >ur?ten o'clock?thus showing a preconcerted
plan to assassinate those gen
J
I
tlemen. Some evidence of the gnilt o1
the party who attacked the President are
in the possession of the police.
?
The person who fired the pistol was a
man about thirty years of age, about five
feet nine, spare built, fair skin, dark
hair, apparently bushy, with a large
mustache. Laura Keene and the leader
oi the orchestra declare that they recog-f
nized him as J. Wilkes Booth, the actor,
and a rabid secessionist. Whoever he
was, it is plainly evident that he thoroughly
understood the theatre and all
the approaches and modes of escape to
the stage. A person not familiar with the
theatre could not have possibly made his
escape so well and quickly.
The President was in a state ojsyncope,
totally insensible, and breathing slowly.
The blood oozed from the wound at the
back of his head.
The surgeons exhausted every possible
effort of medicinal skill; but all hope
was gone.
The parting of his family with the dying
President is too sad for description.
At midnight the Cabinet, with Messrs.
Sumner, Colfax and Farnsworth, Judge
Curtis, Governor Oglesby, General Meigs,
Colonel Hay, and a few personal friends,
with Surgeon General Barnes and his immediate
assisants, were around his bedside.
There was a rumor current previous to
the sailing of the FuMon that J. Wilkes
Booth, the assassin, had been captured.
The following are Mr. Stanton's last
despatches to Maj. Gen. Dix, just previous
to the sailing of the Futton:
War Department, Washington,
Saturday, April 15, 1865,4.10 A. M.
To Maj. Gen. Dix:
The President continues insensible a^d
[is sinking.
I Secretary Seward remains without
change.
Frederick Seward's skull is fractured
in two places, besides a severe cut upon
the head.
The attendant is still alive, but hopeless.
Maj. Seward's wound is not dangerous.
It is now ascertained with reasonable
certainty that two assassins were engaged
in the horrible crime, Wilkes Booth being
the one that shot the President, and
A Af kin mk/\nn
IrUO UI/I1CT 0 UUUipOUlUU VI mo nUUDC
name is not known, but whose description
is so clear that he cannot hardly escape.
It appears from a letter found in
Booth's trunk, that the murder was
contemplated before the 4th of March,
but fell through then because the
accomplice backed out, " until Richmond
could be heard from." Booth
and his accomplice were at the livery
stable at six o'clock last evening,
and left there with their horses about ten
o'clock, or shortly belore that hour.
It would seem that they had for several
days been seeking their chance, but for
some unknown reason it was not carried
iuto effect until last night.
One of them has evidently made his
way to Baltimore?the other has not yet
been traced.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
Wab Depabtmixt, i
Washington, April 15, 1865. )
Major Gen. Dix:
Abraham Lincoln died this morning at
twenty-two minutes after seven o'clock.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
??????gjai HI ?niiMii
On the receipt (1' the news at this place,1
the following order was issued by the
Commandant of the District:
Head-Quarters IT. s. Force s. i
Hilton Heap. St. Helena a'Ivbee Islands, j
Hilton Head, S. 0., April 18, 1805 )
Qeneral Orders. I
Ho. 15. (
I. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United
States, has been assassinated. The nation mourns
?our affliction is deeper than can be expressed.
* II. A gnu will be tired every half hour, beginning
at sunrise and ending at sunset, from Fort J
* ' " ? ?ill honn at linlf.l
weilb, U>-Uiunvn . /Ill ua^.i "* a
mast, and all business at this Post w.11 be sus-1
pended for the day.
III. All officers in this District will were blackl
crape around the left arm above the elbow, audi
also upon their sword hilt for thirty days.
By order of
Bvt Brig. Ocn.M. S. LITTLEFIELD.
C. 0. SlVAK,
Capt. & A. A. A. G.
In accordance with the spirit o:' this
order business of all kinds was suspended,
guns were fired every half hour during
the day, (Wednesday) all the'flags
were at half mast and nearly every private
and some of the Government buildings
were draped in deep mourning. A
meeting was called by officers and citizens,
to be held at 71 o'clock in the evening
at the Theatre. The use of this building
was kindly given by the owner?Col.
Peter Dunbar. Long before the opening
every seat was filled and crowds
could not find even standing room inside.
The house was hastily but very appropriately
decorated for the occasion.
by the citizens and others under direc
tion of Lt-Col. C. A. llioe. On eithoi
side of the stage were the Mottos :
44 Washington?Father of his Country."
44 Lincoln?Father of Liberty,"
44 He gave his lite that the nation might'
live."
44 The body is gone that the Spirit may
3hine."
At the appointed hour the meeting
was called to order by Geo. W. At wood,
Esq., and the tollowing nam.-d gentlemen
wer^chosen as officers:
* * % .
PRESIDENT*.
Brig.-Gen. M. S. Littlefield.
vice- presiden ts.
Lt-Col. Wm. Ames, Lt.-Cul. C. A.
Etice, Major C. \V. Thomas, Capt. W.
Pratt, Capt. V. W. M. Brown, Capt. A.
Wotton, ot steamer Fulton, Mr. Peter
Dunbar, Mr. Ralph Trembly, Mr. W. C.
Riddell.
secretaries.
Messrs. Geo. W. Johnson, John Farr,
Wm. H. Beilamy.
committee on resolutions.
Col. C. L. Kilbnrn, Col. James Lewis.
Major Thos. J. Saunders, Capt. E. S.
lewett, lion. C. Littlefield, Hon. II.
:>herwood, Mr. Joseph 11. bears, Mr.
Dscar A. Dennis, Mr. Geo. W. Atwood.
After an eloquent prayer by Rev.
Dwight Spencer, of the U. S. Christian
Commission, Gen. Littlefield, on taking
;he chair, made a very eloquent address.
Bis intimate personal acquaintance with
tfr. Lincoln?having been a student in his
)ffice at Springfield, Illinois, for many
rears, give him a rich fund of facts
vhieh he wove into a beautiful story ol
his noble man's life.
At the close of the General's speech
he committee reported the following
esolutions :
Whereas, The news has been received
>y a horror stricken country, that the
President of the United States has beiome
the victim of a base and premediated
assassination, perpetrated at the
National Capital, whilst surrounded by
tis family and friends ; and, whereas, it
s befitting that public expression should
>e given rela'ive to this dreadful and mouentous
event iu our history as a people,
-therefore, l>y the soldiers and citizens
iow resident at Hilton Head, South C.irlina,
iu general meeting assembled, be it
Resolvel?l. That in the death of
ibrahain Lincoln, our revered and dis.
\
tiuguished Chii-f Ruler?the one, who,
in such a signal manner, has been raised
;up by Providence to lead us through the
mutations of a bloody civil conflict of
unparalleled magnitude, involving all
that is dear in the way of government
and humanity, we recognise the fact that,
'as regards profound wisdom, strict integrity,
purity of character, proper appreciation
of the great issues at stake, and
nf nfViirc nort-nnimr tn tli*?
...... ..V ? , r> ?
gtiieral welfare?elements so happily
blended in liis organization and exemplified
in his conduct?the American people
have sustained a loss irreparable in its
.character, the record of which will pass
into history, in connection with the canonization
of a patriot's name.
I 2. That we have no language to express
our execration of the spirit which
prompted so nefarious an act as the brutal
assassination of our Chief Magistrate,
we stand appalled at a demonstration so
demoniacal in its instincts?we shudder
at the thought of having an example of
this character to stain onr hitherto untarnished
annals?and, whether instigated
as a policy bv the leaders of rebellion,
or the result only of a few wicked minds,
we, in common with all loyal people, call
for the condign punishment of those eonfederated
for the purpose, let their number
be great or small, believing that such
fiends in human shape should not be permitted
to disgrace the earth.
I 3. That in justice to humanity, in jus
iice to all those nobler feelings which actuate
the conduct of individuals, we can
not believe the Southern people us a body
can approve for a moment a crime, which,
if i miursed, should subject them to a retribution
at the hands of conquerors,
wherein their habitations would be laid
waste and their names be known of men
no move.
4. That for the sake of generous Christian
government, the recent magnanimity
towards the masses of a subdued people
'should not be repressed because of the
ill-advised acts of a few irresponsible and
wicked men; and, that unrestrained vengeance
would in no way be consistent
with onr national character, but only an
unwise assumption of perogative belonging
exclusively to that Great Being who
controls us all, and who holds us in the
hollow of His hand.
I P nni?i i ? ,1
n U. J Hill we CAVCUU UUI piviuunu liipathy
to the family of Che late JMMent,
with the earnest prayer that Goc^WT His
infinite mercy may be with the widow
and the fatherless, and vouchsafe to them
the blessing of howiug submissively, in
common with the nation at large, to this
inscrutable event, which has clothed the
land with mourning, throughout all its
borders.
!G. That as a testimonial of our abiding
grief we wear a badge of crape upon our
left aim for thirtv days.
These resolutions were responded to
l>v eloquent remarks from Col. C. L.Ivilhurn,
Chief Commissary of ihis Depart (
m cut ; Hon. II. Sherwood, of New York;
Col. James Lewis, of the 144th N. Y.
Vols., and Mr. Peabody of the nn o;
Morgan & Peabody. The resolutions
were enthusiastically adopted. The exercises
were interspersed with music
suitable t > the occasion, by the Post
Band. We regret that our limited space
will not admit of a in >ro exten led notic e
Promotion's.?The following promo
tions have recently been made in the 1st
Reg. N. Y. Vol. Eng. : ?
Major James E. Place, to be Lt. Col., to ?
date from Feb. 16, I860. T.
Capt. A. F. Scars, to be Major, to date
from Feb. 16, I860.
1st Lieut. Nathan L Edwards, to be
Captain, to date from Jan. 12, 1863.
2d Lieut. Charles P. Duffy, to be 1st
Lieut., to date from Jan. 12, I860.
2d Lieut. Harrison L Waterman, to be
1 1 r _i i J... e T?.t. i100;
isi IjU'ui. , io uaie irorn reu. ru, rooo.
The Sumter Celebration; Lee's Surrender;
and the terrible news 1'roin the North
obliges us to delay much interesting matter
till next week.