THE BURIAL OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 132, 2 January 1868, Page 3

THE BURIAL OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH.

[fKOJI THE WASHINGTON STAB, OCT. 3.] The body of J. Wilkes Booth, the principal of the conspirators, who was killed in the attempt to capture him at Garrett's Parm, near Port Royal, on the Rappahannock River, on the 26th of April, 1865, was buried in what was known as the wareroom of the Penitentiary building—that portion between the part used as a dwelling by the warden and the prison proper —and, in this connection, it seems to be the proper time now to give the following particulars, hithertofore unpublished, concerning the secret interment of the remains. The body of Booth, with Harold and the captors, Lieutenant Colonel Congre, Lieutenant L. B. Baker, Lieutenant E. P. Dougherty and a detachment of sixteenth New York Cavalry, arrived at the Navy Yard at half-past two o'clock on the morning of the 27th of April, when the body of J. Wilkes Booth was placed on the monitor Montauk. on which others charged with being concerned in the conspiracy were confined, and Harold was assigned to quarters on board. No visitors were allowed on board the monitor, but during the day large numbers of persons visited the yard and saw the body on the wharf, it being laid on a carpenter's bench, near the turret of tbe vessel. Surgeon General Barnes, with Surgeon Todd, of the monitor, and one or two army

surgeons, made a post mortem examinaof the body, and removed two of the vertebrae between which,the ball which caused his death had passed. We can positively assert that this was the only portion of the body removed, and the various reports put in circulation at the time, that his head was taken off, his heart taken out, &c, were entirely unfounded. Apinebox had been made previously, in which to bury the remains; but this was not used, and about two o'clock on the day of its arrival up the river the body was wrapped in a grey army blanket and placed in a boat in which was an officer of the monitor with four sailors. General Baker and two detectives. The boat proceeded down stream, and finally stopped at the lower arsenal wharf, on which the body was placed, after which the boat returned to the monitor, leaving G-eneral Baker and his assistants in the arsenal grounds. Some few persons employed iu the arsenal saw the body lying there during the evening ; but a report being put out that it was the body of a soldier who had been drowned, but little attention was paid to it. Two men, who had occasion to remove the body, having got some blood on their hands, came near spreading the report that it was Booth's body, but being admonished to quietly wash the blood off and keep their mouths shut, they did so, and but few persons became aware that the body was other than that of a drowned soldier, as had been reported. The body remained on the wharf until after nightfall, when preparations were made for the interment. Secretary Stanton, G-eneral Dyer, Chief of Ordnance, and Colonel Benton, commandant of the post, were on the ground, as well as G-eneral Baker, and his detectives. Three men of the laborers' gang were sent for, and they were first directed to dig a grave in one of the Penitentiary cells, but after taking up the flooring they came to the granit foundation laid in cement, and they pronounced the work impracticable. A spot was then selected in the wareroom five or six feet south of the iron door opening into the prison from the warden's departement, and they were directed to dig the grave to the depth of about ten feet. The grave being ready, the body, enclosed in an ammunition box, or arms case, was brought in by four of the ordnance men, in charge of a sergeant, lowered into the grave, and it was filled, the brick flooring being mostly replaced, and the surplus earth removed to another portion of the room. The burial having been accomplished, the windows were boarded up, and the door made secure, Secretary Stanton taking the key with him. This key was kept at the War Department until a few week ago, when it was returned to the arsenal officers.

On Tuesday, in accordance with orders received at the "Washington Arsnal by General Ramsay, Commandant of the Post, from General Grant, Secretary of War, the bodies of the assassination conspiritors, and also the body of Henry Wirz, the Andersonville galor, were removed from their graves, and re-interred in another portion of the grounds. This removal was rendered necessary in consequence of the projected improvement of the Arsenal grounds, tne contractor for the removal of the old Penitentiary building being about to commence work. On the receipt of the order on Tuesday, laborers were at once set about the work, which was soon accomplished, taking them from the graves above mentioned and carrying them to No. 1 warehouse, where a trench was dug a few feet from tbe north wall. In this trencb the bodies were placed, and as secrecy had been enjoined but few persons were aware that the removal had been made. Notwithstanding the length of time that the bodies had been buried, the boxes containing them were so heavy, and the odour from them so offensive, as to indicate that decomposition had taken place very slowely, a fact due probably to the nature of the soil. It would seem from this action that the Government does not intend to give up the bodies to the relatives. The bodies of Booth, Payne, Harold, Atzerodt, Wirz, and Mrs Surratt, now rest in a common grave, where their ashes will be mingled.