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THE CAPTURE OF HEROLD AND THE DEATH OF BOOTH
[LINCOLN -- ASSASSINATION]. A very important archive comprising a cover letter (draft) from Lt. Edward P. Doherty and four eyewitness accounts of the dramatic confrontation in the barn of the Garrett farm near Port Royal, Virginia, on 26 April 1865, in which David Herold was captured and Booth fatally shot. These were collected by Lt. Edward P. Doherty, commanding the Company of soldiers, in support of his claims to the very substantial reward money offered for Booth and his fellow conspirators. These first-hand narratives are of exceptional vividness, and all are dated close to the events they describe. ALL ARE PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED.
Contents:
DOHERTY, Edward P., Lt., 16th New York Cavalry. Draft autograph letter signed TO LORENZO P. THOMAS, Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D.C., 29 May 1865. 1 page, 4o . A draft of Doherty's letter of transmittal to Thomas: "General - Annexed please find affidavits which I have the honour to forward to be laid before the Secretary of War substantiating my official report of the capture of Booth & Herold the two assassins of our late President - and to show the justice of the claims I have made in behalf of my command & myself for the reward offered for their apprehension..." SIGNED BY 11 OTHER SOLDIERS IN DOHERTY'S COMMAND at bottom of sheet.
MCQUADE, William, Private. DS, 2½ pp., folio. "I WILL NOT SURRENDER...I WILL NOT BE TAKEN ALIVE!" Of the four depositions of the events leading up to Booth's death and Herold's capture, this is the most vivid and revealing. McQuade relates: "...I was posted by orders of Lt. Doherty at the door of the barn in which was Booth and Harold as a Sentry...I heard Lt. Doherty ask and order the men within the barn to surrender which they refused. The order was afterwards repeated by a Mr. Baker and others but it was refused by the parties within. I also heard Lt. Doherty tell the men within the barn that he would fire it if they did not surrender - A short time after I heard Booth coming to the door knocking at which he said, Sentry wont you call one of the Officers to the door as I want to speak to him - Believing he wanted to find where I stood by the sound of my voice so as to fire on me I did not answer. Lt. Doherty approached and said in a low voice if Booth should speak to me again to make no answer. Lt. Doherty again spoke telling Booth that he would give him five minutes more to surrender. In a short time after Booth answered I will not surrender. Prepare a stretcher for me as I will not be taken alive. During this time Mr. Baker was over a hundred yards from the door and was in a stooping position as if crouching to the ground - Immediately after the last remark of Booth he cried there is a man in here who wants to surrender and Harold sung out open the door and I'll come out - Lt. Doherty said hand out your arms and Harold answered I have none. Booth then spoke up and said on the word of a gentleman that man has got no arms as they all belong to me. Harold then came to the door - Lt. Doherty directed him to throw his hands up over his head. The door opened and Harold appeared with his hands in the position directed. Lt. Doherty took him by the wrists and pulled him out when the door was immediately closed. Lt. Doherty ordered me to search him and sent for a rope to tie the prisoner's hands. Some five or six minutes after this the barn was fired and immediately after Booth was shot. William McQuade." Several small tears, otherwise fine.
RYAN, John, Private. DS, 1½ pp., folio. His account of the capture of Herold: "...We, with the detectives, overtook the command at the Rappahannock. I was ordered as a guard on the dwelling house of Garrett and a number of men left for the Barn - Lt. Doherty - ordered me to retain my post at the dwelling house aforesaid and if any party or parties attempted to leave it to shoot them if they would not go back. I think I stood on post for about an hour when Lt. Doherty approached my post with a man (the prisoner Harold) and ordered me to tie him to a tree which I did. I tied him too tight and he screamed and yelled when Lt. Doherty ordered me to loose the ropes on him."
HOYT, Godfrey (or Godfra) P., Private. DS, ½ page, folio. "On our arrival at Garrett's I was stationed...as a guard over the front door of Garrett's dwelling. While there I saw a prisoner in the possession of Lt. Doherty who ordered Private John Ryan of Company C to tie the prisoner to a tree..."
BAKER, David, Private. DS,1 page, folio. "...I was Orderly to Lt. Doherty when in pursuit of Booth - When near the Rappahannock I heard a man tell Lt. Doherty the following: Three of them crossed last night in the boat and I do not know really were they were going. At this time the Detectives were at the house where we had dinner...After crossing the Rappahannock and arriving at Garrett's I was stationed on the right corner of the barn near the door as sentry. I saw Lieut. Doherty take a hold of the Man Harold at the door and pull him out. I saw him searched and sent towards the dwelling house. David Baker." Separated at center fold, tear through signature.
It is generally known that Secretary of War Stanton ordered many of the original documents relating to the assassination and conspirators destroyed. Doherty's carefully collected evidence of his role in Booth's capture must have been successful, as his unit did share in the reward, each receiving a share of $1653.85. (5)
[LINCOLN -- ASSASSINATION]. A very important archive comprising a cover letter (draft) from Lt. Edward P. Doherty and four eyewitness accounts of the dramatic confrontation in the barn of the Garrett farm near Port Royal, Virginia, on 26 April 1865, in which David Herold was captured and Booth fatally shot. These were collected by Lt. Edward P. Doherty, commanding the Company of soldiers, in support of his claims to the very substantial reward money offered for Booth and his fellow conspirators. These first-hand narratives are of exceptional vividness, and all are dated close to the events they describe. ALL ARE PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED.
Contents:
DOHERTY, Edward P., Lt., 16th New York Cavalry. Draft autograph letter signed TO LORENZO P. THOMAS, Adjutant General of the Army, Washington, D.C., 29 May 1865. 1 page, 4
MCQUADE, William, Private. DS, 2½ pp., folio. "I WILL NOT SURRENDER...I WILL NOT BE TAKEN ALIVE!" Of the four depositions of the events leading up to Booth's death and Herold's capture, this is the most vivid and revealing. McQuade relates: "...I was posted by orders of Lt. Doherty at the door of the barn in which was Booth and Harold as a Sentry...I heard Lt. Doherty ask and order the men within the barn to surrender which they refused. The order was afterwards repeated by a Mr. Baker and others but it was refused by the parties within. I also heard Lt. Doherty tell the men within the barn that he would fire it if they did not surrender - A short time after I heard Booth coming to the door knocking at which he said, Sentry wont you call one of the Officers to the door as I want to speak to him - Believing he wanted to find where I stood by the sound of my voice so as to fire on me I did not answer. Lt. Doherty approached and said in a low voice if Booth should speak to me again to make no answer. Lt. Doherty again spoke telling Booth that he would give him five minutes more to surrender. In a short time after Booth answered I will not surrender. Prepare a stretcher for me as I will not be taken alive. During this time Mr. Baker was over a hundred yards from the door and was in a stooping position as if crouching to the ground - Immediately after the last remark of Booth he cried there is a man in here who wants to surrender and Harold sung out open the door and I'll come out - Lt. Doherty said hand out your arms and Harold answered I have none. Booth then spoke up and said on the word of a gentleman that man has got no arms as they all belong to me. Harold then came to the door - Lt. Doherty directed him to throw his hands up over his head. The door opened and Harold appeared with his hands in the position directed. Lt. Doherty took him by the wrists and pulled him out when the door was immediately closed. Lt. Doherty ordered me to search him and sent for a rope to tie the prisoner's hands. Some five or six minutes after this the barn was fired and immediately after Booth was shot. William McQuade." Several small tears, otherwise fine.
RYAN, John, Private. DS, 1½ pp., folio. His account of the capture of Herold: "...We, with the detectives, overtook the command at the Rappahannock. I was ordered as a guard on the dwelling house of Garrett and a number of men left for the Barn - Lt. Doherty - ordered me to retain my post at the dwelling house aforesaid and if any party or parties attempted to leave it to shoot them if they would not go back. I think I stood on post for about an hour when Lt. Doherty approached my post with a man (the prisoner Harold) and ordered me to tie him to a tree which I did. I tied him too tight and he screamed and yelled when Lt. Doherty ordered me to loose the ropes on him."
HOYT, Godfrey (or Godfra) P., Private. DS, ½ page, folio. "On our arrival at Garrett's I was stationed...as a guard over the front door of Garrett's dwelling. While there I saw a prisoner in the possession of Lt. Doherty who ordered Private John Ryan of Company C to tie the prisoner to a tree..."
BAKER, David, Private. DS,1 page, folio. "...I was Orderly to Lt. Doherty when in pursuit of Booth - When near the Rappahannock I heard a man tell Lt. Doherty the following: Three of them crossed last night in the boat and I do not know really were they were going. At this time the Detectives were at the house where we had dinner...After crossing the Rappahannock and arriving at Garrett's I was stationed on the right corner of the barn near the door as sentry. I saw Lieut. Doherty take a hold of the Man Harold at the door and pull him out. I saw him searched and sent towards the dwelling house. David Baker." Separated at center fold, tear through signature.
It is generally known that Secretary of War Stanton ordered many of the original documents relating to the assassination and conspirators destroyed. Doherty's carefully collected evidence of his role in Booth's capture must have been successful, as his unit did share in the reward, each receiving a share of $1653.85. (5)
Provenance
This recently discovered archive descended directly through Doherty's family and was sold by his last living descendant, Ann Hoover Holcombe.