American Historical Ephemera and Photography

BARNES, Myron E. (1847-1865). Autograph letter signed ("MEB") while serving as a private in the 3rd Heavy Artillery Massachusetts Volunteers. "Fort Slemmer, DC," 18 April 1865. 4pp, 5 x 8 in. (light toning, creasing at folds).

Writing to his parents, Barnes relays tumultuous events following Lincoln's assassination as things unfolded in DC and at Fort Slemmer (Battery Slemmer), a temporary earthworks fort part of the Defenses of Washington, D.C. Barnes writes, in part: "...last Friday night [April 14] we had a chain of picketts clear round the city with strict orders not to let any one in or out without a pass signed by General Augar. Steamboats, Cars, Teams of every sort are thoroughly hawled over and every house in the district is searched....I must tell you what we done when we heard of the murder...quick as a flash the news was brought in and the order to turn out as quick as possible to the guns as there was fear of an attack out side ...old Andy Johnson has command he is awful mad he is taking up all the paroled rebs he can find and confineing them for fear they will raise a Riot over the news of the Presidents Assassination they have so good a description of the assassin that he cannot escape...he is an old Theatre actor his name is J. Wilks Booth...."

[With:] Another letter from Barnes, Fort Slemmer, Washington, D.C. 10 March [1865]. 4pp, 5 x 8 in. General news of his activities at the fort.

HDS indicates that Myron E. Barnes, residence Hardwick, MA, was a 19-year-old farmer when he enlisted on 5/13/1864 as a private. On 5/30/1864, he mustered into "L" Co. Massachusetts 3rd Heavy Artillery.
Three months after writing this account, he died of disease on 7/22/1865 at Washington, DC.