Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln. From left to right: Henry Rathbone, Clara Harris, Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln, and Booth.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was shot by assassin John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 during a showing of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died the next day in a house owned by William Petersen.

Previous plots

Each President receives hundreds if not thousands of threats during his time in office. Lincoln was no different. What was different was that four notable attempts were made on him or his life, including the successful attack of John Wilkes Booth. The first occurred almost immediately after Lincoln was elected. On his way to his inauguration, railroad officials heard rumors of a plot in Baltimore, Maryland to assassinate the President. When these rumors were corroborated, they urged Lincoln to change trains. Lincoln reluctantly agreed but hesitated because he did not want to seem cowardly, a trait that proved dangerous later in his life. Lincoln switched trains and passed through Baltimore without stopping and entered the nation's capitol safely.

Booth also tried to kidnap, the President two times prior to the assassination. John Surratt, Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlin, David Herold, Lewis Powell (also known as Lewis Paine), and George Atzerodt were his original 6 accomplices in the kidnapping plots. Booth planned to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage with a ransom of the return of captured Confederate soldiers. However, both times he attempted to kidnap the President, Lincoln was not where he was supposed to be. Whether this was mere coincidence or Lincoln had been warned of the plot is not known, but he somehow avoided capture twice from the same man. After the second failure, Surratt, Arnold, and O'Laughlin left the ring of plotters.

Assassination

Plot

After the second failed attempt, the Civil War had ended. Although many Southerners gave up hope, Booth held on to his ideals. He decided that if he could simultaneously murder the President, Vice-President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward, he could throw the Union government into chaos just long enough for the Confederacy to mount a resurgence. Atzerodt wanted nothing to do with it, saying he had signed up for a kidnapping, not a killing. Booth told him he was too far in to back out. He assigned Atzerodt to kill Johnson, but instead Atzerodt went out drinking. Booth suspected he would not follow through and so, on his way to Ford's Theatre, Booth stopped by Johnson's apartment leaving a note that read "Don't wish to disturb you. Are you at home? J. Wilkes Booth." Since Johnson was a Southerner, Booth hoped this would cast suspicion on him as being part of the assassination plot.

Booth then assigned Powell and Herold to kill Seward, thinking Powell was too stupid to find Seward's house and Herold too cowardly to carry out the murder. Powell stabbed Seward and 5 other members of his household, but all of them survived. Powell left thinking he had murdered 6 people, when he had only wounded them.

Murder

That night, after setting up the other killings, Booth left for Ford's Theatre. Being an accomplished actor, Booth knew the evening's play by heart. The line "you sockdologizing old man trap!" always drew laughter from the crowd, so Booth timed it so he would enter the presidential box shortly before that line. The guard who was supposed to be guarding the box had left to watch part of the play and then get drunk, so Booth had no trouble entering the box unnoticed. On cue, Booth pulled the trigger, and Lincoln slumped over. Mrs. Lincoln thought the President had simply fallen asleep until a dark figure brushed past her. Major Henry Rathbone, the President's guest for the evening, jumped out of his seat and attempted to stop Booth, but Booth pulled out a knife and slashed Rathbone. Booth then jumped off the balcony onto the stage, but Rathbone grabbed his leg, causing a spur on Booth's boot to catch on a flag that adorned the presidential box. Booth's leg twisted and broke as he landed on the stage. As he jumped, he yelled "Sic semper tyrannis," the Virginia state motto: "Thus always to tyrants." Booth then hobbled off the stage and out the door onto a horse he had waiting for him outside. He rode off South to Maryland to meet with Herold and Powell.

Escape

Booth met up with Herold and Powell but was still injured from the jump onto the stage. After disguising him, they went to a local doctor and had the bone set. Booth remained on the run for 2 weeks, until Union soldiers tracked him down. He had locked himself in a barn and refused to come out, so the soldiers set fire to the barn. After that, what happened is unclear. It is known that a shot was fired and Booth died, but there is confusion as to whether a soldier fired or Booth shot himself.

Odd coincidences

Many odd circumstances surrounded Lincoln's assassination, including premonitions of his death by Lincoln himself.

• Soon before his assassination, Lincoln had a dream where a funeral was being held for "the President" in the East Room, where Lincoln's viewing took place.
• As Lincoln left the White House that night, he said to the guard "Goodbye, Crook," instead of his usual "Good night, Crook."
• That night, Lincoln remarked to his wife "I have never felt happier before in my life." His wife was concerned because he had said the same thing soon before his first son died.
• Numerous similarities have been noted between Lincoln and John F. Kennedy's assassination.