The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Friday, April 14, 1865, at approximately 10:00 P.M. President Abraham Lincoln was shot while attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre with his wife and two guests. Lincoln died the following day—April 15,1865—at 7:22 A.M., in the home of William Petersen.

Lincoln’s assassin, actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, had also ordered a fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell, to kill William H. Seward (then Secretary of State). Booth hoped to create chaos and overthrow the Federal government by assassinating Lincoln, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Although Booth succeeded in killing Lincoln, the larger plot failed. Seward would recover from his wounds and Johnson's would-be assassin, George Atzerodt, left Washington, D.C. upon losing his nerve.

Original plot

John Wilkes Booth's plot was to kidnap Lincoln and take him south, to hold him hostage and force his government to resume its earlier policy of exchanging prisoners. ^[1]

Booth had organized a circle of conspirators to help him in attempting this. He recruited Samuel Arnold, George Atzerodt, David Herold, Michael O'Laughlen, Lewis Powell a.k.a. "Lewis Paine" and John Surratt. In time, Surratt's mother, Mary, left her tavern in Surrattsville, Maryland, and moved to a house in Washington, where Booth became a frequent visitor. Prosecutors would later point out that this move coincided with Booth's need to have a base of operations in the city.

Booth attended Lincoln's second inauguration on March 4, 1865, as the invited guest of his secret fiancée Lucy Hale, the daughter of John P. Hale, soon to be United States Ambassador to Spain. Booth remarked afterwards, "What an excellent chance I had, if I wished, to kill the President on Inauguration day!" ^[2] On March 17, 1865, Booth told his conspirators that Lincoln would be attending a play, Still Waters Run Deep, at Campbell Military Hospital. He assembled his team in a restaurant at the edge of town, evidently intending that they should soon join him on a stretch of road nearby and ambush the president on his way back from the hospital. But after going out to check on Lincoln, Booth returned with the news that Lincoln had not gone there after all. Instead, the president was at the National Hotel, attending a ceremony in which the officers of the 140th Indiana were presenting their governor with a captured Confederate battle flag. Ironically, Booth lived at the National. ^[3]

On April 11, 1865, Booth attended a speech outside the White House in which Lincoln gave support for the idea of voting rights for blacks. Furious at the prospect, Booth changed to a plan for assassination.

Assassination

Plot

The Confederacy began to fall apart shortly after Booth's last kidnapping plan failed. Although many Southerners had given up hope, Booth continued to believe in his cause, writing in his diary that "something decisive and great must be done."^[4] He decided that if he could simultaneously kill the President, Vice-President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward, he could throw the Union government into chaos for enough time that the Confederacy could 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. Booth suspected that Atzerodt would not follow through with the assassination, so on his way to Ford's Theatre, Booth stopped by Johnson's apartment leaving a note that read "I don't wish to disturb you. Are you at home? J. Wilkes Booth." ^[5] This message has been interpreted in many different ways throughout the years.^[6] One theory is that Booth, afraid that Atzerodt would not be successful in killing Johnson, tried to use the message to implicate Johnson in the conspiracy.^[7]

Booth then assigned Powell to kill Seward, and Herold to coordinate the various attacks. ^[8]

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary Todd Lincoln were going to attend Laura Keene's performance in Our American Cousin.^[9] The Lincolns were under much stress, put on them by both the war and the death of their son in 1862. President Lincoln had also been nervous due to dreams which concerned his own death. The play was supposed to give them a chance to enjoy themselves. Several people were invited to join them, but only Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée Clara Harris accepted the invitation.^[10]

The President and First Lady arrived at Ford's Theatre after the play began, and were led to the presidential box, where Lincoln was seated in a rocking chair on the left-hand side. The show was briefly paused to acknowledge the presence of the President and First Lady, who were applauded by the audience.

Lincoln had been delayed at the White House by Missouri Senator John B. Henderson who successfully appealed for a pardon for George S.E. Vaughn who had thrice been convicted of espionage for the Confederates and was sentenced to die. It was Lincoln's last official act as President.^[11]

At about 9 o'clock Booth arrived at the back door of Ford's Theatre, where he handed the reins of his horse over to a stagehand named Edman Spangler. Spangler, having work to do, asked Joseph Borrows (known as "Peanuts", for the snacks he once sold in the theater) to hold the horse. As an actor at Ford's Theatre, Booth was well known there and he knew his way around. He entered a narrow hallway between Lincoln's box and the theatre's balcony, and barricaded the door. ^[12]

Mrs. Lincoln whispered to her husband, who was holding her hand, "What will Miss Harris think of my hanging on to you so?" The president replied, "She won't think anything about it."^[13] Those were the last words ever spoken by Abraham Lincoln.

Booth shot the president in the back of the head. Lincoln slumped over in his rocking chair, unconscious. Rathbone jumped from his seat and tried to prevent Booth from escaping, but Booth stabbed the Major violently in the arm with a knife. Rathbone quickly recovered and tried to grab Booth as he was preparing to jump from the sill of the box. Booth again stabbed at Rathbone, and then attempted to vault over the rail and down to the stage. His foot was caught on the Treasury flag, and Booth came down full-face to the audience thus, breaking his leg. He raised himself up and, holding a knife over his head, yelled, "Sic semper tyrannis,"^[14] the Virginia state motto, meaning "Thus always to tyrants." Other accounts state that he also uttered "The South is avenged!"^[15] He then ran across the stage, and went out the door onto the horse he had waiting outside. Some of the men in the audience chased after him, but failed to catch him. Booth rode to the navy yard to meet up with Herold.

While on the run, Booth would claim that he had broken his leg when his horse— a high-spirited mare—tripped and rolled over on him. But after reading newspaper accounts that called him a coward, he changed his story, and implied that the fracture had occurred on the leap to the stage. By then he was playing up the danger he had faced by attacking Lincoln in a crowded theater. Eyewitness accounts, and injuries suffered by the horse, support the original story.^[16]

In U.S. News & World Report it was reported that doctors at a symposium indicated that if Lincoln had received similar wounds today, he might have lived, albeit with communication difficulties due to the brain injury.^[17]

William H. Seward

Booth assigned Lewis Powell to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward. At this time, Seward was bedridden due to a carriage accident he was in about a week before. He was at his home in Lafayette Park in Washington, not too far from the White House.

Powell and Herold went to Seward's residence on Booth's orders. Booth probably thought that Powell would not be able to find the house and that Herold was too cowardly to attempt the murder himself. Powell was carrying an 1858 Whitney revolver which was a large, heavy and popular gun during the Civil War. Additionally, he carried a huge silver-mounted bowie knife.

Powell knocked at the front door of the house a little after 10:00 p.m. William Bell, Seward's butler, answered the door. Powell told Bell that he had medicine for Seward from Dr. Verdi, and that he was to personally deliver and show Seward how to take the medicine. He was let in and Powell made his way up the stairs to Seward's third floor bedroom.^{[18] [19][20]}

At the top of the staircase, he was approached by Seward's son and Assistant Secretary of State Frederick W. Seward. Powell told Frederick the same story that he had told Bell at the front door. Seward was suspicious of the intruder and told Powell that his father was asleep.

After hearing voices in the hall, Seward's daughter Fanny opened the door to Seward's room and said, "Fred, Father is awake now," and then returned to the room. Powell now knew where Seward was. Powell started down the stairs when suddenly he jolted around again and drew his revolver, placing it upon Frederick's forehead. He pulled the trigger, but the gun misfired. Panicking, he then smashed the gun over Frederick's head continuously until Frederick collapsed. Fanny, wondering what all the noise was, looked out the door again. She saw her brother bloody and unconscious on the floor and Powell running towards her. Powell ran to Seward's bed and stabbed him continuously in the face and neck. He missed the first time he swung his knife down, but the third blow sliced open Seward's cheek.^[21] The metal neck brace Seward was wearing was the only thing that prevented the blade from penetrating his jugular.^[22] Sergeant Robinson and Seward's son Augustus tried to drive Powell away. Augustus had been asleep in his room, but was awakened by Fanny's screams of terror. Outside, Herold also heard Fanny's screaming. He became frightened and ran away, abandoning Powell.^[23]

Secretary Seward had rolled off the bed and onto the floor where he could not be reached by his attacker. Powell fought off Robinson, Augustus, and Fanny, stabbing them as well. He ran down stairs and headed to the front door.^[24] Just then, a messenger named Emerick Hansell arrived with a telegram for Seward. Powell stabbed Hansell in the back, causing him to fall to the floor. Before running outside, Powell exclaimed, "I'm mad! I'm mad!" He untied his horse from the tree where Herold left it and rode away.

Andrew Johnson

Booth assigned George Atzerodt to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson. Johnson was staying at the Kirkwood Hotel in Washington. Atzerodt was to go to the Vice President's room at 10:15 p.m. and shoot him.^[25]

On April 14, 1865, Atzerodt rented room 126 at the Kirkwood directly above the room where Johnson was staying. Atzerodt was hesitant. He went to the bar downstairs and asked the bartender, Michael Henry, about the Vice President's character and behavior. However, Atzerodt never attempted the assassination. After spending some time at the hotel saloon, Atzerodt got drunk and wandered away down the streets of Washington.^[26]

Aftermath

Escape attempt

Booth reunited with Herold after the assassination,^[27] but he was injured. After retrieving weapons and supplies previously stored at Surattsville, Herold and Booth went to Samuel A. Mudd, a local doctor and acquaintance of Booth, who determined that Booth's leg was broken, and put it in a splint.^[28] After spending a day at Mudd's house, Booth and Herold hired a local man to guide them to Samuel Cox's house.^[29] Cox in turn led them to Thomas Jones, who hid Booth and Herold in a swamp near his house for five days until they could cross the Potomac River.^[30] They remained on the run until April 26, when Union soldiers tracked them down. They had been locked in a barn belonging to Richard Garrett and while Herold surrendered himself, Booth refused to come out.^[31] The soldiers then set fire to the barn.^[32] After that, a soldier named Boston Corbett crept up behind the barn, and fatally shot Booth in the neck, coincidentally close to where Booth had shot Lincoln.^[33] Booth was dragged out on to the steps of the barn. A soldier attempted to put a watery bandage on him, but Booth refused. He then told the soldier "Tell my mother I died for my country." Writhing in agony, he lifted his hands then whispered "Useless...Useless." Booth died soon afterward. ^[34]

Conspirators' trial

Eight of Booth's co-conspirators were tried by a military tribunal after his death. The fact that they were tried by a military tribunal provoked criticism from both Edward Bates and Gideon Welles, who believed that a civil court should have presided. The trial lasted for about seven weeks, with 366 witnesses testifying. The verdict was given on July 5. All of the defendants were found guilty. Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt were sentenced to death by hanging. Samuel Mudd, Samuel Arnold, and Michael O'Laughlen were given life in prison. Edmund Spangler was sentenced to imprisonment for six years.^[35]

Surratt, Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt were hanged in the Old Arsenal Penitentiary on July 7.^[36] Mary Surratt was the first woman to be hanged by the U.S. government.^[37] O'Laughlen died in prison of yellow fever in 1867. Mudd, Arnold, and Spangler were pardoned in February 1969 by President Johnson.^[38]

Impact

Abraham Lincoln was the first American President to be assassinated. His assassination had a long-lasting impact upon the United States. He was mourned around the country. There were attacks in many cities against those who expressed support for Booth.^[39] On the Easter Sunday after Lincoln's death, clergymen around the country praised him in their sermons.^[40] Millions of people came to Lincoln's funeral procession in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 1865,^[41] and as his body was transported 1,700 miles (2,700 km) through New York to Springfield, Illinois. His body and funeral train were viewed by millions along the route.^[42]

After Lincoln's death, Ulysses S. Grant called him, "Incontestably the greatest man I ever knew."^[43] Southern-born Elizabeth Blair said that, "Those of southern born sympathies know now they have lost a friend willing and more powerful to protect and serve them than they can now ever hope to find again."^[44] The Lincoln Memorial was opened in 1922.

Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President following Lincoln's death. Johnson became one of the less popular presidents in American history.^[45] He was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 but the Senate failed to convict him by one vote.^[46]

Seward recovered from his wounds and continued to serve as Secretary of State. He later negotiated the Alaska Purchase, then known as Seward's Folly, by which the United States purchased Alaska from Russia.^[47]