JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
Evening Star, inserted April 14th, 1865, a few lines spared from the massive coverage swirling between joy and an old, old war's finale.
From June, 1861, the Capitol view- marked are Trinity Church, Department of the Interior and City Hall, among others. Somewhere, Ford's new theater waits beneath summer haze.
April 14th editions of Washington, DC newspapers are some of the most wonderful, eerie, awesome and enlightening reads out there. In celebrating the end of all the killing, Washington was ' illuminated ', one incredible night. The glow could be observed miles distant as homes, businesses, entire, government agencies and institutions lit up night sky. April 14th news frantically, joyfully rendered an account of displays, lights, patriotic tableaus and signs and portraits and flags draped, pinned, tacked, nailed and tied across DC's cityscape.
And this, also inserted in ' Local Matters '
And this, topping ' Amusements Tonight ', in The Evening Star.
Mary Lincoln is variously blamed, for Grant and Julia's decision not to attend. Why she suffers something called ' blame ', in 2018, for saving their lives is beyond me. Besides, not sure it's true. Washington was a hectic, frenetic, overwhelming, giant celebration that day. Famously not up to public accolades, Grant had had a long war. All the joy may have been at odds with the memories haunting warrior dreams. Maybe the Grants just, plain wanted to go home, or be anywhere else than on display in Washington, DC.
And Lincoln nearly cancelled. He said he felt compelled to go to the play that night. Why? Because, he said, Grant had cancelled. It seemed churlish not to show up, when both couples were expected. His wife had not been well that day, reason enough to cancel. Bowing to what seemed duty, the couple were unenthusiastic audience, despite Laura Keene's reported excellence.
While papers were being read over breakfast, oil speculator and actor JW Booth was setting up his escape. He'd sold a horse and buggy over the past week, telling a buddy he had no more use of it. When a patron of Howard's Livery Stable showed up there to claim a favored mount, it was no longer available. A child named Peanut John would be found holding it that evening, hired for that purpose, outside Ford's Theater. Booth never tipped him, rushing like a coward towards escape. He was, however, to receive as recompense a shocking blow to his head from Booth's weapon. Murdering a man by shooting him from behind and beating up children? All in a day's work for a coward, blustering a cause, never to put on a uniform.
Peanut John, doubtless concussed, was arrested. Holding a horse was hazardous, April 14th, 1865.
There was our America, before April 14th, 1865 and another, vastly different, 24 hours later and into 2018. Lincoln's April, from the first Day of Fools to when he arrived, late, to sink into the comfort of a chair, wife's hand in his, in Ford's new theater was as frenetic as the crowd rushing the stage that night. screaming vengeance on the coward limping towards the freedom he had just denied Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. And millions more, really.
Taking Lincoln's last days from newspapers may not be a terribly accurate accounting of the last days, of this marked man. It's something. His last efforts on paper? Written on his knee, on the way to Ford's that night. Jolted over Washington's notoriously ill kept streets, lights of the celebration all around flickering past, Lincoln still worked.
He worked a lot, that April, before being handed over to the same undertaker who accompanied little Willie Lincoln, to his final rest.
April's newspapers followed him, neither aware a skulking shadow named Booth did, too. Thread is the last days ' before ', 150 years of after, beginning April 1. Next post.