The Death Of Abraham Lincoln

(Author's Note: Beginning on April 14, 2010 and continuing over the next several weeks, I'll be running a series of posts documenting the assassination, death, and ensuing funerals of Abraham Lincoln. This year marks the 145th anniversary of this tragic event. Please follow along as I recount one of the darkest times in U.S. history.)

Abraham Lincoln lay dying on a bed too small for his 6'4" frame in a boarding house he had never before visited. Just a few short hours before, on April 14, 1865, he had been watching Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater, accompanied by his wife Mary, and their young guests. At the very moment of the funniest line in the play, John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box, aimed a .44 caliber Derringer at the back of Lincoln's head and fired.

The unconscious president had been carried across the street to the Petersen boarding house, because his attending doctors felt that he would not survive Washington's rough streets for the ride back to the Executive Mansion, as the White House was called in those days.

Now in the early morning hours of April 15, the doctors did what they could to comfort the dying president, who had been stripped of his clothing. They warmed Lincoln with hot water bottles and mustard plasters, and placed extra blankets on his body. They kept the head wound open from clots, for they had noticed that his breathing would be strained if the wound clotted.

Government officials entered the room throughout the night to pay their respects. Vice-President Andrew Johnson visited, but did not stay more than a few minutes. Senator Charles Sumner, a close friend of the Lincoln's, stayed much longer through the night. When he first arrived he sat beside Lincoln, and held his hand as he spoke softly to the president. Robert Todd Lincoln stood next to Sumner through the long night, weeping at times on Sumner's shoulder.

Mary Lincoln had arrived at the boarding house along with her husband and alternated between sitting by her husband and waiting in another room for the end. She plead with Lincoln to awaken, with the doctors to shoot her too, and expressed her wish that her younger son, Tad, might see his father before he died. Tad was never sent for as everyone else present agreed that it was not a good idea. At one point during her vigil, Lincoln's breathing became loud and labored, she screamed and fainted. With that, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton came back into the room and ordered Mrs. Lincoln removed and not be permitted to return. With that, she was removed and never again saw Lincoln while he was alive (nor when he was dead).

Stanton had been busy since the shooting essentially running the country. He interviewed witnesses, ordered a manhunt for the assassin to begin, telegraphed the horrible news to New York and Chicago police, asking them to send detectives. Through the night, he worked ceaselessly, occasionally breaking away from his efforts to stand by the president he had grown to almost love after detesting him in earlier years when they were both lawyers.

By 6:30 on the morning of April 15, 1865 the end was drawing near for Lincoln. His breathing was more labored and shallow, his pulse grew fainter. A prayer was offered by the Lincoln family pastor (Lincoln attended, but never officially joined any church).

Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. as a gentle rain fell in Washington. When the end came, Stanton buried his face and wept for his president and friend. He then said the famous words "Now he belongs to the ages."

Upon Lincoln's death, Andrew Johnson was almost immediately sworn in as the 17th President of The United States. While Lincoln's body was prepared for transporting back to the White House, Mary and Robert Lincoln rode in a carriage back to there as well. As Mary saw Ford's Theater once more, she exclaimed "That dreadful house, oh that dreadful house!"

Lincoln's body left the Petersen house in a temporary coffin and was taken to the main guest room at the White House. There an autopsy was performed, and the bullet which changed the course of U.S. history was found. It had been flattened during its travel through Lincoln's brain and had come to a rest just behind his eye. Once the autopsy was complete, Lincoln's body was embalmed in preparation for what turned out to be not one, but twelve funerals to be held in cities from Washington to Springfield over the next few weeks. For those who are interested, you may find the autopsy report at this site of the National Library of Medicine.

The image I've included in this post is a reproduction of the only known photo taken of the Lincoln deathbed scene. It was taken just minutes after Lincoln's body had been removed. Yes, that is one of the blood-soaked pillows still present on the bed. The original photo, torn and fragmentary, was not discovered until 1961. It's striking how it shows the room and bed just as they were. A boarder at the Petersen house took the photo in order to record for posterity the horrors of the night.

Lincoln's remains would stay in Washington for nearly one more week while the capital prepared to say a huge farewell to the martyred leader. In my next post, I'll tell the story about the massive state funeral for Abraham Lincoln in Washington, and how the rest of the nation mourned. It's a fascinating story. I hope you'll join me.

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The Lincoln Assassination 145th Anniversary

(Author's note: This year marks the 145th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Beginning today and continuing over the next few weeks, I'll be writing a series of blog posts which will commemorate Lincoln's assassination, his death, and his various funerals. Each post will be published on the 145th anniversary of that particular event. Please join me as together we remember Mr. Lincoln)

Abraham Lincoln, the nation's 16th President of The United States, was assassinated 145 years ago today, on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. The assassination triggered an outpouring of grief and sorrow the likes of which the United States had never before seen and has rarely experienced since.

Lincoln's assassin was of course the young and famous American stage actor John Wilkes Booth. Booth hailed from Maryland, but considered himself to be a Southern man at heart, and supported the Confederacy. He had already plotted a somewhat outlandish plan to kidnap Lincoln, hustle him off to Richmond, Virginia, and hold him for ransom in exchange for Confederate troops held prisoner.

On April 11, 1865 Abraham Lincoln gave his final speech. As he stood on the White House balcony, Lincoln presented his plan to "reconstruct" or re-admit the rebellious states back to the Union. During that speech, Lincoln called for the right to vote for at least some of the former slaves, especially those who had fought for the Union cause.

John Wilkes Booth was in the crowd as Lincoln spoke that night. When he heard Lincoln mention voting rights for the former slaves, Booth decided at that point that he was going to murder the president of the United States.

On the morning of April 14, John Wilkes Booth went to Ford's Theater to collect his mail and chat with the owner. He learned at that point that the President and Mrs. Lincoln plus General and Mrs. Grant were attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's that very evening. The perfect chance to kill Abraham Lincoln presented itself to Booth.

Booth essentially had complete access to Ford's Theater thanks to his fame. He went up to the presidential box through a small hallway, and quietly gouged a hole in the wall on the inside of the door which opened into the hall. He left a wooden bar in the hall, so he could prevent the door from opening while he approached Lincoln. After he was finished with his preparations, he convened his main co-conspirators to make final plans.

To Lewis Powell (also known as Lewis Payne), Booth assigned the duty of killing the Secretary of State, William H. Seward. George Atzerodt was given the assignment to kill the Vice-President. David Herold was to wait for Powell in order to escape as Herold knew Washington quite well. Booth, of course, gave himself the starring role in order to kill Lincoln.

The Lincolns and their young guests, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancee, Clara Harris, arrived late at the theater that night, after the play had begun. (the Grants had cancelled their plans and instead left for a visit with their son). The play was interrupted and the song Hail To The Chief was played while the presidential party took their seats in the theater box.

John Wilkes Booth knew Our American Cousin quite well and planned his shooting of Lincoln for one of the funniest moments of the play, when the crowd was sure to be laughing loudly. At approximately 10:15 p.m., Booth quietly entered the hallway, barred the door into the hallway, and quietly waited for the line.

Abraham Lincoln was unguarded that night. He had always been lax about his own security and that evening was no different. One policeman, John Parker, had been assigned to guard Lincoln. For reasons which remain unclear to this day, Parker left his post outside the presidential box, leaving Lincoln without protection.

At precisely the moment of the line he had been waiting for ("You sockdologizing old man-trap"), Booth fired a single shot from his .44 caliber Derringer. Lincoln immediately slumped forward in the rocking chair, never to regain consciousness. Major Rathbone leaped to his feet to grab Booth, but the latter took out a dagger and cut the major deeply on the forearm.

Booth then vaulted from the box to the stage, approximately 12 feet below. He caught a spur on the Treasury flag draped on the box, and landed awkwardly, breaking a bone in his leg. Although the audience had erupted in mass confusion amid blood-curdling screams coming from Mrs. Lincoln, most people recalled Booth shouting "Sic Semper Tyrannis" (Thus Always To Tyrants), then as now the state motto of Virginia. Before anyone in the crowd could react, Booth escaped through the back door of the theater, and began a 12-day dash from his pursuers.

The first doctor to reach the unconscious Lincoln was Charles Leale, a young Army officer who had just been awarded his medical license two months previously. He was quickly joined by another doctor, Charles S. Taft. They quickly examined Lincoln, who was not breathing at the time. The doctors finally found the head wound, and immediately pronounced the wound mortal, with recovery impossible.

At this point, it was determined that the president needed to be removed from the theater, but to where? It was decided that Lincoln would not survive the several block journey back to the White House. As his unconscious form was taken down the theater stairs, it was still unclear just what was to be done with the president.

Just then a young man opened a window from the Petersen Boarding House and shouted "Bring him in here!" The house, directly across the street from Ford's Theater, became the place to where Abraham Lincoln was taken. When the group of people finally brought Lincoln to the small bedroom in the boarding house, it was discovered that Lincoln was too tall (or long) for the bed. So he was placed diagonally on his deathbed.

While all of this was going on, Lewis Powell stormed into the Secretary of State's home, and nearly succeeded in stabbing William H. Seward to death with vicious slashes. It was due only to Seward wearing a neck brace from a serious carriage accident days before that he lived, the brace deflecting the knife. Powell also seriously wounded Seward's son and stabbed and punched others in the Secretary's home. Powell escaped into the Washington darkness.

Chaos reigned throughout Washington. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton assumed the authority of the government. Throughout the long night, he interviewed witnesses, telegraphed police officials in New York, ordered possible escape routes and bridges closed in Washington, and controlled the visitors to the president. It was almost a super-human effort on Stanton's part, for he had a pathological fear of death. The planned attack on Vice-President Johnson never materialized and he appeared at Lincoln's bedside, but it was Stanton who ran the government that night, and for many days after.

Thus began one of the most calamitous periods in American history. At long last, the nation's bloodiest war (and it remains thus) was drawing to a close. Celebrations which had been taking place in Washington and throughout the Northern states gave way to the horror of the assassination of the nation's leader at the moment of the long-awaited triumph.

The death watch for Abraham Lincoln began late on the night of April 14, 1865, 145 years ago tonight.

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Exhibition Review: "With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition

Although the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial era is now drawing to a close, there are still major exhibitions about him going on throughout the country for at least another year. At the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. , one can visit Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life into 2011. I went to see it last year. You may read a review I wrote last winter about it here. It is definitely worth seeing.

As superb as that exhibit is, though, it is exceeded by the official national Lincoln bicentennial exhibition put together by the Library Of Congress. This nationally touring exhibition, With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition, features unique and priceless artifacts representing Lincoln's life, including his childhood, family life as an adult, his career including the presidency, the Civil War, and his assassination. Some of the artifacts on display in this exhibition are:

• Lincoln's original grammar book he used as a student

• The Lincoln family Bible

• Lincoln's original notes he used for his debates with Stephen A. Douglas in 1858

• The Bible used by Lincoln during his first inauguration (and which President Obama used in his own inauguration last year)

• Original notes for Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

• The contents of Lincoln's pockets when he was assassinated (pictured above, including a Confederate $5 note)

• An original "Wanted" poster offering rewards for the capture of Booth and accomplices

• An original rocking chair from Lincoln and Herndon's Law Office in Springfield.

• Numerous rare photos of Lincoln and his family

As the Library Of Congress website for this exhibit states: "The exhibit will reveal Lincoln the man, whose thoughts, words, and actions were deeply affected by personal experiences and pivotal historic events. By placing Lincoln’s words in a historical context, the exhibition will give visitors a deeper understanding of how remarkable Lincoln’s decisions were for their time and why his words continue to resonate today."

The exhibition curator(s) have succeeded brilliantly in achieving the goals for this exhibit. With Malice Toward None is informative and fascinating. For me personally, the highlight was seeing the small, worn Bible which Lincoln used during his first inauguration. I also was deeply moved to see the items which Lincoln had in his pockets at the time of his murder. I've seen many Lincoln exhibits over the years. This one is simply the best.

This exhibition is currently at the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis, but only through the end of this weekend, April 11. However, the exhibit will next travel to Atlanta, at the Atlanta History Center from September 4 through November 6, 2010. The final stop on the tour will be next year in Nebraska.

If you cannot visit the exhibition in either of the two remaining cities, the Library Of Congress has published an official companion book titled In Lincoln's Hand: His Original Manuscripts With Commentary by Distinguished Americans. The book contains photos of many of the objects featured in the exhibition, along with analysis by Lincoln scholars, famous authors, and former U.S. presidents.

Finally, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that this exhibition has been made possible through the support of Union Pacific Corporation, the nation's largest railroad company. UP is the sole underwriter for the exhibit, and provided objects (the law office rocking chair and assassination artifacts) from its own collection of Lincoln items. In case you didn't know, Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation which called for a transcontinental railroad, which in turn led to the creation of Union Pacific. While Lincoln didn't live to see the completion of the railroad, it was his knowledge and understanding which spurred its beginnings. One could argue that Abraham Lincoln is the "father" of Union Pacific, a fact the company notes on the link I provided.

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Remembering The Assassination

This year marks the 145th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Still remembered today as one of the most tragic events in American history, the United States experienced an outpouring of grief unmatched until perhaps the death of John F. Kennedy.

To help commemorate the assassination and the funerals which followed, I'm planning on a series of posts which will begin on April 14th, the assassination anniversary. The series will continue with posts which will coincide with the anniversary of his death and for each of the funerals held in various cities along his final journey to Springfield.

People often forget that Lincoln was not a popular president while living. He was hated by Democrats, abolitionists (for not moving to end slavery quickly), the elite of his own party, and obviously by the South. Unfortunately, the assassination is what turned Lincoln into "Lincoln," the near mythical figure so many people are fascinated by in our time.

I hope you'll journey along with me as The Abraham Lincoln Blog remembers our first martyred president, beginning April 14th. It's a remarkable story even today.

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Booth - Graphic Novel Review

For many Abraham Lincoln enthusiasts, nothing intrigues them more than the tragedy of his assassination. Just as he had, at long last, achieved victory in the Civil War, he was struck down by the vainglorious young actor, John Wilkes Booth. Even today, books written about one of the saddest events in American history go on to become best sellers. The past few years have seen the publication of two superb books about the assassination: Blood On The Moon (Edward Steers, Jr.) and the more recent Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer.

Joining the growing list of Lincoln assassination books is Booth, a graphic novel published by First Second. Booth is a joint effort by the author C.C. Colbert and the graphic novel artist Tantioc. C.C. Colbert is the pen name of the esteemed historian Catherine Clinton, who earned her Ph.D. in history from Princeton. She is the author of numerous books, including her recent biography of Mary Todd Lincoln, titled Mrs. Lincoln: A Life. Dr. Clinton also is a member of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. This is her first foray into historical fiction.

Tantioc is a French artist who specializes in graphic novels. He is also a writer, lecturer, a scholar of comics criticism, and has authored two graphic novels.

Booth presents a semi-fictionalized account of John Wilkes Booth and the events which led to his murder of President Lincoln. After a brief two-page introduction to the Booth family in 1850 Maryland, the novel rapidly moves to the year 1863, during the heart of the Civil War. By then, the Booth family (John and his brothers Edwin and Junius - also famous actors), have become divided, with Edwin and Junius supporting the Union, while John is an unabashed Confederate sympathizer. The graphic novel progresses through Booth's becoming involved with rebel plotters to either kidnap or murder Lincoln to the assassination itself. Along the way, the various relationships Booth had with women are also depicted, including his secret engagement to Lucy Hale, the daughter of a U.S. Senator.

In the author's notes, Colbert (Clinton) discusses that she enjoyed the speculation and "what ifs" this form of book permitted her to write, freeing her for once from the rigors of accuracy expected of scholars. Her sons are apparently fans of graphic novels, which also helped lead her to this effort.

A fine effort it is, at least considering the writing. Colbert/Clinton wrote the text of the graphic novel and she does a nice job of blending fact with speculation and fiction. The major characters in Booth are true historical figures. Booth and Lincoln (barely seen...this is Booth's story), Booth's family, his fiancee Lucy, her father, Robert Lincoln, Secretary of War Stanton, and the people hanged for the conspiracy were all real, of course. Where the book diverges into speculation is when it shows Booth involved with other Confederate agents (which may have been true...historians aren't sure) in plotting against Lincoln. Booth is also shown in the company of a women of questionable morals, Ella, one of the fictional potential plotters. The dialogue is believable and very well-written.

A little more background about the real conspirators would've been nice, especially if readers aren't familiar with the assassination story. For example, George Atzerodt (his name misspelled as "Adzerodt") is shown as one of the people who was hanged on July 7, 1865. Other than a single panel earlier in the work, no reason is given as to why he was hanged. (Of course, the real Atzerodt was assigned by the real Booth to assassinate the Vice-President, Andrew Johnson.)

The artwork didn't impress me nearly as much as the writing did. I make no claims to being an artist, but the artwork in Booth detracted (for me) from the overall quality of Booth. Today's "style" of many comic book and graphic novel artists is, to my eyes anyway, crudely drawn with muted colors. It gives a "flat" appearance to the art with poor attention to facial features and perspective. I happen to be a collector of vintage comic books. When I look at the art from the 1930's through the 1970's, I'm stricken by how beautifully drawn and colored those comics were. I also think larger dimensions for this graphic novel would have permitted the artist more room with which to work. The overall appearance is that things look "cramped" in the art in Booth.

(Speaking of the artwork, I do want to warn parents who might be reading this review. This book is NOT a comic book, and it is not meant for younger readers. There are panels which show Booth's companion, Ella, while she is topless. A bit gratuitous, perhaps, but at least realistic. Booth was a notorious womanizer.)

In spite of my criticisms, I enjoyed Booth. I would recommend it to graphic novel enthusiasts or to Lincoln buffs. For her first attempt at writing a graphic novel, author Colbert did an excellent job with the story, the introductions to the chapters, and the dialogue. Well done, Dr. Clinton.

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Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter Facts vs. Fiction

The recently published book "Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith has attracted a lot of interest from readers in recent weeks. It's garnering great reviews, including one I wrote here. The book is well-written and Grahame-Smith has skillfully blended historical fact with a fun fictional account of Lincoln as a hunter of vampires.

I've been struck, though, by how many "hits" this blog has been receiving from people who are trying to determine what is fictional and what is fact in the book. As a small public service, I thought I'd help out those who are having difficulty in this area. The list below touches on some of the major events in the book. WARNING: There will most likely be spoilers here!

• The Secret Journal Of Abraham Lincoln - complete fiction. It would be a major historical find if such a journal were ever to be discovered.

• Lincoln befriending Edgar Allen Poe - also fiction. The real Lincoln loved Poe's works of poetry and fiction, but the two gentlemen never met in real life. That photo in the book which shows them posing together? Nicely faked.

• Lincoln venturing to Mississippi to confront Jefferson Davis - fiction. The two probably did meet somewhere along the way, but Lincoln never travelled to Mississippi to confront him.

• The photos - mostly doctored, blatantly or not. Most of the photos in the book have been "enhanced" to go along with the story. For example, Jefferson Davis and John Wilkes Booth never posed together for a photo. The photo with Lincoln sitting in General McClellan's tent at Antietam is real enough, with the exception of the ax shown next to Lincoln. The photo showing the close-up with the skull on the battlefield? Mostly real, with the exception of the fangs.

• Lincoln in New Orleans - fact. Lincoln did travel twice to New Orleans, once in 1828, and once in 1830. He was hired to deliver crops and other cargo from Illinois down the Mississippi River.

• Lincoln's mother Nancy dying when Abe was 9 - fact. She indeed died when Abe was only 9, but from drinking milk poisoned by a cow eating white snake root, a poisonous plant.

• Lincoln's son Willie dying in 1862 - fact. He died of typhoid fever.

• Vampires - sorry, folks. Henry Sturges is fictional. So are all the other vampires which pop up in the story. I didn't really have to tell you this, did I?

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Noteworthy New Lincoln Website and Blog

More than 201 years after his birth, and 145 years after his death, Abraham Lincoln continues to fascinate people around the world. His story has been told countless times in books, plays, magazine articles, movies, musicals, and even modern dance. I began this blog 2 1/2 years ago in order to share my own fascination with all things Lincoln, but it's hardly the only such blog on the Internet. There is always room for more.

I'd like to bring attention to probably the most recent Internet site about Lincoln, and it has the makings of one of the best. Erika Holst is the author of "Lincoln Footnotes" which is both a website and a blog. The purpose of both is to share little-known stories about Lincoln, stories which, as she writes on her site "show up in biographies as footnotes, if they show up at all, but are nevertheless fascinating bits of history." For example, Ms. Holst has already posted articles on her blog about Lincoln's ties to the infamous Donner Party, Moby Dick author Herman Melville, and a political acquaintance who met an unfortunate end by being crushed by a political campaign pole. I'm intrigued already.

Ms. Holst is a trained historian who holds a Masters in Early American Culture from the University of Delaware's Winterthur Program, and her B.S. is in History and English from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's also worked, volunteered, and interned at prestigious museums such as The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Her articles have appeared in History Magazine, and the Journal Of The Abraham Lincoln Association. Very impressive and a bit intimidating to those of us who are only amateurs.

Please visit her website and blog. I've already learned more about Abraham Lincoln from her efforts, and so will you.

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