The History of Lincoln's Assassination
The History of Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865 just five days after the end of the Civil War, The President of the United States was attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. Abraham Lincoln had no expectations of being shot that night. John Wilkes Booth was actor at Ford’s Theater and had a severe plan to kill the President. He blamed Lincoln for the South’s defeat against the North. Booth shot Lincoln in the head and later killing him.
In the late summer of 1864 Booth began to plan to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. The President would be seized, taken to Richmond and held in exchange for Confederate soldiers in Union Prison camps. Booth began to recruit a gang of conspirators. Within several months, he had recruited Michael O’Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Lewis Powell (Paine), John Surratt, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. On March 15th Booth met with the whole group at Gautier’s Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue about three blocks from Ford’s Theater to talk about Lincoln’s abduction. Booth learned that Lincoln would be attending a play (Still Waters Run Deep) at the Campbell Hospital just outside Washington on March 17, 1865. He thought that would be the best time to kidnap Lincoln, but he soon learned that he would not be going to the show.
On April 9, 1865 General lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox. On April 11 the President gave his last speech from the White House. Booth, Herold, and Powell were in the audience. Booth was outraged by what he was speaking about giving the former slaves rights. Booth said, “Now, by God! I’ll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make.” (www.google.com).
Three days later, on April 14, Booth stopped at Ford’s Theater to pick up his mail. He was dressed in dark clothes and wore a tall silk hat. He also wore kid gloves of a bland color, had a light overcoat slung over his arm. While there he learned of President Lincoln’s Plans to attend the evening performance of Our American Cousin from Henry Clay Ford. He spent some time walking around the theater. He knew nearly every line of the play. He figured out that the greatest laughter in the theatre would be talking...