Killing Lincoln

1. Lincoln's Vision for a Reunited Nation Amidst War's End

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

A plea for unity. On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address, a powerful appeal for national reunification and healing, even as the Civil War raged. Despite his exhaustion and the ongoing conflict, his message was one of forgiveness and reconciliation, not retribution. This vision guided his actions in the war's final days, including his lenient surrender terms for Confederate soldiers.

Grant's relentless pursuit. While Lincoln envisioned peace, General Ulysses S. Grant relentlessly pursued Robert E. Lee's Confederate army, trapping them in Petersburg for 250 days. Grant's strategic brilliance, despite initial setbacks and his generals' timidity, ultimately led to the fall of Petersburg and Richmond. Lincoln, witnessing the bombardment from City Point, understood the immense human cost but also the necessity of ending the war.

Richmond's fall. Lincoln's visit to a devastated, self-burned Richmond underscored the war's brutality, yet he ordered Union forces to treat the populace with a "gentle hand." His joy at the war's impending end was palpable, believing the "horrid dream" was over. This period highlighted Lincoln's unwavering determination to heal the nation, even as he faced deep-seated animosity from the conquered South.

2. John Wilkes Booth's Deep-Seated Hatred and Evolving Plot

"Our cause being almost lost, something decisive and great must be done."

Pathological hatred. John Wilkes Booth, a celebrated actor and fervent Confederate sympathizer, harbored a pathological hatred for Abraham Lincoln and the Union. His white supremacist beliefs fueled his conviction that Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was an outrage, threatening the Southern way of life and the institution of slavery. He saw himself as destined to strike a blow for the Confederacy.

From kidnapping to murder. Initially, Booth's plan was to kidnap Lincoln, holding him hostage to force a Confederate victory. He recruited a team of conspirators, secured funding from Confederate agents in Montreal, and meticulously planned routes to smuggle Lincoln out of Washington. However, with Lee's surrender and the collapse of the Confederacy, Booth's objective shifted dramatically from capture to assassination, a "black flag warfare" he believed was necessary.

A thirst for infamy. Booth's theatrical background influenced his desire for a dramatic, public act that would ensure his lasting infamy. He envisioned a grand finale where he would be the star, making a political statement from the stage. His narcissism and belief in his own importance drove him to commit an act he hoped would reignite the Southern cause and cement his place in history.

3. Lincoln's Premonitions of Death and Lax Security

"If I am killed I can die but once, but to live in constant dread is to die over and over again."

Haunted by dreams. Lincoln, despite his outward courage, secretly believed he would die in office, a premonition intensified by a vivid dream of his own assassination just ten days before his death. He shared this chilling dream with his wife, Mary, and close friends, describing a White House filled with mourners weeping over an unseen corpse, only to be told it was the President, killed by an assassin.

A target of threats. Throughout his presidency, Lincoln faced numerous death threats, which he kept in a packet labeled "Assassination" on his desk. Despite these threats and the constant warnings from his security adviser, Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln maintained a remarkably accessible public persona. He often rode alone, walked freely, and allowed citizens unrestricted access to the White House, believing a president should be a man of the people, not an emperor.

Security shortcomings. Lincoln's security was notoriously lax. His bodyguards, paid by the Department of the Interior primarily to protect the White House from vandals, were often negligent. On the night of the assassination, his assigned bodyguard, John Parker, a man with a history of dereliction of duty, abandoned his post at Ford's Theatre to get a drink, leaving the President completely unguarded.

4. The Elaborate, Synchronized Assassination Plan

"I’ll put him through."

A grand design. After Lincoln's speech on April 11, where he advocated for black suffrage, Booth's rage solidified his decision to assassinate the President. He declared, "I’ll put him through," and began to orchestrate a multi-pronged attack designed to decapitate the U.S. government. His plan aimed to kill Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward simultaneously, hoping to plunge the Union into chaos.

Co-conspirators and their roles:

• Lewis Powell: A powerful, mentally impaired former Confederate soldier, tasked with killing Secretary Seward.
• David Herold: A Georgetown-educated hunter, assigned to guide Powell's escape from Washington.
• George Atzerodt: A German carriage repairer and smuggler, reluctantly tasked with assassinating Vice President Johnson.
• John Surratt: A courier for the Confederate Secret Service, whose mother's boardinghouse served as a hub.

Meticulous timing. Booth meticulously timed the attacks for 10:15 P.M. on April 14, coinciding with a moment of peak laughter in the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. He planned his escape route through the theater's backstage, ensuring his horse was ready and leaving a letter to the National Intelligencer to claim credit for the "splendid acting."

5. The Fateful Shot at Ford's Theatre

"You sockdologizing old man-trap."

The perfect moment. On April 14, 1865, Good Friday, Lincoln, despite his reluctance and Mary's headache, attended Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. Booth, having confirmed Lincoln's attendance and the absence of General Grant, prepared his final act. He secured the door to the presidential box with a music stand, carved a peephole, and waited for his cue: Harry Hawk's famous punchline.

The shot and the struggle. At precisely 10:15 P.M., as the audience erupted in laughter, Booth stepped into the box and fired his .44-caliber Deringer into the back of Lincoln's head. Major Henry Rathbone, a guest in the box, immediately lunged at Booth, who slashed Rathbone's arm with a Bowie knife. Mary Lincoln, stunned, watched in horror as her husband slumped forward.

Booth's dramatic escape. After the shot, Booth leaped from the box to the stage, his spur catching on the flag and breaking his leg. Despite the injury, he dramatically shouted "Sic semper tyrannis!" ("Thus always to tyrants!") before limping offstage. He bludgeoned "Peanut John," the boy holding his horse, and galloped into the night, disappearing into the chaos of Washington's celebratory streets.

6. Seward's Brutal Attack and Johnson's Assassin's Failure

"Murder, murder, murder!"

Powell's savage assault. Simultaneously with Lincoln's assassination, Lewis Powell launched a brutal attack on Secretary of State William Seward, who was bedridden from a carriage accident. Posing as a messenger with medicine, Powell forced his way into the Seward home, pistol-whipping Frederick Seward, the Secretary's son, into unconsciousness. He then repeatedly stabbed the defenseless Secretary, inflicting severe wounds to his face and neck.

A family's defense. Despite the ferocity of the attack, Seward's family and staff bravely intervened. Fanny Seward, the Secretary's daughter, tried to shield her father, while Augustus Seward, his son, and Sergeant George Robinson fought Powell, sustaining multiple stab wounds. Miraculously, all of Seward's victims, though gravely injured, survived the horrific assault.

Atzerodt's cowardice. George Atzerodt, tasked with killing Vice President Andrew Johnson, succumbed to fear and alcohol. Instead of confronting Johnson at Kirkwood House, Atzerodt spent the evening drinking heavily in the hotel bar, abandoning his mission. His failure meant Johnson, whom many Confederates despised as a traitor, was spared, altering the course of presidential succession.

7. Lincoln's Agonizing Final Hours

"His wound is mortal... It is impossible for him to recover."

A mortal wound. Dr. Charles Leale, a young army surgeon, was the first physician to reach Lincoln in the state box. He quickly assessed the wound, finding the bullet lodged deep in Lincoln's brain, and immediately declared it mortal. Despite the chaos, Leale took charge, performing resuscitation efforts and clearing the wound to relieve pressure, actions that prolonged Lincoln's life but could not save it.

The Petersen House. Recognizing the need for a more suitable place, Lincoln was carefully carried across the street to the Petersen House, a modest boardinghouse. He was laid diagonally on a corn-husk mattress in a cramped bedroom, too tall for the bed. Doctors applied mustard plasters to his cold body and continuously cleared the bullet wound, but no medicine could reverse the damage.

A nation mourns. Throughout the night, a stream of dignitaries, family, and clergy visited the dying President. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton effectively took charge, managing the crisis from the adjacent room. Mary Lincoln, distraught, was periodically allowed to see her husband, her grief overwhelming. Lincoln finally drew his last breath at 7:22 A.M. on April 15, 1865, with over twenty men witnessing the historic moment.

8. The Nation's Shock and the Launch of the Manhunt

"The president has been shot!"

Pandemonium and grief. News of Lincoln's assassination plunged Washington, D.C., and the nation into immediate shock and grief. The celebratory atmosphere of the war's end instantly transformed into pandemonium, with crowds surging towards Ford's Theatre, some seeking vengeance, others desperate for news. Flags were lowered to half-mast, and liquor outlets were closed to prevent further unrest.

The dragnet begins. Even before Lincoln's death, authorities launched the largest criminal manhunt in American history. Initial clues quickly emerged from Atzerodt's abandoned room at Kirkwood House, revealing Booth's name and connections to other conspirators. Anonymous tips also led investigators to Mary Surratt's boardinghouse, further unraveling the plot.

Stanton's command. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, acting as interim president, took personal command of the investigation, recalling Lafayette Baker, his former spymaster, to lead the search. Rewards were posted, and photographs of Booth, Herold, and Surratt were plastered across the city. The immediate goal was to capture the killers and quell the growing calls for revenge that threatened to reignite the Civil War.

9. Booth's Desperate Flight and Violent End

"Go away from me, damned coward."

A painful escape. John Wilkes Booth, with a broken leg and a blood-smeared knife, fled Washington with David Herold. Their escape was fraught with pain, exhaustion, and the constant fear of capture. They stopped at Mary Surratt's tavern for supplies and then sought refuge at the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, a Confederate sympathizer, who splinted Booth's leg.

Hiding in the swamps. Mudd's reluctance to provide a buggy forced Booth and Herold into the treacherous Zekiah Swamp, where they endured days of cold, hunger, and the gnawing anxiety of being hunted. Booth's initial euphoria turned to despair as he read newspapers condemning his actions, leading him to record his justifications in a diary.

The final confrontation. After six miserable days, local smuggler Thomas Jones helped them cross the Potomac into Virginia. Their journey led them to Richard Garrett's farm, where they were eventually cornered in a tobacco barn by Union cavalry led by Colonel Everton Conger and Lieutenant Luther Baker. Booth, refusing to surrender, was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett, a zealous soldier who disobeyed orders. Booth died hours later, paralyzed from the neck down, his body unceremoniously dumped into a garbage wagon.

10. The Conspirators' Justice and Enduring Mysteries

"Mary Surratt becomes the first and only woman ever hanged by the United States government."

Swift justice. The remaining conspirators were quickly apprehended. Lewis Powell was captured at Mary Surratt's boardinghouse, and George Atzerodt was found hiding at a cousin's house. A military tribunal, overseen by Secretary Stanton, swiftly tried eight conspirators. Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, and David Herold were found guilty and hanged on July 7, 1865, with Mary Surratt becoming the first woman executed by the U.S. government.

Lingering questions. The trial and its aftermath were marred by controversy and lingering suspicions. Lafayette Baker, the detective who found Booth, later claimed Stanton suppressed evidence, including pages from Booth's diary, fueling theories of a broader conspiracy involving high-ranking officials. The disappearance of Booth's photographs and diary pages remains unexplained, allowing some to question the official narrative.

Fates of the figures. The assassination profoundly impacted all involved:

• Mary Lincoln: Never recovered, suffering mental instability and paranoia.
• Robert Todd Lincoln: Witnessed two other presidential assassinations.
• Edwin Stanton: Clashed with President Johnson over Reconstruction, dying before taking a Supreme Court seat.
• Andrew Johnson: Became president, faced impeachment, and struggled with divisive policies.
• Lafayette Baker: Died of suspected poisoning after publishing a controversial memoir.
• John Parker: Lincoln's negligent bodyguard, eventually dismissed from the police force.
• Dr. Samuel Mudd: Sentenced to life imprisonment, later pardoned.
• John Surratt: Mary's son, fled internationally, was eventually acquitted.

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln remains a pivotal, tragic event, forever shaping American history and leaving behind a legacy of both profound grief and enduring mystery.

Last updated: February 10, 2026