One of the worst days in American history

On the evening of April 14, 1865, while attending a special performance of the comedy, “Our American Cousin,” President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Accompanying him at Ford’s Theater that night were his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, a twenty-eight year-old officer named Major Henry R. Rathbone, and Rathbone’s fiancee, Clara Harris. After the play was in progress, a figure with a drawn derringer pistol stepped into the presidential box, aimed, and fired. The president slumped forward.

The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, dropped the pistol and waved a dagger. Rathbone lunged at him, and though slashed in the arm, forced the killer to the railing. Booth leapt from the balcony and caught the spur of his left boot on a flag draped over the rail, and shattered a bone in his leg on landing. Though injured, he rushed out the back door, and disappeared into the night on horseback.

A doctor in the audience immediately went upstairs to the box. The bullet had entered through Lincoln’s left ear and lodged behind his right eye. He was paralyzed and barely breathing. He was carried across Tenth Street, to a boarding-house opposite the theater, but the doctors’ best efforts failed. Nine hours later, at 7:22 AM on April 15th, Lincoln died.

Had some tourist time in DC last year, and headed straight to the Ford Theater and the Petersen House across the street where Lincoln died…

Ford’s Theater
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The President’s Box
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Here is a portion of the tour guides description of events on that terrible evening

This photo below was taken directly in front of the Ford Theater facing the Petersen House, the red brick building. Realizing that Lincoln’s wounds were mortal, they were simply looking for a place where he could rest in peace. The Petersen House at that time was a boarding house and the owner heard the commotion following the assassination and was on those front steps and called for Lincoln to be brought into the home, which he was. He died there some eight hours later.

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You’ll notice the long line of people waiting to get in. By a stroke of good fortune, I was walking by between tours and started chatting up the tour guide. We talked a bit about the book Manhunt and I learned that like me, she was a Massachusetts native, originally from Lowell. Since the house was empty, she agreed to give me a personal tour. It was very cool. It was also kind of creppy to be in the same place where such a monumental and horrible event took place. The lighting gets worse in each successive room, apologies.

Here is the first room, immediately to the left of the door. This is forever known as Mary’s waiting room. She stayed in this room for most of the evening, only a few feet away from her mortally wounded husband.

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Only a few feet away is the room which became The Temporary Seat of Government. In this room, Lincoln’s cabinet waited, prayed and started the investigation into the assassination. It is just stunning to actually see how small and close together these rooms are.

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The third and final room on the first floor is the bedroom at the end of the hall where the greatest American who ever lived, died.

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And here is a replica of the bed where Lincoln drew his last breath,
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“And now he belongs to the ages.”
Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War