Changes

==Prelude==

==Prelude==

[[Image:Lincoln1865.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Abraham Lincoln on April 10, 1865]]

[[Image:Lincoln1865.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Abraham Lincoln on April 10, 1865]]

Abraham Lincoln was the subject of death threats almost from the day he was elected president in November of 1860.  This made his trip to Washington and his 1861 inauguration all the more harrowing, at least to his bodyguards; at one point he switched trains in Baltimore and arrived at the Capitol in disguise.  In the summer of 1862 an unknown assailant managed to fire a bullet at him, putting a hole in his stovepipe hat as he was riding in a carriage for the Old Soldiers Home just 3 miles north of Washington (TL 26, pg. 10).

Abraham Lincoln was the subject of death threats almost from the day he was elected president in November of 1860.  This made his trip to Washington and his 1861 inauguration all the more harrowing, at least to his bodyguards; at one point he switched trains in Baltimore and arrived at the [[Capitol]] in disguise.  In the summer of 1862 an unknown assailant managed to fire a bullet at him, putting a hole in his stovepipe hat as he was riding in a carriage for the Old Soldiers Home just 3 miles north of Washington (TL 26, pg. 10).

As the Civil War was drawing to a close, there were many in the South who sought the means to end the war on their terms.  Advertisements ran in Southern papers calling for the killing of the president, with the payment of large rewards to the men who made it happen.  One such add was placed in an Alabama newspaper by George Washington Gayle, who promised his fellow Southerners that if funds were raised to a total of one million dollars, he would personally see to it that Lincoln's end was violent (TL 26, pg. 11).  Both Lincoln's personal bodyguard, the barrel-chested Ward Hill Lamon, and the Secretary of War [[Edwin M. Stanton]], were fearful for the president, having heard rumors and more against Lincoln's life.  Occasionally he would laugh off such rumors, and sometimes he would quietly acquiesce to heeding their advice.  But during the years of war, he was often heading out to the War Department, usually walking alone (TL 26, pg. 11).

As the [[Civil War]] was drawing to a close, there were many in the South who sought the means to end the war on their terms.  Advertisements ran in Southern papers calling for the killing of the president, with the payment of large rewards to the men who made it happen.  One such add was placed in an Alabama newspaper by George Washington Gayle, who promised his fellow Southerners that if funds were raised to a total of one million dollars, he would personally see to it that Lincoln's end was violent (TL 26, pg. 11).  Both Lincoln's personal bodyguard, the barrel-chested Ward Hill Lamon, and the Secretary of War [[Edwin M. Stanton]], were fearful for the president, having heard rumors and more against Lincoln's life.  Occasionally he would laugh off such rumors, and sometimes he would quietly acquiesce to heeding their advice.  But during the years of war, he was often heading out to the War Department, usually walking alone (TL 26, pg. 11).

On the evening of April 11, 1865, Lincoln was entertaining Lamon and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who pressed him about the strange dreams he had been having.  Lamon related what he said later:

On the evening of April 11, 1865, Lincoln was entertaining Lamon and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who pressed him about the strange dreams he had been having.  Lamon related what he said later:

:''"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. I saw light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers, 'The President,' was his answer; 'he was killed by an assassin.' Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which woke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."''

:''"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream. There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. I saw light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break? I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the [[White House]]?' I demanded of one of the soldiers, 'The President,' was his answer; 'he was killed by an assassin.' Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which woke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."''

   

   

===The Booths===

===The Booths===

The king of the American stage during the middle part of the 19th Century was Junius Brutus Booth, a British-born actor who mesmerized the crowds with his thrilling and powerful renditions of Shakespeare, as well as leading a scandalizing personal life.  He abandoned his wife in favor of a theater girl, Mary Ann Holmes, came to the United States in 1821, and resumed his acting career to great success, settling in the area of Baltimore, Maryland.  Although he was totally devoted to Mary Ann, he would not marry her until 1851; by then they had produced ten children.

The king of the American stage during the middle part of the 19th Century was Junius Brutus Booth, a British-born actor who mesmerized the crowds with his thrilling and powerful renditions of Shakespeare, as well as leading a scandalizing personal life.  He abandoned his wife in favor of a theater girl, Mary Ann Holmes, came to the United States in 1821, and resumed his acting career to great success, settling in the area of Baltimore, Maryland.  Although he was totally devoted to Mary Ann, he would not marry her until 1851; by then they had produced ten children.

The four sons of Booth would try their hands on the stage.  Junius Brutus Jr. would enjoy good, but not great, success on the stage before becoming a theater manager.  Joseph's own success in acting was limited, and he would turn instead to the medical profession.  [[Edwin Booth]] would surpass even his father in brilliance as an actor, giving performances in such plays as ''Macbeth'' and ''King Lear'' to such a high degree that critics would label him the finest American actor of the 19th Century.

The four sons of Booth would try their hands on the stage.  Junius Brutus Jr. would enjoy good, but not great, success on the stage before becoming a theater manager.  Joseph's own success in acting was limited, and he would turn instead to the medical profession.  [[Edwin Booth]] would surpass even his father in brilliance as an actor, giving performances in such plays as ''[[Macbeth]]'' and ''[[King Lear]]'' to such a high degree that critics would label him the finest American actor of the 19th Century.

But it was John Wilkes Booth who would place a stamp of theatrical glory on himself, no matter the cost.  He was dashing on the stage, dazzling the audience with his impulsiveness and fiery acting.  He traveled with a wardrobe valued at $15,000, and made sure his travels to the cities he performed in were also accompanied by a visit to the local photographer, where ''cartes de visite'' were made, so that he could hand them out to his many female admirers (TL 26, pp. 34, 60).  “I am myself, alone,” he would say at least once, when claiming the accolades his ego sought.  Unlike the rest of his family members, he was pro-Southern and pro-slavery; so much so that he once enlisted in a Virginia militia for a mere three weeks in 1859 so he could stand guard at the scaffold that would hang abolitionist [[John Brown]].

But it was John Wilkes Booth who would place a stamp of theatrical glory on himself, no matter the cost.  He was dashing on the stage, dazzling the audience with his impulsiveness and fiery acting.  He traveled with a wardrobe valued at $15,000, and made sure his travels to the cities he performed in were also accompanied by a visit to the local photographer, where ''cartes de visite'' were made, so that he could hand them out to his many female admirers (TL 26, pp. 34, 60).  “I am myself, alone,” he would say at least once, when claiming the accolades his ego sought.  Unlike the rest of his family members, he was pro-Southern and pro-slavery; so much so that he once enlisted in a Virginia militia for a mere three weeks in 1859 so he could stand guard at the scaffold that would hang abolitionist [[John Brown]].

Daughter Fanny Seward, at her father’s bedside, was shoved out of the way, and Paine went to work with his Bowie knife, opening the secretary’s right cheek and the left side of his neck; the wounds would have been much worse had Seward not been wearing a metal neck brace for his previous injuries.  By then, two more people who tried to stop Paine had been sliced open, as Paine was loudly proclaiming “I’m mad! I’m mad!” as he fled the house, leaving four people bloodied, but not dead.  The main target, Secretary Seward, would recover and live seven more years.   

Daughter Fanny Seward, at her father’s bedside, was shoved out of the way, and Paine went to work with his Bowie knife, opening the secretary’s right cheek and the left side of his neck; the wounds would have been much worse had Seward not been wearing a metal neck brace for his previous injuries.  By then, two more people who tried to stop Paine had been sliced open, as Paine was loudly proclaiming “I’m mad! I’m mad!” as he fled the house, leaving four people bloodied, but not dead.  The main target, Secretary Seward, would recover and live seven more years.   

George Atzerodt, increasingly unhappy about his role to kill Andrew Johnson, spent most of his time in his room at the Kirkwood House, one floor below where the Vice President was staying.  10:15 p.m. was the assigned time to carry out his mission.  He let the time come and go as he made his way to the bar, preferring to down shot after shot of whiskey.

George Atzerodt, increasingly unhappy about his role to kill [[Andrew Johnson]], spent most of his time in his room at the Kirkwood House, one floor below where the Vice President was staying.  10:15 p.m. was the assigned time to carry out his mission.  He let the time come and go as he made his way to the bar, preferring to down shot after shot of whiskey.

   

   

===Last hours===

===Last hours===

==The manhunt==  

==The manhunt==  

[[Image:Booth reward poster.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rewards for the capture of Booth and his accomplices totaled $100,000, the largest sum of money for wanted men at that time.]]

[[Image:Booth reward poster.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rewards for the capture of Booth and his accomplices totaled $100,000, the largest sum of money for wanted men at that time.]]

Booth, when jumping from the box onto the stage, caught a spur on one of the flags; his awkward landing broke the fibula of his left leg.  After limping out of Ford's Theatre, Booth mounted a horse that was being held by Joseph "Peanuts" Buroughs, an innocent theater employee. Booth rode down the alley, turned left up another alley, turned onto "F" Street, and headed toward the Navy Yard Bridge. Although the bridge was guarded by Sergeant Cobb and his detail, no passes had been required for crossing since the first of April. Thus, as the guards were there as a matter of routine rather than of necessity, Booth and fellow conspirator David Herold, who arrived separately, were allowed to pass without hindrance. The two men rendezvoused later and then headed to the Surratt Tavern in Surrattsville (now Clinton, MD) where they arrived shortly after midnight. At the tavern, they picked up supplies (including two Spencer carbines, ammunition, and field glasses) before continuing south.  The pain of his broken leg would delay his escape, causing him to seek a doctor.

Booth, when jumping from the box onto the stage, caught a spur on one of the [[flag|flags]]; his awkward landing broke the fibula of his left leg.  After limping out of Ford's Theatre, Booth mounted a horse that was being held by Joseph "Peanuts" Buroughs, an innocent theater employee. Booth rode down the alley, turned left up another alley, turned onto "F" Street, and headed toward the Navy Yard Bridge. Although the bridge was guarded by Sergeant Cobb and his detail, no passes had been required for crossing since the first of April. Thus, as the guards were there as a matter of routine rather than of necessity, Booth and fellow conspirator David Herold, who arrived separately, were allowed to pass without hindrance. The two men rendezvoused later and then headed to the Surratt Tavern in Surrattsville (now Clinton, MD) where they arrived shortly after midnight. At the tavern, they picked up supplies (including two Spencer carbines, ammunition, and field glasses) before continuing south.  The pain of his broken leg would delay his escape, causing him to seek a doctor.

At 4:00 a.m. on April 15, they arrived at the house of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Booth received medical treatment for his injured leg and both men were extended hospitality by the Mudds. Early that afternoon Booth and Herold headed into the nearby Zekiah swamp and were guided by Oswell Swann, a free black. About midnight, Swann brought the two men to their next destination, the home of southern sympathizer, Colonel Samuel Cox, who provided them with food for the next four days. On April 20, Thomas A. Jones, Cox's adopted son, led them to the Potomac River. Instead of crossing the river to Virginia, they headed north on the Potomac and landed on the Maryland side at the home of southern sympathizer Peregrin Davis. The next night, they successfully crossed the river to Virginia, where they stayed at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Quesenberry, a woman who was well connected to the Confederate spy network. Thomas Harbin, an acquaintance of Booth and originally part of the plan to capture President Lincoln, took them to William Bryant and then to Dr. Richard Stuart's home. Stuart, however, did not allow the two men to remain at his home. Booth and Herold went to the cabin of William Lucas, another free black man, forcibly removing Lucas and his wife from the cabin for the night.

At 4:00 a.m. on April 15, they arrived at the house of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Booth received medical treatment for his injured leg and both men were extended hospitality by the Mudds. Early that afternoon Booth and Herold headed into the nearby Zekiah swamp and were guided by Oswell Swann, a free black. About midnight, Swann brought the two men to their next destination, the home of southern sympathizer, Colonel Samuel Cox, who provided them with food for the next four days. On April 20, Thomas A. Jones, Cox's adopted son, led them to the Potomac River. Instead of crossing the river to Virginia, they headed north on the Potomac and landed on the Maryland side at the home of southern sympathizer Peregrin Davis. The next night, they successfully crossed the river to Virginia, where they stayed at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Quesenberry, a woman who was well connected to the Confederate spy network. Thomas Harbin, an acquaintance of Booth and originally part of the plan to capture President Lincoln, took them to William Bryant and then to Dr. Richard Stuart's home. Stuart, however, did not allow the two men to remain at his home. Booth and Herold went to the cabin of William Lucas, another free black man, forcibly removing Lucas and his [[wife]] from the cabin for the night.

Unknown to Booth, the others in the conspiracy were rounded up within days.  Powell had hidden in a wooden lot near the Old Navy Bridge for three days after his attack on Seward; he was quickly arrested as he entered the Surratt boarding house pretending to be a laborer.  His small act further incriminated Mrs. Surratt, who was being led away at that time after her name came up from the many tips about Booth at her home.  Atzerodt was found in his cousin’s home on the 20th, sleeping off a drunken bout.  Spangler, O’Loughlin, and Arnold were already in jail by then.  John Surratt, scouting a Confederate prisoner of war camp near Elmira, New York when Lincoln was shot, found out he was the subject of a $25,000 reward for his arrest.  He quickly fled to Canada, then disappeared.

Unknown to Booth, the others in the conspiracy were rounded up within days.  Powell had hidden in a wooden lot near the Old Navy Bridge for three days after his attack on Seward; he was quickly arrested as he entered the Surratt boarding house pretending to be a laborer.  His small act further incriminated Mrs. Surratt, who was being led away at that time after her name came up from the many tips about Booth at her home.  Atzerodt was found in his cousin’s home on the 20th, sleeping off a drunken bout.  Spangler, O’Loughlin, and Arnold were already in jail by then.  John Surratt, scouting a Confederate prisoner of war camp near Elmira, [[New York]] when Lincoln was shot, found out he was the subject of a $25,000 reward for his arrest.  He quickly fled to Canada, then disappeared.

Dr. Mudd was arrested at his home on the 24th.  While in Bryantown on the 15th he had heard of the news of the assassination; he later told a cousin of his treating Booth in his home, but did not recognize him.  Federal authorities heard about the medical treatment; a search of the home revealed the boot Dr. Mudd had removed from Booth’s leg, and he was arrested.   

Dr. Mudd was arrested at his home on the 24th.  While in Bryantown on the 15th he had heard of the news of the assassination; he later told a cousin of his treating Booth in his home, but did not recognize him.  Federal authorities heard about the medical treatment; a search of the home revealed the boot Dr. Mudd had removed from Booth’s leg, and he was arrested.   

On the morning of April 24, Booth and Herold left the cabin of William Lucas in a wagon driven by Lucas' son Charles. He drove the men about 10 miles to the ferry at Port Conway, in King George County, Virginia.  

On the morning of April 24, Booth and Herold left the cabin of William Lucas in a wagon driven by Lucas' son Charles. He drove the men about 10 miles to the ferry at Port Conway, in King George County, Virginia.  

As Booth and Herold were crossing the Rappahannock River, they were greeted by three former Confederate soldiers. 1st Lt. Mortimer B. Ruggles, his cousin Pvt. Absalom R. Bainbridge along with Pvt. William S. Jett. Later Herold boasted to the soldiers that they had killed President Lincoln. Jett aided Booth and Herold by eventually finding shelter for the pair at the Garrett farm. Herold then left Booth at the Garrett farm with the three soldiers and headed for Bowling Green, Virginia. The men stopped at a tavern, described by some as a "house of entertainment," and continued chatting and drinking for several hours. Herold spent the night of April 23 at a nearby family farm. The next morning two ex-Confederate soldiers brought Herold back to the Garrett farm.  

As Booth and Herold were crossing the [[Rappahannock River]], they were greeted by three former Confederate soldiers. 1st Lt. Mortimer B. Ruggles, his cousin Pvt. Absalom R. Bainbridge along with Pvt. William S. Jett. Later Herold boasted to the soldiers that they had killed President Lincoln. Jett aided Booth and Herold by eventually finding shelter for the pair at the Garrett farm. Herold then left Booth at the Garrett farm with the three soldiers and headed for Bowling Green, Virginia. The men stopped at a tavern, described by some as a "house of entertainment," and continued chatting and drinking for several hours. Herold spent the night of April 23 at a nearby family farm. The next morning two ex-Confederate soldiers brought Herold back to the Garrett farm.  

Meanwhile, twenty-five members of the 16th New York Cavalry unit, under the command of Lt. Edward Doherty, were following Booth's trail. Lt. Doherty had found out from a shad fisherman, Dick Wilson, that Pvt. Jett had been on the ferry with Booth on the morning of April 24. Doherty was also told that Jett had a girl friend in nearby Bowling Green and Jett could be found there.  

Meanwhile, twenty-five members of the 16th New York Cavalry unit, under the command of Lt. Edward Doherty, were following Booth's trail. Lt. Doherty had found out from a shad fisherman, Dick Wilson, that Pvt. Jett had been on the ferry with Booth on the morning of April 24. Doherty was also told that Jett had a girl friend in nearby Bowling Green and Jett could be found there.  

   

   

==The funeral==

==The funeral==

The death of Lincoln trigged an outpouring of grief that the whole of the country had never seen before.  Within an hour of the return of Lincoln’s body to the White House, black cloth, crepe, and ribbons began sprouting from buildings across Washington.  “It seemed,” said one citizen, “as if the whole world had lost a dear, personal friend.”  25,000 people would pass by the casket on April 18; churches were filled nation-wide the next day, when funeral services took place.  Lincoln and his son Willie, who had died two years before, were placed onboard a special train on the 21st where they would make the long, 1,700-mile trip to Springfield, Illinois, and burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.  Along the way, there would be stops in Philadelphia, in New York, in Cleveland, Chicago, and various other cities, mirroring the trip Lincoln took on his way to Washington for his first inauguration.  Each of the them would have their own services. (TL 26, pg. 118-131)

The death of Lincoln trigged an outpouring of grief that the whole of the country had never seen before.  Within an hour of the return of Lincoln’s body to the White House, black cloth, crepe, and ribbons began sprouting from buildings across Washington.  “It seemed,” said one citizen, “as if the whole world had lost a dear, personal friend.”  25,000 people would pass by the casket on April 18; churches were filled nation-wide the next day, when funeral services took place.  Lincoln and his son Willie, who had died two years before, were placed onboard a special train on the 21st where they would make the long, 1,700-mile trip to [[Springfield]], [[Illinois]], and burial in Oak Grove Cemetery.  Along the way, there would be stops in Philadelphia, in New York, in Cleveland, Chicago, and various other cities, mirroring the trip Lincoln took on his way to Washington for his first inauguration.  Each of the them would have their own services. (TL 26, pg. 118-131)

==The trial==

==The trial==

Despite protests of "her sex and age", President Johnson refused to commute Mary Surratt's sentence to life, accepting the Commission's findings on July 5.  The hanging was set for two days later.  Mrs Surratt's lawyers would work feverishly in her behalf, eventually succeeding in convincing Judge Wylie of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia to issue the writ of habeas corpus.  But Johnson would have the last word, when he gave an order suspending habeas corpus, specifically for this case.

Despite protests of "her sex and age", President Johnson refused to commute Mary Surratt's sentence to life, accepting the Commission's findings on July 5.  The hanging was set for two days later.  Mrs Surratt's lawyers would work feverishly in her behalf, eventually succeeding in convincing Judge Wylie of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia to issue the writ of habeas corpus.  But Johnson would have the last word, when he gave an order suspending habeas corpus, specifically for this case.

On July 7, the four condemned prisoners mounted the steps of the gallows at the Old Capitol Prison; just after 1:30 in the afternoon after last rites were said in a hot, sweltering afternoon, soldiers below knocked out the support beams.  After an hour-long hanging, their bodies were cut down, placed in four ammunition boxes and buried in graves just feet from the gallows.  Edwin Stanton would have the last word: "We wish to hear their names no more."

On July 7, the four condemned prisoners mounted the steps of the [[gallows]] at the Old Capitol Prison; just after 1:30 in the afternoon after last rites were said in a hot, sweltering afternoon, soldiers below knocked out the support beams.  After an hour-long hanging, their bodies were cut down, placed in four ammunition boxes and buried in graves just feet from the gallows.  Edwin Stanton would have the last word: "We wish to hear their names no more."

==Alleged conspiracies==

==Alleged conspiracies==

Because the death of Lincoln on the eve of Union victory in the Civil War shocked the nation, it inevitably spawned a litany of theories as to who was involved in the plot to kill him, beyond Booth's small cadre of accomplices.  Most are based upon assumption and supposition; some are based upon the fantastic; but nearly all base themselves within one of three main theories: a conspiracy with direct involvment of the Confederate government; a grand conspiracy involving the highest levels of the United States Department of War; and a theory that Booth was ordered to kill Lincoln by the Roman Catholic Church.

Because the death of Lincoln on the eve of Union victory in the Civil War shocked the nation, it inevitably spawned a litany of theories as to who was involved in the plot to kill him, beyond Booth's small cadre of accomplices.  Most are based upon assumption and supposition; some are based upon the fantastic; but nearly all base themselves within one of three main theories: a conspiracy with direct involvment of the Confederate government; a grand conspiracy involving the highest levels of the United States Department of War; and a theory that Booth was ordered to kill Lincoln by the Roman Catholic Church.

===Confederate Grand conspiracy===

===Confederate Grand conspiracy theory===

The first people blamed in Lincoln's death were, naturally, members of the Confederate government.  Booth's cry of ''"Sic Semper Tyrannus!"'' was considered a clue to this "grand conspiracy," as they called it.  Edward Bates, former Attorney General, stated the killing "...was not the work of one man."  Fearing of reprisals against surrendering Southerners, news of the assassination was withheld from everyone on the battlefield except the commanders.  Just days later, on April 17, General [[William T. Sherman]] met with Confederate General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] prior to his surrender.  "The perspiration came out in large drops on his forehead," Sherman related in his memoirs about Johnston when shown the telegram, "and he did not attempt to conceal his distress.  He denounced the act as a disgrace to the age, and he had hoped that I would not charge it to the Confederate government."  While Sherman did not believe that Confederate military officers could do such a thing, he doubted the integrity of Confederate politicians.

The first people blamed in Lincoln's death were, naturally, members of the Confederate government.  Booth's cry of ''"Sic Semper Tyrannus!"'' was considered a clue to this "grand conspiracy," as they called it.  Edward Bates, former Attorney General, stated the killing "...was not the work of one man."  Fearing of reprisals against surrendering Southerners, news of the assassination was withheld from everyone on the battlefield except the commanders.  Just days later, on April 17, General [[William T. Sherman]] met with Confederate General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] prior to his surrender.  "The perspiration came out in large drops on his forehead," Sherman related in his memoirs about Johnston when shown the telegram, "and he did not attempt to conceal his distress.  He denounced the act as a disgrace to the age, and he had hoped that I would not charge it to the Confederate government."  While Sherman did not believe that Confederate military officers could do such a thing, he doubted the integrity of Confederate politicians.

Certainly, the killing of Lincoln was viewed by the Confederate government as a legitimate target during war, only heightened by a failed Union raid on Richmond in March, 1864 that had been approved by Lincoln, apparently to release Union prisoners and distribute leaflets.  When papers were found on the body of one of its commanders, Colonel Ulrich Dahlgren, indicating the assassination of President Davis and other key officials was to have been carried out instead, it was widely viewed as Lincoln ordering assassination, resulting in, according to theorists, a Confederate ''quid pro quo''.  Certainly a high-level Confederate involvement has been acceptable over the years, with Booth in the position he always wanted to be in: a Confederate hero.

Certainly, the killing of Lincoln was viewed by the Confederate government as a legitimate target during war, only heightened by a failed Union raid on Richmond in March, 1864 that had been approved by Lincoln, apparently to release Union prisoners and distribute leaflets.  When papers were found on the body of one of its commanders, Colonel Ulrich Dahlgren, indicating the assassination of President Davis and other key officials was to have been carried out instead, it was widely viewed as Lincoln ordering assassination, resulting in, according to theorists, a Confederate ''quid pro quo''.  Certainly a high-level Confederate involvement has been acceptable over the years, with Booth in the position he always wanted to be in: a Confederate hero.

===War Department conspiracy===

===War Department conspiracy theory===

[[Image:Edwin Stanton.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, cast as both hero and villain in the various conspiracy theories]]

[[Image:Edwin Stanton.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, cast as both hero and villain in the various conspiracy theories]]

Chemists are those who make improvements to the human standard of living, from medicine to agriculture to the mundane, but fame to a chemist is hard to come by, and it was for fame that Otto Eisenschiml changed his career to historian.  In 1937 he wrote and published ''Why Was Lincoln Murdered?'', giving the nation a new perspective on the assassination: that it was the work of a grand conspiracy in which the chief suspect was the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton.  Eisenschiml, after amassing a small fortune in chemistry, set about traveling the country, becoming fascinated by the battlefields of the war, and Lincoln's murder in particular.  In the course of his research he discovered many odd happenings that needed explanation.  Among them were:

Chemists are those who make improvements to the human standard of living, from medicine to agriculture to the mundane, but fame to a chemist is hard to come by, and it was for fame that Otto Eisenschiml changed his career to historian.  In 1937 he wrote and published ''Why Was Lincoln Murdered?'', giving the nation a new perspective on the assassination: that it was the work of a grand conspiracy in which the chief suspect was the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton.  Eisenschiml, after amassing a small fortune in chemistry, set about traveling the country, becoming fascinated by the battlefields of the war, and Lincoln's murder in particular.  In the course of his research he discovered many odd happenings that needed explanation.  Among them were:

The questions they had raised in ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' were a repeat of the same questions posed by Eisenschiml some forty years before.  Readers were promised, as well as audiences for a simultaneously-released theatrical documentary film, that new evidence would be shown that would settle those questions once and for all.  But after all was said and done, after a media blitz for both the book and film, after the authors received honorary doctorates and the film a prestigious prize, the impact of ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' was less than expected.  Further complicating matters was the fact that no new evidence was ever presented by Balsiger and Sellier at all.  The most damning evidence against the claims presented in ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' was the revelation that few, if any, primary sources were used in their work; what they actually used were either copies or transcripts.  The missing Booth pages, which by the end of the 1970’s had been established that they were never in the possession of Stanton’s descendents, much less known of by them, turned out to have been a 3,000 word transcript for which they had paid the “owner” some $6,500.  In the end, after being exposed for what it was by leading historians from both the ''Civil War Times'' Magazine and the Lincoln Historical Association, all Balsiger and Sellier succeeded in doing was to bury Eisenschiml’s thesis once and for all. (Hanchett, pp. 226-233)   

The questions they had raised in ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' were a repeat of the same questions posed by Eisenschiml some forty years before.  Readers were promised, as well as audiences for a simultaneously-released theatrical documentary film, that new evidence would be shown that would settle those questions once and for all.  But after all was said and done, after a media blitz for both the book and film, after the authors received honorary doctorates and the film a prestigious prize, the impact of ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' was less than expected.  Further complicating matters was the fact that no new evidence was ever presented by Balsiger and Sellier at all.  The most damning evidence against the claims presented in ''The Lincoln Conspiracy'' was the revelation that few, if any, primary sources were used in their work; what they actually used were either copies or transcripts.  The missing Booth pages, which by the end of the 1970’s had been established that they were never in the possession of Stanton’s descendents, much less known of by them, turned out to have been a 3,000 word transcript for which they had paid the “owner” some $6,500.  In the end, after being exposed for what it was by leading historians from both the ''Civil War Times'' Magazine and the Lincoln Historical Association, all Balsiger and Sellier succeeded in doing was to bury Eisenschiml’s thesis once and for all. (Hanchett, pp. 226-233)   

===Roman Catholic conspiracy===

===Roman Catholic conspiracy theory===

The third conspiracy theory which gained ground within years of the assassination was the theory that Lincoln was killed on orders of the Roman Catholic Church.  The feeling of Americans from at least the [[Andrew Jackson]] administration was that the Catholic Church was a threat to American democracy, which increased with the arrival of waves of Irish immigrants as a result of the Potato Famine of the 1840's; that the Church was involved in a plot to kill the president was heightened by a newspaper reporter named George Alfred Thompson who stated within a month of the killing that all the conspirators passing through the doors of the Surratt house were Catholic.  Despite the fact that only the Surratts and Dr. Mudd were Catholic, Thompson's error stuck, and his accusation circulated as though it was a fact.  It did not help the Church's situation in that regard when John Surratt was discovered in the Vatican in 1868, wearing the uniform of the Swiss Papal Guards (He was subsequently brought to trial and acquitted).  

The third conspiracy theory which gained ground within years of the assassination was the theory that Lincoln was killed on orders of the Roman Catholic Church.  The feeling of Americans from at least the [[Andrew Jackson]] administration was that the Catholic Church was a threat to American democracy, which increased with the arrival of waves of Irish immigrants as a result of the Potato Famine of the 1840's; that the Church was involved in a plot to kill the president was heightened by a newspaper reporter named George Alfred Thompson who stated within a month of the killing that all the conspirators passing through the doors of the Surratt house were Catholic.  Despite the fact that only the Surratts and Dr. Mudd were Catholic, Thompson's error stuck, and his accusation circulated as though it was a fact.  It did not help the Church's situation in that regard when John Surratt was discovered in the Vatican in 1868, wearing the uniform of the Swiss Papal Guards (He was subsequently brought to trial and acquitted).  

Secretary William H. Seward would survive the attempt on his life by seven years; his wife and daughter Fanny would not, the shock of the attack would claim both in less than a year.  "Seward's Folly" would be his future claim to fame, as his purchase of Alaska was called.

Secretary William H. Seward would survive the attempt on his life by seven years; his wife and daughter Fanny would not, the shock of the attack would claim both in less than a year.  "Seward's Folly" would be his future claim to fame, as his purchase of Alaska was called.

Edwin Booth would temporarily retire from the stage within days of his brother's act.  For the rest of his life, he carried a letter in his pocket from Colonel Adam Badeau, an officer on the staff of General Grant, thanking him for saving the life of Robert Todd Lincoln, the president's son, while at a train platform in New Jersey.  Returning to the stage after a year’s absence would result in America gaining the greatest Shakespearian actor of the 19th century, but his younger brother’s act of murder would forever be an open wound; only the presence of that letter would keep Booth from committing suicide. [http://www.historynet.com/magazines/civil_war_times/3033971.html]

Edwin Booth would temporarily retire from the stage within days of his brother's act.  For the rest of his life, he carried a letter in his pocket from Colonel Adam Badeau, an officer on the staff of General Grant, thanking him for saving the life of Robert Todd Lincoln, the president's son, while at a train platform in New Jersey.  Returning to the stage after a year’s absence would result in America gaining the greatest Shakespearian actor of the 19th century, but his younger brother’s act of murder would forever be an open wound; only the presence of that letter would keep Booth from committing suicide. <ref>[http://www.historynet.com/magazines/civil_war_times/3033971.html]</ref>

Robert Todd Lincoln would survive into adulthood, becoming the president of the Pullman Car Company, a wealthy Vermonter, and carry a passion for golf.  Sadly, he would also be a witness to the assassinations of presidents [[James A. Garfield]] and [[William McKinley]].

Robert Todd Lincoln would survive into adulthood, becoming the president of the Pullman Car Company, a wealthy Vermonter, and carry a passion for golf.  Sadly, he would also be a witness to the assassinations of presidents [[James A. Garfield]] and [[William McKinley]].

==References==

==References==

*Time-Life Books ''The Civil War'', vol. 1 (''Brother Against Brother''), Time Inc, New York (1983

*Time-Life Books ''The Civil War'', vol. 1 (''Brother Against Brother''), Time Inc, New York (1983

*Time-Life Books, ''The Civl War'', vol. 26 (''The Assassination''), Time, Inc. New York (1987).

*Time-Life Books, ''The Civl War'', vol. 26 (''The Assassination''), Time, Inc. New York (1987).

*[http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/index2.htm Ford's Theater National Historic Site]

*[http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/index2.htm Ford's Theater National Historic Site]

[[Category:Abraham Lincoln]][[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:Abraham Lincoln]][[Category:American Civil War]][[category:politics]]