As the Civil War entered its final stages John Wilkes Booth and several associates hatched a plot to kidnap the president and take him to Richmond, the confederate capital. On March 20,1865 the day of the planned kidnapping, Lincoln failed to show. Booth then plotted the assassination of Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and William Seward. Booth believed that killing the president and two of his possible successors would throw the Us government into disarray. On April 14, 1865 Lincoln was to attend Our American Cousin at Ford's theater . Booth knew every line of the play and every inch of the building which was perfect for his plan. Lincoln’s presidential box was supposed to be manned by John Frederick Parker, a police officer. Parker left his post to visit a tavern or may have
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At the time of the assassination a doctor, Charles Leale, was first to respond. Lincoln was moved to the boarding house of William Peterson that was across the street from the theater. Leale removed the blood clot from the bullet in Lincoln’s head but knew the wound was fatal. At 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865 Lincoln was pronounced dead. The president was then taken to the White House in a temporary coffin with an American flag draped over the top. At the White House a thorough autopsy was conducted, and the bullet was removed. A surgeon who was in the room described the moment the bullet was taken out, “The cause of such mighty changes in the world’s history as we may perhaps never realize”(Edward Curtis). Booth had meticulously planned his getaway and rode to the outskirts of Washington D.C. When Booth reached Navy Yard Bridge that led out of city, he convinced a guard, that was told to not let anyone pass, let Booth across. He met up with John Herold and the two retrieved weapons from Mary Surratt’s house and visited Samuel Mudd who set Booth’s broken leg. Booth then hid out in a swamp for five days with other Confederate sympathizers until it was safe to cross the Potomac
At the time of the assassination a doctor, Charles Leale, was first to respond. Lincoln was moved to the boarding house of William Peterson that was across the street from the theater. Leale removed the blood clot from the bullet in Lincoln’s head but knew the wound was fatal. At 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865 Lincoln was pronounced dead. The president was then taken to the White House in a temporary coffin with an American flag draped over the top. At the White House a thorough autopsy was conducted, and the bullet was removed. A surgeon who was in the room described the moment the bullet was taken out, “The cause of such mighty changes in the world’s history as we may perhaps never realize”(Edward Curtis). Booth had meticulously planned his getaway and rode to the outskirts of Washington D.C. When Booth reached Navy Yard Bridge that led out of city, he convinced a guard, that was told to not let anyone pass, let Booth across. He met up with John Herold and the two retrieved weapons from Mary Surratt’s house and visited Samuel Mudd who set Booth’s broken leg. Booth then hid out in a swamp for five days with other Confederate sympathizers until it was safe to cross the Potomac