Chasing Lincoln's Killer

The Prologue illustrates an eerie coincidence on March 4, 1865, the day of Lincoln’s second presidential inauguration, which took place before the recently completed Capitol. The photographer, Alexander Gardner, took photos of the event, which captured not only President Lincoln and other prominent politicians, but also an array of spectators. Among the crowd, Lincoln’s eventual assassin, John Wilkes Booth, can distinctly be seen alone on a balcony. Lincoln’s inauguration speech that day was just 701 words, and touched on the importance of healing and reconciliation.

On April 3, 1865, Richmond, Virginia fell to the North, spelling effective victory. Swanson explains that just a few days later, John Wilkes Booth was found at a bar in New York City, making bold pronouncements about his desire to kill the President. He lamented not killing Lincoln at the inauguration. Booth soon returned to Washington, arriving only to learn of the fall of Richmond.

On April 10, Lincoln made an impromptu statement on Lee’s surrender to a crowd from a White House window. A free black dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley, remarked upon the ease with which a killer could take advantage of Lincoln’s exposure. Chillingly, it turns out that Booth was in that very crowd and, according to legend, told his compatriot, Lewis Powell, “That is the last speech he will ever give.”

The narrative begins the day after Washington celebrated the official end of the war. The chapter begins on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. Swanson begins with a discussion of John Wilkes Booth himself. Booth, Swanson reports, is a 26-year-old actor, notable for his vanity and attractive, intense appearance. He comes from a renowned acting family, but his delusions of Confederate heroism outweigh his commitment to his promising acting career.

Booth is an actor at Ford’s Theater. As it turns out, a letter has been delivered to the theater on April 14 from Mary Todd Lincoln, the President’s wife, announcing that the Lincolns will be attending the theater that night. They are planning to attend a comedy, Our American Cousin, in the company of Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The owners of the theater are tasked with creating a special box for the President’s party. Booth has never acted in this play, but knows it by heart. He also knows the theater thoroughly. Therefore, by a bizarre string of coincidences, Lincoln is seemingly delivered into his hands. By the time Booth learns of the Lincolns’ plans, just eight hours remain before the play.

Booth’s certainty that the Lincolns will be at Ford Theater is further confirmed when he encounters the theater’s owner, Henry Ford, carrying some borrowed American flags on the street. He also conducts what Swanson considers the strangest act of this fateful day. He visits Kirkwood House, at that time the residence of Vice President Andrew Johnson. There he leaves an enigmatic letter that says, “Don’t wish to disturb you. Are you at home? J. Wilkes Booth.” Then he goes to a nearby boarding house to visit Mary Surratt, mother of Confederate agent John Surratt. She is returning to her tavern in Surrattsville, Maryland, and Booth gives her a package to take with her. He also lets her know he will be at her tavern that night, and that her tavern keeper, John Lloyd, should have the package ready as well as other supplies and weapons previously stored there by Booth.

Swanson notes Booth’s curious choice of gun—a single shot, .44 caliber Deringer. Obviously, this only gives Booth one shot, but the gun is easily concealed and fires a large, deadly round. It is possible, Swanson tells us, that as an actor Booth prefers the drama of the single shot to an attack with a revolver. He also carries a backup weapon—a large, sharp bowie knife.

At 8:00 p.m., Booth has a meeting with a group of fellow conspirators at Herndon House Hotel. This group had actually planned a previous attack on Lincoln in the form of a kidnapping. The group, which includes John Harrison Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt, prepared a plan in early 1865 to ambush Lincoln’s carriage on its way to the Executive Mansion under the guise of highwaymen, but the plan was never executed.

Swanson notes how lax presidential security was, despite the fact that the nation was at war. For example, anyone could simply walk into the Executive Mansion without being searched. Booth and his allies hoped to take advantage of this vulnerability to throw the nation into chaos and reignite the rebellion. In addition to assassinating the President, the conspirators also intended to kill Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. Atzerodt would kill Johnson, and William Powell would kill Seward, who was at home bed-ridden after a carriage accident. Atzerodt will simply get a room in Johnson’s hotel and kill him in the doorway at the appointed time. Powell, a former soldier, will be guided by Herold to Seward’s house and barge in to make his attack. Atzerodt balked at his assignment, but Booth threatened to implicate him in the conspiracy anyway if he did not carry it through.

The play began at 8:00 p.m., while the conspirators were meeting and while the Lincolns were still at the Mansion. The play began without them, but they soon arrived, along with Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris. 

The author reports that he believes that Booth saw the Lincolns’ carriage arriving at the theater. At 9:00 p.m., Booth entered to check on the status of the play. After a while he returned and made sure that his escape path through the back of the theater from the Lincolns’ box would be clear. The best route would be to use the pathway under the stage. He left again and went to a tavern, where he had some drinks to calm himself. He asked a theater employee, John Peanut, to hold his horse.

Returning for his attack, Booth reached the box by the same route taken by the Lincolns. He encountered no guard except for Lincoln’s servant, Charles Forbes. He somehow convinced Forbes to let him enter. Swanson notes that Booth was actually enough of a celebrity to enter almost any door in Washington.

Once inside, Booth allowed his eyes adjust to the darkness. He awaited his chosen moment in terms of the play, when the actor Harry Hawk would be alone onstage delivering lines which Booth knew would provoke noisy laughter. Booth could see that Lincoln was near him, with Major Rathbone and Miss Harris sitting further away.

The moment arrived, just after 10:13 p.m., when Hawk recited the silly line, “You sockdologizing old mantrap.” That line was Booth’s cue, and he fired the Deringer into the back of Lincoln’s head. Lincoln was in impeccable health, and perhaps could have survived a less mortal shot; however, Booth’s bullet hit Lincoln just behind the ear and entered the head, making survival nearly impossible. The bullet wound up behind his right eye, lodged in his head.

The gunshot caused confusion in the theater, but most did not know what to make of the sound. Naturally, many imagined that the noise and smoke were a part of the play. Major Rathbone turned and saw Booth and Lincoln. He rose, but immediately Booth attacked with his bowie knife, gashing Rathbone’s arm. However, Booth was aware that he needed to take advantage of the moment and make his escape. As most know, he climbed out of the box and jumped to the stage. Rathbone managed to grab his coat and throw him off balance so that Booth injured his left ankle upon landing. Turning to the audience, he uttered the words, previously made the motto of the state of Virginia, “Sic semper tyrannis!” (Thus always to tyrants). Then, “The South is avenged.”

Hawk, who stood in Booth’s path, fled in terror and confusion. Clara Harris and Major Rathbone shouted out that someone should stop Booth, but he made his way past the startled cast and orchestra.