Men of Our Times; Or, Leading Patriots of the Day: Being narratives of the lives and deeds of statesmen, generals, and orators. Including biographical sketches and anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Garrison, Sumner, Chase, Wilson, Greeley, Farragut, Andrew, Colfax, Stanton, Douglass, Buckingham, Sherman, Sheridan, Howard, Phillips and Beecher.Stowe, Harriet Beecher
History
Men of Our Times; Or, Leading Patriots of the Day: Being narratives of the lives and deeds of statesmen, generals, and orators. Including biographical sketches and anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Garrison, Sumner, Chase, Wilson, Greeley, Farragut, Andrew, Colfax, Stanton, Douglass, Buckingham, Sherman, Sheridan, Howard, Phillips and Beecher.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
United States -- Biography; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Biography
route for flight from Washington within the rebel lines was determined
on. This route led southward from the city, over Anacostia Bridge, ten
miles to Mrs. Surratt's house at Surrattsville, then some fifteen miles
more to Dr. Mudd's house, then about twenty miles to a point where
arrangements were made for crossing the Potomac and proceeding towards
Richmond.
All being ready, Booth, about 9 P. M., on the 14th of April, 1865, went
to the theatre. He first went to the back door, entered it and saw that
all was prepared; left Spangler in charge, and left his horse to be
held by another subordinate of the theatre. Then he went round to the
front of the building, where three of the conspirators were waiting.
It was now about half past nine. One act of the play, "Our American
Cousin,"--was nearly through. "I think he will come out now," remarked
Booth. It is very usual for the spectators to leave the theatre between
the acts, often to return; and if Mr. Lincoln had happened to feel too
busy to remain longer and had left then, probably Booth would have
attacked him there, trusting to be able to escape into the theatre in
the bustle and so through his guarded door. But the President did not
come. Booth went into a saloon close by and drank some whisky. The
spectators had returned for the next act. Booth entered the vestibule
of the theatre, and from it the passage that leads from the street to
the stage and also to the outer door of the President's box. As he did
so, one of his companions followed him into the vestibule, looked up
to the clock and called out the hour. It was approaching ten. Three
successive times, at intervals of several minutes, the companion thus
called out the hour. The third time he called, in a louder tone, "Ten
minutes past ten o'clock!" At this Booth disappeared in the theatre,
and the three others walked rapidly away. Booth went straight to the
outer door of the President's box, paused and showed a visiting card
to the President's messenger, who was in waiting; placed his hand
and his knee against the door, and pushing it open, entered. He then
quietly fastened the door with the brace that stood ready; looked
through the hole in the inner door, and saw the President. Silently
opening the door, he entered. Mr. Lincoln sat at the left hand front
corner of the box, his wife at his right hand, a Miss Harris at the
right hand front corner, and a Major Rathbone behind her. Mr. Lincoln
was leaning forward and looking down into the orchestra. Booth stepped
quickly up, and fired a pistol bullet into the President's head, behind
and on the left side. The murdered man raised his head once; it fell
back upon his chair, and his eyes closed. Major Rathbone, a cool, bold
and prompt soldier, who had been absorbed in the play, now hearing
the pistol-shot, turned, saw Booth through the smoke, and instantly
sprang upon him. Booth, a nervous and strong man, expert in all
athletic exercises, and a skillful fencer, wrenched himself free with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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