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THE ASSASSINATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

27 April 1865

The following official telegram from Mr. Secretary Stanton has been received by the United States’ Legation in London:-

(Via Greencastle, per Nova Scotian.)

“Sir, – It has become my distressing duty to announce to you that last night his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, was assassinated, about the hour of half-past 10 o’clock, in his private box at Ford’s Theatre, in the city. The President about 8 o’clock accompanied Mrs. Lincoln to the theatre. Another lady and gentleman were with them in the box. About half-past 10, during a pause in the performance, the assassin entered the box, the door of which was unguarded, hastily approached the President from behind, and discharged a pistol at his head. The bullet entered the back of his head and penetrated nearly through. The assassin then leaped from the box upon the stage brandishing a large knife or dagger, and exclaiming ‘Sic semper tyrannis!’ and escaped in the rear of the theatre. Immediately upon the discharge the President fell to the floor insensible, and continued in that state until 20 minutes past [7] o’clock this morning, when he breathed his last. About the same time the murder was being committed at the theatre another assassin presented himself at the door of Mr. [William] Seward’s residence, gained admission by representing he had a prescription from Mr. Seward’s physician which he was directed to see administered, and hurried up to the third story chamber, where Mr. Seward was lying. He here discovered Mr. Frederick Seward, struck him over the head, inflicting several wounds, and fracturing the skull in two places, inflicting, it is feared, mortal wounds. He then rushed into the room where Mr. Seward was in bed, attended by a young daughter and male nurse. The male attendant was stabbed through the lungs, and it is believed he will die. The assassin then struck Mr. Seward with a knife or dagger twice in the throat and twice in the face, inflicting terrible wounds. By this time Major Seward, eldest son of the Secretary, and another attendant reached the room, and rushed to the rescue of the Secretary; they were also wounded in the conflict, and the assassin escaped.”

Lincoln was assassinated on 14 April 1865, as the American Civil War was nearing its end. His murder was part of a conspiracy aimed at the leading members of the government of the North, including Secretary of State William Seward.

Its leader was John Wilkes Booth – a relation of the radical British politician – who came from a theatrical family in Maryland and was increasingly well-regarded in his own right as a brilliant actor with striking good looks. Then aged 26, he had supported the Confederate cause and, with a group of half-a-dozen accomplices, had already made at least one prior attempt to kidnap the President.

The Latin tag that Booth shouted as he jumped onto the stage – ‘Ever thus to tyrants’ – was the motto of Virginia. Twelve days after his escape, he was tracked down to a farm there and killed by Union soldiers. Seward survived his wounds, while the third target, Andrew Johnson, succeeded Lincoln when the intended assassin got drunk instead of carrying out his attack.