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1. John Wilkes Booth Plans the Assassination of President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward
John Wilkes Booth was a famous American actor that lived in Washington D.C. He was loyal to the Confederacy and a conspirator against the Union. Additionally, Booth was a racist and did not believe that all races should get equal rights, so he hated President Lincoln. When he heard that Lincoln would be coming to the play that night, he immediately started planning the assassination. That night, he held a conspiracy with David Herold, Lewis Powell, and George Atzerodt to plan the crime. -
2. Booth Assassinates Lincoln
Being an actor at Ford's Theater, Booth new every entrance, exit, and passageway there. At around 10 P.M., he snuck around the theater and into the President's box. To Booth's surprise, there were no guards at any of the doors outside the box. When he got inside the box, he waited until one of the actors said a funny line, and the whole crowd burst into laughter. Then, he pulled the trigger, and the ball entered through behind Lincoln's left ear. -
3. Booth Escapes out of Washington
After Booth shot Lincoln, Major Rathbone, who was in the box with Lincoln, was the first to react. He tried to stop Booth, but recieved some fatal stab wounds.In all the action, Booth broke his ankle. Then, he got out of the theater and rode through Washington on his horse. When he got to the bridge that led out of town to Maryland, he was stopped by the guards of the bridge because it was supposed to close at 9:00. He argued with the guards for a while and, reluctantly, they let him pass. -
4. Lewis Powell Attempts to Assassinate Secretary of State Seward
Powell, a fellow conspirator of Booth's, went to Seward's house posing as a medicine deliverer for Seward, because he had been in a terrible carriage accident. Seward's servant came to the door and said he would take it, but Powell insisted that he take it. After Seward's son told him to give them the package or leave, he attacked him, and everyone in his way. Then, Powell made it to Seward and managed to slice his cheek open. Then, he mysteriously stopped, and fled. -
5. David Herold flees out of Washington
When Powell was attacking the Seward's, Herold, Powell's guide out of town, heard Seward's daughter screaming out the window, and fled. He also raced through the streets, and managed to convince the guards to let him through the bridge. Then he met up with Booth. As a result, Powell was lost, and wandered the streets of Washington. For the next few nights he slept in a tree. Then, he remembered the Surratt's boardinghouse Booth had taken him to earlier and decided to head over there. -
6. Dr. Leale Examines Lincoln's Wounds
After Booth escaped, Dr. Charles Leale ran up to the President's box, and began examining Lincoln. After checking around everywhere on Lincoln, Leale found the bullet hole behind the President's ear, and realized that Booth had shot the President. Then, he got Lincoln breathing again. He had saved the president from immediate death. Then, he announced, "His wound is mortal; it is impossible for him to recover." What Dr. Leale is saying in the quote is that Abraham Lincoln was going to die. -
Period: to
The Assassination of President Lincoln to the Death of John Wilkes Booth
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7. Booth and Herold Arrive at Dr. Samuel A. Mudd's house
Early the next morning, Booth and Herold arrived at Dr. Mudd's house. Dr. Mudd was a fellow conspirator who had agreed to help them in the former plot to kidnap Lincoln. He fixed up Booth's ankle, and let him and Herold stay the night. Soon, though, the Thirteenth New York Calvary would ride close to Mudd's farm. Booth only had about seven hours until then. -
8. President Abraham Lincoln Passes Away
After he finished his examination, Dr. Leale ordered that Lincoln be moved somewhere more fitting to pass. They brought Lincoln to the Petersen's house across the street. Then, Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, was told about the assassination and rode over to the house. Around 7:20, A.M., the doctors in the room with Lincoln felt his pulse and waited. At 7:22 and 10 seconds, Lincoln took his last breath. -
9. Dr. Mudd Learns of Lincoln's Death
Later that day, Herold and Mudd rode into town so that Herold could get a carriage or buggy for Booth. He then spotted the cavalry, told Mudd he didn't need a carriage after all, and wet back to tell Booth. Minutes later, Dr. Mudd learned that Booth had assassinated Lincoln. Instead of reporting them, he went back to his farm, and ordered Booth and Herold to leave at once. Booth was excited by the news that he had succeeded, but Dr. Mudd was furious, and they eventually left. -
10. Stanton Investigates the Theater
Back at Ford's Theater, Edwin M Stanton held an investigation. He was determined to preserve the scene of the crime. Next, he ordered a 24-hour guard to surround the theater. In addition, he had Matthew Brady, who had photographed Lincoln many times, take photographs of the inside of the theater. He took photographs of the stage and its scenery, the exterior of the president's box, the approach to the box, and the outer door that led to the vestibule. -
11. Thomas Jones Hides Booth and Herold
Thomas Jones, a Confederate spy, agreed to take the fugitives across the Potomac River into Virginia. They ended up having to hide for a couple days though, because the manhunters had caught up to them. While they hid in the forest, Jones brought them food and newspapers. Booth was excited to read what the nation's reaction was to his act, until he actually did read it. All the articles he read look at him as a villain, and Lincoln as a hero. He was very shocked about what he read. -
12. Soldiers Arrest Lewis Powell, Mary Surratt, and George Atzerodt
Three days after the assassination, soldiers went to the boardinghouse of Mrs. Surratt. They were going to arrest the residents there. Then, Powell appeared, pretending like he was there to dig a gutter for Mrs. Surratt. Even though she recognized him, she swore that she had never seen him. Next, everyone there was arrested, and Powell was identified as the attacker. In addition, they arrested Atzerodt, because they found out that he was supposed to assassinate the Vice President, but didn't. -
13. Booth and Herold Cross the Potomac into Virginia
Early in the morning, after 5 days of waiting, Booth and Herold were able to cross the Potomac River. Their first try, though, they headed the wrong direction and had to wait another night. Then, when they made it into Virginia, a woman, named Elizabeth Quesenberry, fed them and sent them to a house for the night. When they got to Dr. Stuarts house, he refused to let them stay, so they eventually found the Richard's farm, where they stayed for a couple of days. -
14. The Death of Booth
After 5 days of Booth and Herold staying at the Garrett's, the cavalry had been spotted, and the fugitives' tried to hide. Their suspicious actions worried John Garrett, who did not know about their identities. Later that night, he locked Booth and Herold up in his tobacco barn. Then, in the morning, the 16th New York Cavalry arrived. They demanded that Booth and Herold surrender. Herold surrendered, but Booth did not. After they set the barn on fire, Boston Corbett noticed Booth level his gun. -
15. Death of Booth Continued...
When Sergeant Boston Corbett saw Booth ready his gun, he aimed and fired at Booth. The soldiers all heard the shot and saw Booth crumple to his knees. They grabbed him and brought him to some trees a couple yards away. They tried to keep Booth alive, but they couldn't. He spoke his last words, "Useless, useless," and died. Then, he was buried at an unmarked location in the Old Arsenal Penitentiary, to keep his whereabouts unknown. Therefore, Booth was a criminal, who killed Lincoln, a hero.
