From Jay Winik’s book April 1865: The Month That Saved America (P.S.)
But in the chill, early morning of Good Friday, April 14, Lincoln wakes refreshed, around 7 a.m., and in a good mood. It is a rare occurrence, and he takes it as a good omen. Last night there were no nightmares, no haunting visages, no frantic worries about ending the war and negotiating the foundering shoals of Reconstruction. True, there has been a dream, but this time it is a heartening one, in fact, the one that has come to him before on the cusp of other major military battles. He had it on the verge of Antietam and Gettysburg, and also Vicksburg and Fort Fisher, all-important Union victories. In it, he is on a phantom ship, a “single, indescribable vessel” that moves with “great rapidity” through the water, racing toward a “vast” and “indefinite shore”. To Lincoln, rising on this day, it signals good news. He feels that it augurs Joe Johnston’s surrender in North Carolina, thereby removing the most powerful Confederate army remaining in the field, and making another large-scale rebel assault almost impossible. It speaks of peace to come. And it fills him with a visible blast of optimism.
Before breakfast, he lights the fireplace in his office. By the time he has finished his morning meal — dining cozily with Mary and then joined by his son Robert — and makes his way to an 11 a.m. meeting with Grant and the cabinet, he is in “great spirits”, appearing more “cheerful and happy” than many of his secretaries had ever seen him. It is infectious; Mary Lincoln will even note that these last few days have been “the happiest of her life”. And Lincoln is determined that the mood will not abate.
Today, Good Friday, will certainly not be spent in morbid contemplation or prayer at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church listening to Reverend Phineas D. Gurley, or simply more fussing and fretting over the war. Today, he wants something that will make him laugh. So this evening he plans to take Mary to see the eccentric English comedy Our American Cousin. It stars the famous English actress Miss Laura Keene, in her very last performance. He and Mary intend to go with General Grant and his wife, and the papers will officially announce their plans.
The comedy is playing at the Tenth Street theater, between E and F streets. At Ford’s.
Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, while sitting in the presidential box at Ford’s Theatre – at 10 pm on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next morning. A couple of days later, the War Department issued wanted posters for the arrest of Booth. There’s an image of one of those posters below that I found online.
Here is a timeline of these events.
Those crazy actors, I tell youse…
I’ve often wondered what Laura Keene’s experience of the whole thing was. She’s up there, acting away, declaiming her lines … when THAT happens??
I’d guess that her concentration was slightly broken. It kind of makes your “EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME!” experience look like a piece of cake by comparison, eh?
hahahahahahahahaha
Though I’m a bit of a history buff, I never knew
Lincolns frame of mind on this date.
After all he had been through, he’s finally
in good spirits, looking for light entertainment
and it’s his last day on earth.
Disturbing and fascinating at the same time.
Regards.
Interesting that usually, it’s through the perspective of history that we truly discern the giants among us. It seems that Lincoln was percieved as such at the time by most. Who today will be remembered thus? Or has the all-seeing media of the modern world allowed us to know too much about everyone, preventing us from elevating anyone to “hero” status today? When we are shown every flaw, every misstep, they seem so…human, and of course they are and always were.
“But other than that, how was the theater, Mrs. Lincoln?”
[ducks and apologizes]
I would highly recommend Manhunt, about the search for Booth. It’s excellent.
The author isn’t terribly kind to Laura Keene, with her barging into the booth and demanding to cradle Lincoln’s head.
Have you read Assassination Vacation? (Sarah Vowell) I think you’d like it…
Melissa – Bill – thanks for the book recommendations!
The fashion industry is behind every political assassination in the last two hundred years.
I’ve read both recommended books — they’re right up your alley, Sheila.