Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Days before the 15th of April, 1865, President Lincoln had a dream which greatly troubled him. He talked with his wife about it. He told his bodyguard, William Crook, and his cabinet. He told Ward Hill Lamon, who recorded the story in one of his books, Recollections of Abraham Lincoln.

Recounting his dream, the President said: “Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments ... ‘Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded of one of the soldiers, ‘The President,’ was his answer. ‘He was killed by an assassin.’ Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which woke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since.”

On the day he was assassinated, Lincoln reportedly told his bodyguard: “Crook, do you know I believe there are men who want to take my life? And I have no doubt they will do it ... I know no one could do it and escape alive. But if it is to be done, it is impossible to prevent it.”

Hours later, while Crook was off duty, John Wilkes Booth - armed with a Derringer and a knife - stepped into the presidential box at Ford’s Theater. As an actor who had performed on stage at Ford’s, Booth knew the place well. This time, however, he came to play a different role.

Aiming his pistol at the President’s head, Booth fired one shot at point-blank range. The .44-caliber bullet entered Lincoln’s brain via the left ear. He died at Petersen’s boarding house, across the street from Ford’s, less than twelve hours later.

In this story behind the assassination, meet President Lincoln and his family. Virtually visit many of the places where he lived and see Ford’s Theater as it appeared in 1865. See pictures of Booth, his weapons, the fatal bullet and the escape path which the assassin followed as he eluded capture for two weeks. Discover a surviving photo of the President in his coffin, and learn the fate of others who allegedly collaborated with Booth.