Click2Flicks - National Treasure: The Story Behind the Movie, Chapter 2, A TUMULTUOUS WEEK

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033> <table width="100%" bgcolor=000033> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b><i>National Treasure: BOOK OF SECRETS</i></p> <p><font size="4">CHAPTER 2 - A TUMULTUOUS WEEK</b></font></p> </div>  <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">Four days before attending the play, the President spent time with his young son, Tad. General Lee had just <a target="_blank" href="images/surrender.jpg"><b>surrendered</b></a> at the Wilmer <a target="_blank" href="http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-war/photos/images/civil-war-111.jpg"><b>McLean</b></a> <a target="_blank" href="images/home_surrender.site_courtesy_Lib.Congress.jpg"><b>home</b></a> (in the Virginia <a target="_blank" href="images/village_map_courtesy_National.Park.Service.jpg"><b>village</b></a> of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/apco/index1.htm"><b>Appomattox Court House</b></a>),  so the war was essentially <a target="_blank" href="images/over_Lincolns.last.reception_by_Anton.Hohenstein_1865_Lib.of.Congress.jpg"><b>over</b></a>.  The city of Washington was in a <a target="_blank" href="images/celebratory_mood.jpg"><b>celebratory mood</b></a>,  and Lincoln <a target="_blank" href="images/looked_relaxed_Lincoln.with.Tad_10.Apr.1865_portrait.by.Gardner_Lib.of.Congress.jpg"><b>looked relaxed</b></a>.  He’d even managed a smile for the photographer.</p> <p>Although the performance was already underway when the presidential party arrived, the band played “<a target="_blank" href="http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000009/default.html"><b>Hail to the Chief</b></a>” as Lincoln entered <a target="_blank" href="http://media.nara.gov/media/images/28/5/28-0477a.gif"><b>Ford’s Theatre</b></a>.  Settling into a red <a target="_blank" href="images/rocking_chair_Lincoln.chair_at.Fords.Theatre_courtesy_National.Archives.gif"><b>rocking chair</b></a> -  now <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thehenryford.org/museum/wlja/lincolnchair.asp"><b>owned by</b></a> the Henry Ford Museum - he must have appreciated the warm welcome he’d just received.</p> <p>Around 10:15 p.m., John Wilkes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/hh/3a/hh3f.htm"><b>Booth</b></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.alplm.org/museum/fords_theater.html"><b>entered</b></a> the <a target="_blank" href="http://media.nara.gov/media/images/28/5/28-0478a.gif"><b>President’s box</b></a>,  his single-shot, muzzle-loading <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/DerringerA.htm"><b>Deringer</b></a> pistol at <a target="_blank" href="images/the_ready_Booth.pistol_left.side_courtesy_FBI.jpg"><b>the ready</b></a>.  As an <a target="_blank" href="http://media.nara.gov/media/images/28/5/28-0479a.gif"><b>actor</b></a> who <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/booth_appearances.htm"><b>had</b></a> performed on <a target="_blank" href="images/ford's_stage_courtesy_National.Archives.gif"><b>Ford’s stage</b></a>,  Booth knew the place well. This time, however, <a target="_blank" href="images/he_booth_Harpers.Weekly_29.Apr.1865.jpg"><b>he</b></a> came to play a different role.</p> <p>Lincoln was unprotected. Accounts differ on the location of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/linsecur.htm"><b>his bodyguard</b></a>.  Had one been with him, it may not have mattered since <a target="_blank" href="http://chicagohistory.org/wetwithblood/bloody/Coat/index.htm"><b>Charles Forbes</b></a>,  the president’s valet (apparently seated just outside the door) had admitted at least two people into the presidential box. One of those people was Booth. (See <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0060518502/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-3372875-2276827#reader-link"><b><i>Manhunt</b></i></a>,  by James L. Swanson, pages 38-39.)</p> <p>Undeterred, and with his weapon undetected, Booth had easy access to Abraham Lincoln. The assassin aimed <a target="_blank" href="images/his_pistol_Booth.deringer_courtesy_FBI.photo.jpg"><b>his pistol</b></a> and <a target="_blank" href="images/fired_sketch_from_Frank.Leslies.Illustrated.Newspaper_29.Apr.1865.jpg"><b>fired</b></a> one point-blank <a target="_blank" href="images/shot_assassination.drawing_Harpers.Weekly_29.April.1865.jpg"><b>shot</b></a> <a target="_blank" href="images/at_muzzle.view_courtesy_FBI.jpg"><b>at</b></a> Lincoln’s head. Entering through his left ear, the <a target="_blank" href="images/44_caliber_lead_ball_Lincoln.bullet_courtesy_FBI.photo.jpg"><b>.44-caliber lead ball</b></a> lodged <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/jan2001/schehl.htm"><b>behind</b></a> the president’s right eye. </p> </div> <center> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="national_treasure_ch1.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="national_treasure_ch3.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</p><br> </a> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.awesomestories.com/includes/ad_format.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> </table> </body>