Four days before attending the play, the President spent time with his young son, Tad. General Lee had just
surrendered at the Wilmer
McLean
home (in the Virginia
village of
Appomattox Court House), so the war was essentially
over. The city of Washington was in a
celebratory mood, and Lincoln
looked relaxed. He’d even managed a smile for the photographer.
Although the performance was already underway when the presidential party arrived, the band played “Hail to the Chief” as Lincoln entered
Ford’s Theatre. Settling into a red
rocking chair
- now
owned by the Henry Ford Museum - he must have appreciated the warm welcome he’d just received.
Around 10:15 p.m., John Wilkes
Booth
entered the
President’s box, his single-shot, muzzle-loading
Deringer pistol at
the ready. As an
actor who
had performed on
Ford’s stage, Booth knew the place well. This time, however,
he came to play a different role.
Lincoln was unprotected. Accounts differ on the location of
his bodyguard. Had one been with him, it may not have mattered since
Charles Forbes, 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
Manhunt, by James L. Swanson, pages 38-39.)
Undeterred, and with his weapon undetected, Booth had easy access to Abraham Lincoln. The assassin aimed
his pistol and
fired one point-blank
shot
at Lincoln’s head. Entering through his left ear, the
.44-caliber lead ball lodged
behind the president’s right eye.