April 14, 1865

8-10 people conspired to kidnap President Lincoln to hold him ransom for the release of Confederate POWs. Their attempt to failed. After Robert E. Lee’s surrender, the men decided to kill President Lincoln, Vice-President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. THE CONSPIRACY

Lewis Powell went to Secretary of State Seward’s house who was home healing from a carriage accident. He lied his way into the house. Attacked Seward’s son and then stabbed Seward numerous times. As he left the room he stabbed the bodyguard and ran out of the house. He hid for 3 days. He returned to Mary Surratt’s house as she was being arrested and he was arrested too. Seward’s casted arm had saved his life by shielding important organs from the blade. o.

George Azerodt was to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson. On the morning of April 14, Atzerodt (using his own name) checked into room 126 of the Kirkwood House in Washington, the same hotel in which the Vice President was staying. At ten o'clock, when he was supposed to begin making his move against Johnson, Atzerodt was attempting to build up his courage by drinking at the hotel bar. He never got any further, and spent the next several hours wandering aimlessly around the streets of Washington. Atzerodt had aroused suspicion by asking a bartender about the Vice President's whereabouts. The day after Lincoln's assassination, a hotel employee contacted authorities concerning a "suspicious-looking man" in "a gray coat" who had been seen around the Kirkwood

Five days after Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 14, 1865, Lincoln celebrated by attending Ford’s theatre to watch the comedic play, An American Cousin. Ulysses S. Grant was invited to go with him that night but declined so he could visit his children in New Jersey instead.

While the President and Mrs. Lincoln watched from the Presiden’ts box, an actor (John Wilkes Booth) entered from the back and shot the president one time in the back of the head.

He jumped out of the front of the box down onto the stage. His boot spur got caught on the flag bunting on the front of the box and broke his leg. When he stood up, he shouted… "Sic semper tyrannis! (Thus ever to tyrants!) The South is avenged!“ And then escaped out the back stage door to a waiting horse.

Lincoln was taken across the street to the Petersen Boarding House. The bullet had entered behind his left ear and lodged behind his right eye. Lincoln will lay there throughout the night paralyzed and struggling to breathe. The next morning at 7:20, he took his last breath and died. People went crazy trying to get a piece of things to save as souvineers that they stole everything they could including the shutters off the outside of the house. The owners of the house wanted to make up for the cost of everything destroyed including the blood stained carpet and blankets that they charged people 50 cents to see the room Lincoln died in.

Booth escaped out of Washington D.C. before the military closed down all of the roads and bridges. He went to Mary Surratt’s tavern and picked up some weapons. He then continued south away from the area. The next morning he arrived at Dr. Samuel Mudd’s house and asked him for help. His leg was still broken and the bone was sticking through the skin. Dr. Mudd then set Booth’s leg before he left.

Booth and one of his co-conspirators hid out in some woods in swampland for a few days before making their way to Richard G. Garret's farm in Port Royal, Virginia. On April 26, 1865, investigators caught up to the criminals, hiding in Garret's barn. Booth was shot by the investigators, and when he still refused to surrender, they set the barn on fire. Booth waited as long as he could and when he rushed out of the barn, he was shot in the neck and died soon after.

8 people were arrested for conspiracy to murder Lincoln. 4 were hung, 4 were jailed “Your name is Mudd.” (Samuel Mudd)

A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor of a deceased person. Your assignment: write a proper and fitting eulogy for Abraham Lincoln. Focus on his life and accomplishments and not his death. Create a eulogy for Lincoln that explains in paragraph formatting: -The major events of Lincoln’s presidency -The impact of the Gettysburg Address and significance -The impact of the Emancipation Proclamation and significance -The impact of his political leadership and winning the war -How Lincoln should be remembered and what values he should be remembered for ** the most touching and meaningful eulogies are written from the heart! PRESIDENTIAL EULOGY