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On this time successful history, April 26, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was killed erstwhile Union soldiers tracked him down to a workplace successful Virginia 12 days aft he fatally changeable nan president of nan United States.
On April 14, 1865, Booth, 26, an actor, changeable Lincoln during a performance astatine Ford’s Theatre successful Washington, D.C.
Booth entered nan authorities container of Ford’s Theatre, according to nan National Park Service (NPS) archives — getting past a bodyguard to do so.
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"It was past that John Wilkes Booth changeable President Abraham Lincoln successful nan backmost of nan caput pinch a .44 derringer pistol during a capacity of nan play ‘Our American Cousin,’" nan tract says.
Lincoln, instantly unconscious, was examined by physician, Dr. Charles Leale, who "determined that nan caput coiled was mortal. He made nan determination to person President Lincoln carried to nan closest furniture that was disposable successful proximity to nan theater."
Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. president, "was laid down onto a wood-framed spindle bed, diagonally arsenic nan furniture was excessively short, and location died 9 hours later astatine 7:22 a.m. connected April 15, 1865," successful Washington, D.C. (Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
Dr. Leale and respective men carried nan unconscious president to nan Petersen Boarding House across nan thoroughfare from nan theater, nan tract notes.
"A boarder astatine nan house, Henry Safford, directed nan group to nan boarding house, and ushered them into a mini room astatine nan extremity of a first level hallway. Lincoln was laid down onto a wood-framed spindle bed, diagonally arsenic nan furniture was excessively short, and location died 9 hours later astatine 7:22 a.m. connected April 15, 1865," says nan site.
Secretary of nan Navy Gideon Welles spent nan nighttime successful nan Petersen House pinch nan dying president, on pinch his wife, who was adjacent to Mrs. Lincoln, says History.com.
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Welles wrote this successful his diary: "It was a acheronian and gloomy morning, and rainfall group successful [...]. Large groups of group were gathered each fewer rods, each anxious and solicitous," nan tract chronicles.
Booth was a Maryland autochthonal and a protagonist of nan Confederacy.
One "or much from each group stepped guardant arsenic I passed, to inquire into nan information of nan president, and to inquire if location was nary hope. Intense condolences was connected each countenance erstwhile I replied that nan president could past but a short time. The colored group particularly — and location were astatine this clip much of them, perhaps, than of Whites — were overwhelmed pinch grief," Welles besides wrote, utilizing nan terminology of nan day.
Hatched a conspiracy
Booth was a Maryland native and a beardown protagonist of nan Confederacy, says History.com.
As the Civil War entered its last stages, Booth hatched a conspiracy to kidnap nan president and besides enlisted nan thief of respective associates — but nan opportunity ne'er presented itself, according to nan aforesaid source.
"After nan surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Confederate service astatine Appomattox Court House, Virginia, connected April 9, Booth changed nan scheme to a simultaneous assassination of Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward," nan tract indicates.
Statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee shown successful Richmond, Virginia. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
"Only Lincoln was really killed, however. Seward was stabbed by Lewis Paine but survived, while nan man assigned to termination Johnson did not transportation retired his assignment."
After shooting Lincoln successful Ford’s Theatre, Booth jumped down from nan president’s container and tumbled onto nan stage, says History.com.
Booth shouted, "Sic Semper Tyrannis" — nan aforesaid statement spoken by Brutus erstwhile he assassinated Julius Caesar, meaning "thus ever to tyrants," arsenic nan American Battlefield Trust notes.
Meanwhile, "at almost nan aforesaid infinitesimal Booth fired nan fatal shot, his accomplice, Lewis Powell (alias Lewis Paine, Lewis Payne), attacked Lincoln's Secretary of State William Henry Seward astatine his location connected Lafayette Square. Seward laic successful bed, recovering from a carriage accident," nan Library of Congress notes.
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Powell entered nan mansion, claiming to person a transportation of medicine from nan secretary's doctor, nan tract besides says.
Booth managed to flight from nan theatre done a broadside exit.
"Seward's son, Frederick, was brutally beaten while trying to support Powell from his father's door. Powell slashed nan secretary's pharynx twice, and past fought his measurement past Seward's boy Augustus, an attending infirmary corps veteran, and a State Department messenger."
Managed to escape
Even though Booth collapsed his limb erstwhile he leaped onto nan Ford's Theatre stage, he still managed to flight nan building done a broadside exit.
In nan alley extracurricular nan theater, he mounted a equine and rode away, joined by an accomplice David Herold, nan tract besides says.
In this engraving from 1886, John Wilkes Booth is depicted preparing to sprout President Abraham Lincoln. Right aft this, he leaped retired of nan container and onto nan shape of Ford's Theatre — escaping done a broadside exit. (iStock)
A manhunt ensued. Booth and Herold rode done nan nighttime connected horseback, arriving astatine astir 4 o’clock successful nan greeting astatine nan location of Dr. Samuel Mudd successful confederate Maryland.
"Mudd splinted Booth’s surgery limb and allowed nan brace to remainder successful his home," nan aforesaid root indicates. "Mudd had been a conspirator successful Booth’s earlier crippled to kidnap Lincoln, but he didn’t cognize that Booth killed nan president."
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The adjacent day, Mudd publication astir Lincoln’s assassination successful nan greeting newspaper, says History.com.
"Upon realizing he was lodging a fugitive, Mudd kicked Booth and Herold retired of his location — but he did not move them in."
More than 1,000 Union soldiers were searching for Booth and Herold.
By this time, much than 1,000 Union soldiers were searching for Booth and Herold.
The bounty for nan seizure of Booth, Herold and a 3rd accomplice totaled $100,000, says History.com
Booth and Herold continued their flight southbound connected horseback. For 4 days nan fugitives hid retired successful Zekiah Swamp and were fixed supplies, food, h2o and newspapers by sympathizers and accomplices.
‘Hiding successful a baccy barn’
On April 26, 12 days aft nan shooting, troops arrived astatine a workplace successful Virginia, "just southbound of nan Rappahannock River, wherever Booth was hiding successful a baccy barn," notes Brittanica.com.
Herold "gave himself up earlier nan barn was group afire, but Booth refused to surrender," nan tract says. After being changeable by Union troops, he was moved to nan structure of nan farmhouse — wherever he died.
"The assemblage was identified by a expert who had operated connected Booth nan twelvemonth before, and it was past secretly buried," nan tract says.
Illustration depicting Abraham Lincoln reference nan draught of nan Emancipation Proclamation to his furniture successful 1862. Undated. (Getty Images)
The Library of Congress says location were astatine slightest 4 conspirators successful summation to Booth progressive successful nan incident.
"Four co-conspirators, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold and Mary Surratt, were hanged astatine nan gallows of nan Old Penitentiary, connected nan tract of present-day Fort McNair, connected July 7, 1865," says nan website.
President Lincoln, who served arsenic president from 1861 to 1865, issued the Emancipation Proclamation successful 1863 that declared everlastingly free those slaves wrong nan Confederacy, says Whitehouse.gov.
On May 4, 1865, Lincoln was laid to remainder successful Springfield, Illinois.
Lincoln delivered the 272-word Gettysburg Address connected Nov. 19, 1863, connected nan battlefield adjacent Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, arsenic Cornell University and different sources note.
The first condemnation is, "Fourscore and 7 years agone our fathers brought forth, connected this continent, a caller nation, conceived successful liberty, and dedicated to nan proposition that each men are created equal."
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President Lincoln's bequest is based connected his momentous achievements: He successfully waged a governmental struggle and civilian warfare that preserved nan Union, ended slavery and created nan anticipation of civilian and societal state for African Americans, notes nan Smithsonian.
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Says nan site, "One of nan awesome unanswerable questions successful American history centers connected really our nation’s societal trajectory mightiness person changed had Lincoln lived to service retired his 2nd term."
On May 4, 1865, Lincoln was laid to remainder successful Lincoln Tomb successful his hometown of Springfield, Illinois.
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Erica Lamberg is simply a contributing writer for Fox News Digital.
