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Abraham Lincoln.
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On April 14, 1865; after General Lee surrendered to General Grant, President Abrahan Lincoln and
his wife, Mary Todd, decided to spend an enjoyable evening at Ford's Theater. The Lincolns, Major Henry Rathbone, and
Clara Harris (Rathbone's future wife) sat together in a VIP Balcony overlooking the stage. John Wilke's Booth, the brother
of the Famous 19th Century Actor, Edmond Booth, was one of the actors in the play. He made his way onto the balcony where
the Lincoln's were sitting and shot the president in the back of the head. Booth then leaped from the balcony breaking his
leg, but managed to stagger out the door to the theater, and flee. Two doctors who attended the play, Charles Leale and Charles
Taft came to Abraham Lincoln's aid, but saw that there was nothing they could do. Lincoln was carried over to Peterson's Boarding
House, near Ford's Theater where he died a few hours later. Secretary Edwin Stanton issued one of his famous quotes: "Now
he belongs to the ages. Booth was later cornered in a barn by Union Soldiers who set fire to the barn. Boston Corbett, a Union
Soldier, shot and killed Abraham Lincoln's Assassin.
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The Seward Family.
During the mayhem at Ford's Theater, Lewis Powell (AKA Lewis Paine), who conspired with John
Wilkes Booth, was attempting to carry out an assassination of his own. His target was the Secretary of State William
Seward. William Seward had already sustained injuries in a carriage accident and was bedridden. Powell was ordered by
Booth to kill the laid up Secretary of State, but the plot failed. Powell entered the Seward Home on April 14, 1865 at exactly
10pm. First, Powell drew his gun on Fredrick Seward (son of William Seward), but the gun misfired. As Frederick Seward and
Lewis Powell struggled, Powell beat Fred Seward of the head with his gun repeatedly knocking him out cold. Powell entered
into Seward's Bedroom and stabbed him several times with a bowie knife, but he only injured him. William Seward
survived. Also injured in Lewis Powell's rampage were Seward's son, Augustus; his daughter, Fanny; his nurse, Sgt.
Robinson, and a messenger by the name of Emerick Hansell, who was delivering a late night message to the Secretary of State
durring the assassination attempt. None of Lewis Powell's victims were fatally wounded. Louis Powell was later hanged with
3 other conspirators in the Lincoln Assassination. |
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