Abraham Lincoln’s Wife Heard These Six Whispered Words Moments Before He Died
It’s the evening of April 14, 1865, and President Abraham Lincoln is sitting with his beloved wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, in their private box at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. The happy couple are engrossed in the performance of Our American Cousin that’s playing out below them – but fate has other plans. At 10:15 p.m., you see, a gunman named John Wilkes Booth creeps up behind the president and fires off a round into the back of his skull. Of course, this much most of us know, but it’s the true nature of the Lincoln’s final words to Mary that has been fiercely contested throughout the years.
On The Heel Of Victory
Lincoln’s assassination actually came hot on the heels of a great victory. The devastating American Civil War had ended only five days earlier, after all. Yes, after the Battle of Appomattox Court House, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. And Booth – the gunman – was a known Confederate sympathizer. So his assassination of Lincoln was part of a three-pronged attack on the U.S. government and was seemingly intended to resuscitate the cause.
Pursuing An Acting Career
Booth had remained in the north during the conflict, despite the fact that the Confederacy was based in the south. In fact, he had pursued his acting career while the war raged for four bloody years. But after Lee surrendered his army, Booth – who had previously hatched a failed plan to kidnap Lincoln – conspired to commit a far more devastating act.
Descent Into Chaos
So when Booth discovered that the Lincolns would be attending the theater that fateful night, he subsequently put his plan into action. He also enlisted co-conspirators to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson – and these two assassinations should have happened as the actor pulled the trigger on Lincoln. Booth apparently believed, you see, that the murders of the president and his two potential successors would likely throw the country into chaos.
Knowing The Details
Booth felt that Lincoln’s presence in the theater gave him a unique opportunity to get close to the president. And as the former had years of acting experience, he had actually performed there several times himself – and was therefore familiar with the layout of the building. The thespian was also known to the staff and apparently used his connections to gain easier access to Lincoln’s private box.
