Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

For a very long time, Booth and his conspirators had planned several plots to kidnap Lincoln. All failed. After the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses Grant on April 9, 1865, Booth and his conspirators decided bolder action was necessary. who help in the planning of Lincoln's assassination, included: David Herold, George Atzerodt, Lewis Powell, Mary Surratt, Michael O'Laughlen, Samuel Arnold, Samuel Mudd, Edmund Spangler, and John Surratt.

"Your name is mudd" is an old saying meaning you are not believable or not well respected. It came about from Dr. Samuel A. Mudd who helped Booth with his ankle and sent him to his next destination. When being interrogated, he lied, thus, the saying.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

by James L. Swanson

G

econstruction

R

ory

H

anging

The war was closing, and Lincoln now had to reunify the North and South. This was going to be a huge undertaking considering that the Confederates hated the North and Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, Lincoln never had the change to solve this problem because of the assassination.

What Powell did at Seward's house was gory to say the least! Augustus Seward was stabbed, Fredrick Seward had a crushed skull causing him to become unconscious, and Sergeant Robinson was stabbed multiple times. Seward was stabbed many times around the jaw and neck, but the doctors said he was going to make it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_Era

From left to right: Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt were hanged. This took place on July 7. Nooses were put over their faces, and they were dropped. Many people as seen in the photo are watching these four conspirators who had something to do with Booth and the assassinations take place.

http://www.717madisonplace.com/?p=2211

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-hanging-conspirators-assassination-abraham-lincoln

"

F

S

earful

ic semper tyrannis!"

Q

I

When Abraham Lincoln died, the African Americans were terrified. They couldn't stop crying about Lincoln's death. They did not know if they were going to have to go back to slavery again because the man who freed them died.

uestioning

nauguration

When Booth jumped out of the President's box and landed on the stage, he raised the knife with blood into the air yelling, "Sic semper tyrannis" which was the motto of Virginia meaning "Thus always to tyrants!"

http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln36.html

On Monday March 4, 1865 was the day of Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration. Lincoln's speech was brief; it was only 701 words. Booth was in the audience that day.

Mary Surratt was questioned after she was arrested. She was calm and collected. She didn't say anything that would help them to find Booth. She simply said facts that were already known. She lied about meeting Powell for the first time the night he came in when the soldiers were there.

http://boothiebarn.com/2014/01/07/mary-surratts-photograph/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

Z

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1865/abraham-lincolns-second-inauguration.htm

T

E

J

oyful

mancipationProclamation

welve

P

otomac River

The north was joyful after the Civil War. Parades were taking place while children laughed and cheered. It was a short, but happy time for most.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Janaury 1, 1863. It was a document written by Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves. You could imagine how much the South despised this.

The manhunt for finding Booth, conspirators, and anybody who was associated with him lasted for twelve days. There were rewards for finding Booth and others which resulted in a bug chunk of people searching for Booth greedy for the cash that awaits.

http://civilwarinvirginia.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/may-23-and-24-1865-grand-review-of-the-armies-parade-was-held-in-washington-d-c-to-celebrate-the-victory-of-the-union-army-in-the-civil-war/

http://boothiebarn.com/picture-galleries/herold/herold-and-booth-crossing-the-potomac-baker/

During the forth night, Booth and Herold were going to cross the Potomac River finally. They got on the boat with Herold rowing. The distance to get to Virginia was two miles away. Herold and Booth didn't know it yet, but they were heading further North.

http://civilwardailygazette.com/2012/09/23/northern-press-and-politicians-react-to-emancipation-proclamation/

D

eringer

U

O

nbelievable

K

ld

idnapping

The Derringer Pistol was the weapon that Booth used to kill Abraham Lincoln. The weapon he picked was a risky choice. The pistol often misfired. There is a reason that he used it because it would be more heroic. John Wilkes Booth was a guy who thrived honorable deeds. If he missed, he had his Rio Grande camp knife as a backup.

Lincoln always looked old and worn down by the appearance of his face, but inside he was a strong and brave man. He was a man many people loved.

When the news spread that the president was assassinated, everyone couldn't believe it. A great man who after the war was going to reconstruct the North and South died.

http://www.bladesandbows.co.uk/baby-philadelphia-derringer-pistol-2025-p.asp

The Major Conspirators

Booth and his conspirators planned a kidnapping plot to capture Lincoln. They were going to ambush Lincoln's carriage as he was heading toward the Executive Mansion. Booth got wrong information. Lincoln was actually giving a speech at Booth's hotel while he was sitting on a road.

Assignment:

Arrange a Successful Escape

for the Assassins

Assignment:

Assassinate the Secretary of State

Assignment:

Assassinate the Vice President

Assignment:

Assassinate the President

Lewis Thornton

Powell

(AKA: Lewis Payne,

Lewis Wood &

Lewis Hall)

attacked the

Secretary of State

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g60950-d74414-i30681364-The_Historic_Hotel_Congress-Tucson_Arizona.html

David E. Herold

Powell's accomplice,

assigned to help Powell

escape Washington D.C.

He met up with Booth in Maryland. This book details their flight following the assassination.

John Wilkes Booth

killed the president

George Atzerodt

aborted his mission

drank instead

Mary Surratt

Orchestration & Logistics

(photo by Alexander Gardner

from the Library of Congress)

(photos by Alexander Gardner

from the Library of Congress)

(photo from http://www.eiu.edu/~eiutps/april_65ak.php)

C

onspirators

L

V

etter

N

irginia

ever!

"

Y

our name is mudd"

On the twelfth day, when Booth and Herold were trapped inside the tobacco barn surrounded by the cavalry, Booth was never going to let them take him alive. He would never let them take him back to Washington to face justice and hanged. Never.

Booth wrote a letter with tomorrow's date and gave it to his friend to be published in the newspaper. Booth had sealed all his conspirators name into the letter. He justified the triple assassination. Booth's friend never turned in the letter. He burned it instead.

Robert E. Lee and his army surrendered on April 9 at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This was a good sign for the North because it was a step closer from the war about to close. Lincoln was thrilled about the news.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g60950-d74414-i30681364-The_Historic_Hotel_Congress-Tucson_Arizona.html

http://www.eiu.edu/eiutps/april_65bd.php

http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-125640/General-Robert-E-Lee-wearing-the-gray-uniform-surrenders-to

B

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Mudd

ooth

W

aited

John Wilkes Booth was the Confederate sympathizer and spy who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Booth was also the mastermind behind the attempted assassination of Secretary of State Seward and Vice President Johnson. He was a talented actor from a theatrical family. While the North was celebrating their victory, many Confederates, such as Booth, were fuming and not ready to cease fighting.

M

ary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes_Booth

Pine Thicket

Booth and Herold waited in the Pine Thicket for four days waiting for some of the detectives and soldiers to leave making it safe to cross the river. Thomas Jones provided them with food and newspapers for Booth to read about what was published about his assassination. They came in extremely close distance with cavalry, but the cavalry stayed on the road and didn't go in the Pine Thicket.

A

ssassination

Mary Todd Lincoln was Lincoln’s wife. She was a kind woman. She had expensive shopping habits and a jealous temper. However, her good works for soldiers and loyalty to her husband

made her a good woman. She was devastated

when her husband died.

http://stargayzing.com/eating-with-the-stars-gets-meta-with-recipes-for-sally-fields-peanut-butter-honey-granola-and-mary-todd-lincolns-vanilla-almond-cake-plus-sallys-inspiring-human-rights-campaign-speech/

http://myamericanodyssey.com/manhunt-tracing-the-escape-route-of-john-wilkes-booth/

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was the first assassination of a United States president . The event took place at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. shortly after 10 pm on the evening of April 14, 1865. As the Civil War was finally drawing to a close and the burden of war and death were ending, Lincoln felt it was time to spend more time with his wife, Mary, and his sons. Here in the President's box, J.W.B. assassinated Lincoln with a Derringer pistol. Lincoln's death the next morning at 7:22 am sent the entire country into mourning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

by James L. Swanson