Today in 1865, just days after the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. "In his death, the nation lost its greatest hero," Ulysses S. Grant would say in 1874 at the dedication of Lincoln's tomb. "In his death, the South lost its most just friend." I cannot imagine the whiplash of emotion the country must have felt when in less than a week, the war ended, and the president was killed. So many fascinating news articles have been written related to Lincoln's last day. Here are some headlines and links so you can hop over to whatever interests you.
- Lincoln's Assassination Stunned a Nation (Chicago Tribune)
- 5 Facts You May Not Know about Lincoln's Assassination (CBS News)
- How newspapers covered Abraham Lincoln’s assassination 150 years ago (Washington Post)
- How Samuel Mudd went from Lincoln Conspirator to Medical Savior (Smithsonian Magazine)
- Death, Comedy and Lincoln (Civil War Pop blog)
- Charles A. Leale--First Doctor to Aid Lincoln Following the Assassination (Civil War Profiles)
By the way, if you're interested in the prosecution of John Wilkes Booth's associates, I highly recommend the film The Conspirator. This movie shares the story of Mary Surratt, the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. Here's a review from USA Today, and the movie trailer is below.
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