The Assassination Of President Lincoln (The Play) Part 2
Lorient Montaner
ACT 4
SCENE I
The White House, Washington, D.C.–The President’s office.
After a meeting with his cabinet members, President Lincoln speaks to his bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon, about a recurring, unsettling dream.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
For some unknown reason, I seem to be experiencing another episode of a strange and unexplainable nature, Hill.
WARD HILL LAMON
Do you mean another dream, Mr. President?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Yes. But this dream was quite peculiar.
WARD HILL LAMON
What exactly was it about?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
This time, I dreamed I was on a strange and indescribable vessel, moving swiftly toward a dark and undefined shore.
WARD HILL LAMON
And how did the dream end?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
That I cannot say. But what’s most peculiar is that I’ve had this very dream before—before nearly every great event of this war: Antietam, Murfreesboro, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. I wonder if these dreams are omens—signs of something foreboding tied to unfolding events.
WARD HILL LAMON
Perhaps they’re simply the lingering effects of the war—nothing more.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
But what if they’re signs of something that will befall me—suddenly and without warning?
WARD HILL LAMON
I wouldn’t make such an assumption without serious reflection, sir.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Yes, perhaps I’m simply fatigued by the recent turn of events. I’ve become unsettled by so much that has happened.
WARD HILL LAMON
With all due respect, sir, you should take time today to rest. Relax, enjoy yourself at home.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
That’s the plan. I need you to go to Richmond to take care of a matter there. I would go myself, but I’ve just returned from Richmond. Tonight, I plan to attend the theater—to see Our American Cousin.
WARD HILL LAMON
I’ll leave as soon as possible. But before I do, Mr. President, I urge you not to go out tonight—especially not to the theater.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I am where I am today because I had friends who believed in me, and I couldn’t let them down. I understand your concern, Hill, but I’ll be fine. I’ll be well accompanied. It’s going to be a special evening, and a lovely night to spend with Mrs. Lincoln.
WARD HILL LAMON
Forgive me, sir—I don’t mean to alarm you. I’m just being cautious.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
And I appreciate that. But I can’t allow my enemies to imprison me with fear and keep me from enjoying the theater.
WARD HILL LAMON
With all respect, sir, I still advise you to stay home until I return.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Go to Richmond, Hill, and do as I’ve instructed. When you return, I’ll expect to hear all your fascinating stories from there.
WARD HILL LAMON
I hope not to disappoint you, sir, when I return.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Disappoint me? Have you ever disappointed me before?
WARD HILL LAMON
I believe not, Mr. President.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Then I expect nothing less! It’s hard to make a man miserable while he still feels worthy of himself and claims kinship with the great God who made him.
SCENE II
The front lawn of the White House. President Lincoln takes what will be his final carriage ride. Mary Lincoln joins him.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
A ride through the countryside is always refreshing, Molly.
MARY LINCOLN
I get the sense that you’re feeling nostalgic, my dear.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
You always see right through me. I’ll admit it—I’ve missed the pure joy of the countryside. Feeling happy again is good for the soul. I consider today, April 14, to be the day the war truly ended. We’re simply Americans once again.
MARY LINCOLN
I understand that nostalgia. I’ve longed for the quiet days of the countryside myself.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Have I grown older since the war began? I feel like these past years have worn down both my appearance and spirit.
MARY LINCOLN
I believe the war has aged us both, Abraham.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
It’s a strange feeling. No one is truly prepared for the lasting toll of war. I hope the end brings prosperity and happiness. But folks are usually only as happy as they decide to be. And the best thing about the future is—it comes one day at a time. I have to remind myself that some folks are more impressionable than others.
MARY LINCOLN
Sometimes I wish this war hadn’t fallen on your presidency at all.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
But there’s no greater honor than the service and duty of a president, my dearest Molly.
MARY LINCOLN
You’ve been a fine president—and you will continue to be until the end of your term. Your re-election is proof enough of that.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I’ve pondered the meaning of manifest destiny many times. I’ve asked myself: was it meant for me?
MARY LINCOLN
Of course. The Lord will not forsake you, Abraham. Have faith—in Him, and in yourself.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I’m forever grateful to the good Lord for everything. I could never seek comfort in any other.
MARY LINCOLN
In my heart, I know that’s true.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
And I will never doubt the truth of His divine providence, written deeply in my belief.
MARY LINCOLN
You are the wisest man I have ever known.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
And you, Molly, are the dearest love of my life. There’s no treasure greater than you.
MARY LINCOLN
And there’s no man who carries his humility more nobly than you, Abraham.
SCENE III
At the home of Mary Surratt, Washington, D.C.
After the evident fall of Richmond to Union forces in April, and with the Confederate armies collapsing across the South, Booth meets with his conspirators on the evening of April 14th at the home of Mary Surratt. Their purpose is to revive the Confederate cause by eliminating the three most important officials in the United States government. The conspirators—Lewis Powell and David Herold—are assigned to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward, while George Atzerodt is tasked with killing Vice President Andrew Johnson. This will be the final meeting of the group.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Gentlemen, I believe I’ve devised the perfect plan.
JOHN SURRATT
And what might that plan be, if I may ask?
GEORGE ATZERODT
Yes, I’m quite interested in hearing it myself.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Powell and Herold, you are to eliminate Secretary of State Seward. Atzerodt, your target is Vice President Andrew Johnson. I’m confident that this plan will plunge the U.S. government into complete disarray.
DAVID HEROLD
But how are we supposed to carry this out without being noticed—or revealing our intentions?
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
That’s the beauty of it! We’ll execute a masterful operation.
DAVID HEROLD
How do you propose we accomplish that?
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
As I said, we will strike at the heart of their leadership. Powell and Herold—Seward. Atzerodt—Johnson. The timing is crucial.
DAVID HEROLD
And you believe we can do that without getting caught?
LEWIS POWELL
I’m eager to know that too!
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
With the right coordination, yes. I’ve obtained the itineraries of all three men, including Lincoln.
GEORGE ATZERODT
Lincoln? How did you manage that?
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
I have my sources...and some good fortune as well.
DAVID HEROLD
Good fortune?
LEWIS POWELL
What do you mean by that?
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Today at noon, I stopped by Ford’s Theatre to check my mail. While there, I overheard that Lincoln and General Grant are attending Our American Cousin tonight. It’s perfect. I’ve performed at that theater many times—I know its layout intimately and am friendly with the staff.
I then went to the Surratt boarding house and asked Mrs. Surratt to deliver a package to her tavern in Surrattsville, Maryland. I also instructed her to tell Louis Weichmann to prepare the guns and ammunition we’ve stored there.
JOHN SURRATT
But are we certain this plan will succeed?
LEWIS POWELL
It sounds mighty risky to me.
DAVID HEROLD
What if we fail again? You understand, if we’re caught, we’ll be hanged—branded as heartless conspirators.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Gentlemen, time is against us. If we are truly loyal to the cause of the Confederacy, then now is the time to act. Before I go, I need to know if you are all committed to this daring plan. Atzerodt, are you in?
GEORGE ATZERODT
I am.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Powell?
LEWIS POWELL
Count me in.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Herold?
DAVID HEROLD
I am as well.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
Excellent. Surratt, stay behind.
Good luck to each of you—and may God save the Confederacy.
(They all proclaim the same and pledge their loyalty to the cause.)
SCENE IV
The White House Parlor, Washington, D.C.
President Lincoln is preparing to attend the evening’s performance of Our American Cousin. He gives instructions to his staff and speaks to his wife before they depart. Mary Lincoln, suffering from a headache, considered staying home, but Lincoln persuaded her to attend—citing that the newspapers had announced their presence—and she ultimately agrees, hoping the play might lift her spirits.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I’d rather stay home myself, Molly, but we have a duty to appear.
MARY LINCOLN
Who will be joining us?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Sadly, General Grant and his wife, Julia, declined—citing personal reasons. Instead, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée, Clara Harris—daughter of Senator Ira Harris—have kindly accepted.
MARY LINCOLN
Well, at least we’ll be with people we’re on good terms with.
I’d much rather talk about the play than dwell on unpleasant matters.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
To be honest, ever since I heard about this play, I’ve been looking forward to seeing it performed.
MARY LINCOLN
Be patient, dear. We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the entire performance—perhaps even an encore.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I’m curious to see the lead actor. Will he be as good as that sensational actor from Maryland? What was his name again...John something?
MARY LINCOLN
John Wilkes Booth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Yes, that’s him! A brilliant actor. I’ve long wanted to see him act, but haven’t had the chance.
MARY LINCOLN
I’m sure you will. And I suspect his performance tonight will be unforgettable.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Do you really think so?
MARY LINCOLN
Something tells me it will be.
As for the role, I read in the paper that Joseph Jefferson will play the rustic American.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
I wonder if this poor fellow can deal with the Brits more successfully than I’ve dealt with Congress.
MARY LINCOLN
You do realize it’s satire, don’t you?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Of course! But I imagine even Shakespeare would recognize that Americans are more than just rustic peasants.
MARY LINCOLN
He most certainly would, dear.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Well, I’m ready to leave when you are.
MARY LINCOLN
You look as handsome as ever.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
And you, Molly, look absolutely radiant. Shall we?
MARY LINCOLN
Lead the way, and I’ll follow.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
As it was at our first dance.
MARY LINCOLN
Exactly. Time can never erase the memories we’ve shared throughout our life together.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
‘Til death do us part, Molly.
(Bodyguard William H. Crook had advised Lincoln not to go, but Lincoln insisted, citing his promise to Mary. Before helping her into the carriage, Lincoln told Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax that he supposed it was time to leave, though he would rather stay. His final instructions to staff were to allow Mr. Ashmun and a friend to visit him at 9 a.m. the following morning.)
ACT V
SCENE I
At the home of Mary Ann Holmes, Booth’s mother.
(John Wilkes Booth has sent a letter to his mother stating that all is well, but that he is in haste. In his diary, he writes: “Our cause being almost lost, something decisive and great must be done.” The letter doesn't mention the plot, but Mary suspects something is wrong. She calls for Edwin.)
MARY ANN HOLMES.
Edwin, I’m so glad you came quickly!
EDWIN BOOTH.
I got here as soon as I could. What’s troubling you, Mother?
MARY ANN HOLMES.
Maybe I’m overreacting, but I have this terrible feeling that something’s wrong with your brother John.
(She hands him the letter.)
EDWIN BOOTH.
I don’t see anything unusual here, Mother.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
It might seem that way, but a mother knows. There’s a strange sense of danger hanging over him. I feel it.
EDWIN BOOTH.
You know John—he’s always busy with his acting career.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
That’s not it. This has nothing to do with his stage work.
EDWIN BOOTH.
Then what?
MARY ANN HOLMES.
I can’t quite explain it. His behavior’s changed—he seems...unstable.
EDWIN BOOTH.
But something must have made you feel this way.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
It was something he said—a phrase he used that won’t leave my mind.
EDWIN BOOTH.
What phrase?
MARY ANN HOLMES.
“I have found my cause in life.”
EDWIN BOOTH.
That could mean anything, Mother.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
I won’t be at peace until I know what he meant.
EDWIN BOOTH.
If you want, I’ll leave for Washington first thing in the morning.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
That would ease my heart. Please speak with John.
EDWIN BOOTH.
We’ve had our differences...but he’s still my brother.
MARY ANN HOLMES.
Thank you, Edwin.
EDWIN BOOTH.
Let’s forget about John for tonight. Let’s spend a quiet evening together.
SCENE II
At Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.
(The presidential party arrives late and takes their seats in a special double box. The play pauses and the orchestra plays “Hail to the Chief.” A crowd of 1,700 rises in applause. Lincoln is seated in a rocking chair, chosen from the Ford family’s own furnishings.)
(The cast modifies a line in honor of the President. When the heroine asks for a seat free from the draft, the scripted reply—"Well, you're not the only one that wants to escape the draft"—is changed to: "The draft has already been stopped by order of the President!")
(Mary Lincoln chats with the President.)
MARY LINCOLN.
What will Miss Harris think of me hanging on to you like this?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
She won’t think anything of it.
MARY LINCOLN.
I hope she’s paying more attention to the play than to us.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Have you forgotten? Being President is a noble profession.
MARY LINCOLN.
It’s a shame that even in our quiet moments, we can’t enjoy happiness without the weight of the world pressing on us.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
I know, Molly. But tonight, I’m not the President. I’m your husband.
MARY LINCOLN.
Is there no peaceful place we can go together?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Jerusalem. I’ve longed to visit the Holy Land.
MARY LINCOLN.
I didn’t know you felt that way.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Ever since Willie died, the thought has stayed with me.
MARY LINCOLN.
Why Jerusalem?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
I’m not sure. Maybe it’s something to do with the dreams I’ve had.
MARY LINCOLN.
What do your dreams have to do with Jerusalem?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
MARY LINCOLN.
That’s nonsense, Abraham.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Or maybe it has to do with life...or death.
MARY LINCOLN.
Miss Harris will think you’re talking nonsense.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
She might think I’m prophetic—or just mad.
MARY LINCOLN.
I prefer to call you a visionary.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
That would be fitting—and kind.
SCENE III
Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Policeman John Frederick Parker is assigned to guard the President’s box. During intermission, he leaves to go to a nearby tavern along with Lincoln’s footman and coachman. It’s unclear if he returns to the theatre, but he is certainly not at his post when Booth enters the box.
Navy surgeon George Brainerd Todd sees Booth arrive around 10:25 p.m., walking slowly along the side where the President’s box is located. He hears a man say, “There’s Booth,” and turns to look. Booth, still walking slowly, approaches the box door, stops, takes a card from his pocket, writes something on it, and gives it to an usher, who delivers it to the box. Within a minute, the door is opened, and Booth enters.
Once through the first door—which swings inward—Booth barricades it by wedging a stick between the door and the wall. A second door leads directly to Lincoln’s box. There is some evidence that Booth had earlier drilled a peephole into this door.
Booth knows the play by heart and times his shot to coincide with a line that always triggers laughter, delivered by actor Harry Hawk: “Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal—you sockdologizing old man-trap!” Lincoln is laughing at this line when Booth fires.
Booth opens the door, steps forward, and shoots Lincoln from behind with a derringer. The bullet enters the President’s skull behind his left ear, travels through his brain, and lodges near the front of his skull after fracturing both orbital plates. Lincoln slumps forward and then falls backward in his chair. Major Henry Rathbone turns to see Booth standing in the gunsmoke, less than four feet from the President. Booth shouts a word Rathbone interprets as “Freedom!”
Rathbone leaps up and struggles with Booth, who drops the pistol and draws a knife, stabbing Rathbone in the left forearm. As Booth jumps from the box to the stage—a twelve-foot drop—his spur catches on the Treasury flag decorating the box, causing him to land awkwardly on his left foot. Many in the audience believe this is part of the play.
Booth holds his bloodied knife high and shouts to the audience. From either the box or the stage, he exclaims the Virginia state motto: “Sic semper tyrannis!” (“Thus always to tyrants”)
Then, in English: “The South is avenged! I have done it!”
Immediately, Major Joseph B. Stewart jumps over the orchestra pit and footlights and chases Booth across the stage. The screams of Mary Lincoln and Clara Harris, along with Rathbone’s shouts of “Stop that man!”, spark panic and chaos in the theatre.
Booth flees across the stage and exits through a side door, stabbing orchestra leader William Withers Jr. on his way out. Outside, a horse awaits. Booth leaps into the saddle and strikes Joseph Burroughs—the man holding the reins—with the handle of his knife before riding off into the night.
SCENE IV
Lincoln’s Box, Ford's Theatre
Army surgeon Dr. Charles Leale pushes through the crowd but finds the door to the President’s box blocked. Inside, Rathbone removes the wooden brace Booth had used to seal it shut.
Leale enters and finds President Lincoln seated, his head tilted to the right, cradled by a sobbing Mary. His eyes are closed, and he is profoundly comatose. His breathing is intermittent and labored. Mistakenly believing the President has been stabbed, Leale lowers him to the floor. Another physician, Dr. Charles Sabin Taft, is lifted from the stage into the box.
After opening Lincoln’s shirt and finding no stab wounds, Leale discovers the gunshot wound behind the left ear. The bullet is too deep to remove, but dislodging a clot improves Lincoln’s breathing. Actress Laura Keene cradles Lincoln’s head in her lap as Leale declares the wound mortal.
Along with a third doctor, Dr. Albert King, they conclude Lincoln must be moved. A carriage ride to the White House is deemed too dangerous. After briefly considering Peter Taltavull’s Star Saloon next door, they choose a private residence across the street. In the rain, soldiers carry Lincoln to the home of tailor William Petersen.
SCENE V
The Petersen House
In a first-floor bedroom of the Petersen House, President Lincoln lies diagonally across a bed too small for his frame. More doctors arrive: Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes, Dr. Charles Henry Crane, Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott, and Lincoln’s personal physician, Dr. Robert K. Stone.
BARNES:
I’ve probed the wound. The bullet is lodged deep, along with bone fragments. I fear there's nothing more we can do.
CRANE:
I concur. The wound is too severe.
ABBOTT:
Is there anything we haven’t tried?
STONE:
We must contain the hemorrhaging.
BARNES:
Should we continue removing clots to relieve pressure on the brain?
ABBOTT:
That seems prudent.
CRANE:
And afterward?
STONE:
We monitor him closely and try to stop the internal bleeding.
CRANE:
It doesn’t look hopeful.
BARNES:
I fear he will not survive the night.
ABBOTT:
If only we could do more.
STONE:
All we can do now is pray. It’s in God’s hands.
CRANE:
What shall we tell the First Lady?
ABBOTT:
We must tell her the truth.
STONE:
As his physician, it’s my duty to inform her.
BARNES:
It will be a tragedy—not just for her, but for the entire nation.
STONE:
The wound and the infection have made survival impossible.
ABBOTT:
It’s a great shame that we, as men of medicine, are powerless in this moment.
LEALE:
Then it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs.
BARNES:
I believe so.
STONE:
No members of the press are to be allowed inside.
They all agree: the President will not survive. Throughout the night, as the bleeding continues, the physicians remove clots. Leale stays by Lincoln’s side, holding his hand firmly.
LEALE:
I’m here, Mr. President. You are not alone. You are surrounded by humanity and compassion. You have a friend beside you in your final hour.
Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln, arrives shortly after midnight. Twelve-year-old Tad is kept away. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton arrive. Stanton insists that the sobbing Mary Lincoln leave the room. For the remainder of the night, Stanton directs the government from the Petersen House, ordering the manhunt for Booth and his co-conspirators.
Guards keep the public away. Officials and physicians are admitted to pay their respects.
SCENE VI
The Petersen House, morning of April 15
Lincoln is dying. His features are calm, his breathing slow. As the hours pass, one eye swells and the right side of his face darkens. Near death, his face becomes serene, though the discoloration remains.
Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Mary Lincoln is allowed to return to his side. She sits beside him, kisses him, and calls him every affectionate name she can recall.
MARY LINCOLN:
My dearest Abraham…don’t leave me…I beg you…
It is the last time she sees him alive.
President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865. Mary is not present at the moment of death. Witnesses describe the President’s final breath as peaceful. No struggle, no choking—just a quiet cessation of life. The room kneels in prayer.
STANTON:
Now he belongs to the angels…and to the ages.
That morning, Lincoln’s body is placed in a temporary coffin draped with the American flag and returned by hearse to the White House.
EPILOGUE
Attempts to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson fail. The conspirators are arrested and tried by military tribunal:
Samuel Arnold
George Atzerodt
David Herold
Dr. Samuel Mudd
Michael O’Laughlen
Lewis Powell
Edmund Spangler (the stagehand who passed Booth’s horse to Burroughs)
Mary Surratt
On July 7, 1865, Mary Surratt, Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt are hanged at the Old Arsenal Penitentiary.
John Wilkes Booth is located in a barn near Port Royal on April 26. The barn is set on fire. As Booth attempts to flee, Sergeant Boston Corbett shoots him in the neck. Booth dies shortly after, whispering:
“Tell my mother I died for my country.”
THE END.
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