A Letter on the Death of Abraham Lincoln, April 16, 1865
Edited by Frederick C. Drake
Lincoln Herald Volume 84, Number 4 (Winter 1982), pp.237-238.
Editor's Note: Dr. Drake is an associate professor of history at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario.
"What impact did this first really major assassination of a political figure in this country truly make upon the national mind and heart?" Allan Nevins, The War for the Union: The Organized War to Victory 1864-1865 (New York,1971), VIII, 327.
"There has been a need to attempt to discover how contemporaries reacted to the assassination and the conspiracy trials, for only in this manner may the assassination once again be placed in its proper historical perspective." Thomas R. Turner, "Public Opinion and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Part I," Lincoln Herald, 78 (Spring 1976): 18.
John Henry Wilson, a Captain in the First Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, was stationed at Fort Stevens, Washington, D. C. when news came of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The following letter to Wilson's wife, Elizabeth, expecting their first child, reveals the immediate opinions Wilson encountered at the news of Lincoln's death, his anguish about the event, the steps taken spontaneously by his army unit to apprehend the assassins, and the deliberate murder of an individual who expressed satisfaction over Lincoln's death.
Fort Stevens, D. C. Sunday evening
April 16th, 1865
My Dear Wife: -
Your ever welcome letter of the 12th, was received last Friday evening. I wrote you two letters last week, according to promise, which I hope you received. I will continue to write you twice a week, Sunday and Thursday evening's [sic] as long as possible, whether I hear from you or not. We were thrown into great excitement here at half past one Friday night by being notified by an officer from headquarters, that the greatest man that has ever lived, Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was cowardly assassinated, while quietly sitting in the Theatre, also that Secretary Seward and son was dangerously wounded; and that the assassin had escaped. We put our pickets on the alert; It was thought at first that they escaped over the Seventh street road, but they did not. We have now got the whole place surrounded with pickets, they run from fort to fort, so that it will be impossible for anyone to get through it. The reason this line is established is because it is supposed, that some of these cowardly assassins are still in the City, and they expect that they will be able to arrest them, and I hope and pray they will.Everyone here looks sad, the men all feel terribly indignant and they keep a pretty sharp lookout. I would pitty [sic] any of them if they would fall into the hands of the army. I would like to be a private executioner of any one of them. Their [sic] seems to be no doubt but that J. W. Booth is the assassin, and I don't think he can possibly escape, the government is doing all that is possible to arrest him. Bessie, I think that if their [sic] is a just God in Heaven, and I do believe their [sic] is, the perpetrators of these deeds must be arrested and punished.Every house in the city is in mourning, and it is impossible to get any [mourning flags] to buy, we tried to get some for our quarters but could not. I suppose they are terribly excited in New York. The CityGovernment of Washington has offered twenty thousand dollars, and Gen. Augur, commanding the Department of Washington, ten thousand dollars reward, which makes thirty thousand dollars offered altogether, a pretty good sum. One of our men was in the city yesterday and he heard a man say "that it was good enough for the black rascal." A cavelry [sic] man, who was standing near heard him, and immediately turned around, looked him square in the eye, drew a revolver and blew his brains out; which served him right. Such people, if they know when they are well off will keep their mouth closed. Death to traitors is now the unanimous cry, particularly with the army.
My dear, I am happy to say I am very well, but somewhat excited. When I heard of this terrible affair, I felt as though I could do anything for revenge. I would like to have had a chance to take my Company into a fight so that we could take no prisoners. I have not heard anything, for many a day [that] has made me feel worse than this has.
I have not yet heard from Boston, I guess Aunt must be mad with me. I have not been in the city yet, and so have not got my pay. I hope you have got all your arrangements made, and that you have got a woman hired, if you can't do any better you might send for Aunt, as I guess she would like to come, provided you would like to have her; but I suppose you would not. I am sorry that you continue to feel so miserable, but my dear it will soon be over, and you will then be the happy mother of a boy. I don't know of anything more to write you this time. I hope to hear from you soon. Give my love to all my friends. Hoping you are well, I remain ever your loving husband.
John