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Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy Thomas Goodrich The Darkest Dawn Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy Goodrich INDIANA Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy Thomas Goodrich “While waves of laughter echoed through the theater, James Ferguson kept his eyes focused on Abraham Lincoln. Although the president joined the crowd with a ‘hearty laugh,’ his interest seemingly lay more with someone below. With his right elbow resting on the arm of his chair and his chin lying carelessly on his hand, Lincoln parted one of the flags nearby that he might see better. “As the laughter subsided, Harry Hawk stood on the stage alone with his back to the presidential box. Before he could utter another word, a sharp crack sounded. As the noise echoed throughout the otherwise silent theater, many thought that it was part of the play. But just as quickly, most knew it was not.” —from The Darkest Dawn It was one of the most tragic events in American history: the famous president, beloved by many, reviled by some, murdered while viewing a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington. The frantic search for the perpetrators. The nation in mourning. The A gripping account of one of the most shocking events in American history—the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. “Goodrich has done an impressive amount of research . . . [his] account of the funeral trip is enlightening, and never before described in such detail.” —John R. Sellars, Library of Congress “Among the hundreds of books published about the assassination of our 16th president, The Darkest Dawn is exceptional. It portrays the contemporary reactions of so many, and vividly conveys a ‘you-are-there’ feeling. Goodrich helps readers appreciate the magnitude of the nation’s mourning for Abraham Lincoln, our greatest political leader.” —Frank J. Williams, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, founding Chair of The Lincoln Forum, and member of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission solemn funeral train. The conspirators brought to justice. Coming just days before the surrender of the Confederate Army at Appomattox, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln has become etched in the national consciousness like few other events. The president who had steered the nation through its bloodiest crisis is cut down before the end, just as it appears that the bloodshed has ended. The story has been told many times, but rarely with the immediacy of The Darkest Dawn. Thomas Goodrich brings to his narrative the care of the historian and the flair of the fiction writer. The result is a gripping account, filled with detail and as fresh as today’s news. Thomas Goodrich is author of Black Flag: Guerilla Warfare on the Western Border, 1861–1865 and The Day Dixie Died: Southern Occupation, 1865–1866 (with Debra Goodrich). Jacket design by Eric J. Carter http://iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796 $35.00 The Darkest Dawn Civil War / U.S. History i THE DARKEST DAWN [54.208.238.160] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 01:22 GMT) ii iii The Darkest Dawn Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy thomas goodrich Indiana University Press bloomington and indianapolis [54.208.238.160] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 01:22 GMT) iv This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA http://iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu© 2005 by Thomas Goodrich All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Goodrich, Th. The darkest dawn : Lincoln, Booth, and the great American tragedy / Thomas Goodrich. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-253-32599-4 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865—Assassination. 2. Booth, John Wilkes, 1838-1865. I. Title. E457.5.G66 2005 973.7'092—dc22 2004015980 1 2 3 4 5 10 09 08 07 06 05 v Tearfully—and joyfully—have we witnessed these...