Today in 1865, just 5 days after the end of the Civil War, around 8:00 in the evening, President Abraham Lincoln his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln along with Major and Mrs. Henry Rathbone, visited Ford’s Theatre for a lively performance of the comedy, Our American Cousin.
Just after 10:00, during the third act, the well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, entered the theatre and walked to the rear of the Presidential box. With only one body guard, who had wandered off, he easily peered through a small hole in door of the box that he had drilled the day before. He saw his target, president Lincoln.
He quietly opened the door and snuck up behind the president holding a .44 caliber Derringer in his hand. Booth waited until the play’s funniest line was delivered and at that moment, a shot rang out over the crowd’s laughter. The single shot struck the President in the back of the head at point blank range.
After a brief struggle with Major Rathbone, Booth immediately leapt from the box onto the stage, breaking his leg, and called out “Sic semper tyrannis” (”Thus always to tyrants”). He quickly escaped from the theater on a hours he had waiting behind the theater, to Bryantown, Maryland, about 25 miles from Washington.
Booth hoped his two other conspirators had also been successful in killing their targets that evening. The plot involved not just the murder of president Lincoln, but also the murders of Secretary of State Seward and Vice-President Johnson. Booth’s plan was to create chaos within the Union government that would allow the Confederate government to reorganize and restart the war.
President Lincoln was quickly examined by a doctor at the theater and carried across the street to Petersen’s Boarding House. He live through the night, but never regained conscienceness. He died early the next morning.
The largest manhunt in U.S. history followed, leading to the discovery of Booth and a fellow conspirator, David Herold, 12 days later near Bowling Green, Virginia. Federal troops set fire to the barn they were hiding in. Herold surrendered but Booth refused to leave the burning bar and was fatally shot by a trooper. Before his death, Booth was shocked to learn that the South had turned against him for his actions.
Four other conspirators were convicted and later hung at Fort McNair in Washington, DC, including DC boarding-house owner Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the federal government.
More on Lincoln’s life and some interesting facts about Honest Abe.
Unfortunately Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was shot along with the Lincoln museum and visitors center are currently closed for an $8 million upgrade until the winter of 2009.
You can still visit the Petersen House across the street and see the room where he died. The Chicago Historical Society owns the actual other items from the night of his death.
A new Lincoln Visitors Center, adjacent to the Petersen House, will open in late 2009 and feature Lincoln memorabilia and interactive displays exploring Lincoln’s life, presidency and examine the legacy he had as one of America’s most important presidents.
Ford’s Theatre (currently closed)
511 10th Street, NW – between E and F Streets
Washington, DC 20004
Petersen House (open)
516 10th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)
202-426-6924
Dates and Times - Petersen House - daily 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Admission - Free
Nearest Metro subway station – Metro Center – Red, Blue and Orange lines, Gallery Place - Red, Green and Yellow lines or the Archives/Navy Memorial - Yellow and Green line. All are a short walk, or use the DC Circulator.
Parking - Available on the street and in area garages.
译文:
林肯暗杀事件
1865年的今天,即内战结束的5天之后,约晚8点,亚伯拉罕·林肯总统和夫人玛丽·托德·林肯,以及武官亨利•里德.拉思伯恩少校及其夫人一同前往福特戏院观赏喜剧《我们美国的表兄弟》的现场表演。
就值10点过后，在第三幕剧之间，那个著名的演员也是同盟国政府支持者约翰威尔克斯•布思进入了戏院，走向了总统包厢的后门。而门口仅有的那个保安恰巧走开，他便轻而易举从包厢门上的洞窥视其中，而那个洞是他那天之前就已经钻好的。他看见了他的目标，亚伯拉罕·林肯。
他轻轻地打开了门，鬼鬼祟祟地靠近突然出现在总统的身后，手中拿着一把0.44大口径短口手枪。布思等待着,直到最精彩那一段上演之际一声枪声盖过了满堂的笑声。这一枪近距离击中了总统的后脑勺。
在和亨利少校搏斗了一阵之后，布思立即从包厢猛跃至了舞台，这使他折断了一只脚，却大喊：“暴君的后果”。他很快逃离了剧院去了华盛顿25英里之外的马里兰洲的布拉安小镇。而在此之前，他己经在剧院等了一个小时的光景。
布思希望他的其他两个共谋者也成功地暗杀了他们的目标人物。这个密谋不仅仅牵涉林肯，还有国务卿威廉姆.西华德和副总统约翰森。布思的计划是在政府联盟中制造混乱以至于能够使同盟国政府得到重组再次发动战争。
林肯总统在剧院立即得到了医生的检查并且被带到了对街的彼德森小屋。他撑过了那一晚，但始终没有恢复意识。他在第二天早晨去逝。
在美国历史上最大规模的搜捕随即开始了，因此12天之后在弗吉尼亚州鲍灵格林附近发现了布思和一个同伙大卫·哈罗德。联邦军队在他们藏身的谷仓放火，哈罗德投降但是布思拒绝离开燃烧着的门闩最终被一个骑兵射杀。在他死前，他很震惊地发现南方奴隶主已经反对他的行经。
四个其他的共谋者被宣判其后在华盛顿DC的Fort McNair施以绞刑，其中包括DC公寓主人MARRY SURRATT，她是第一个被联邦政府施以绞刑的女人。
很不幸的是，林肯被枪杀的福特戏院和林肯博物馆和访客中心目前一并关闭，正进行八百美元的大修，直至2009年冬天才结束。
你仍旧可以参观对街的彼德森小屋，参观当时他死去时的房间。芝加哥历史协会拥有其他林肯被枪杀那夜大真实物件。一个新的林肯访客中心将于2009年底对外开放，它比邻彼德森小屋，以陈述林肯的重要事迹，交互着探究林肯的一生及总统经历，细数他作为美国最重要的总统之一留下的遗赠作为特色。
福特戏院（目前关闭）
第十大街 511号, NW – 在E街区和F街区之间
华盛顿DC 20004
彼德森小屋(开放)
第十大街 516号, NW , NW
华盛顿DC 20004
202-426-6924
开放日期和时间： - 彼德森小屋- 每日早晨9:00~下午5:00.
入场费-免费
最近的地铁站– 地铁中心–红，蓝，橘线，画廊街站
-红，绿，黄线，档案馆站/海军纪念站
- 黄，绿线需短途步行。
停车场- 街边和车库.