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OUR GREAT LOSS: Death of President Lincoln; The Songs of Victory Drowned in Sorrow (4/16/1865)
New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 4/16/1865

Posted on 04/16/2025 7:44:08 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 15 -- 4:10 A.M.

To Major Gen. Dix:

The President continues insensible and is sinking.

Secretary SEWARD remains without change

FREDERICK SEWARD'S Skull is fractured in two places, besides a severe cut upon the head.

The attendant is still alive, but hopeless. Maj. SEWARD's wound is not dangerous.

It is now ascertained with reasonable certainty that two assassins were engaged in the horrible crime, WILKES BOOTH being the one that shot the President, and the other companion of his whose name is not a known, but whose description is so clear that he can hardly escape. It appears from a letter found in BOOTH's trunk that the murder was planned before the 4th of March, but fell through then because the accomplice backed out until "Richmond could be heard from." BOOTH and his accomplice were at the livery stable at six o'clock last evening, and left there with their horses about ten o'clock, or shortly before that hour.

It would seem that they had for several days been seeking their chance, but for some unknown reason it was not carried into effect until last night.

One of them has evidently made his way to Baltimore -- the other has not yet been traced.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 15.

Major-Gen. Dix:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN died this morning at twenty-two minutes after seven o'clock.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 15 -- 3 P.M.

Maj.-Gen. Dix, New-York:

Official notice of the death of the late President, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, was given by the heads of departments this morning to ANDREW JOHNSON, Vice-President, upon whom the constitution devolved the office of President. Mr. JOHNSON, upon receiving this notice, appeared before the Hon. SALMON P. CHASE, Chief Justice of the United States,

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: civilwar
Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

https://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:homerjsimpson/index?tab=articles

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4311131/posts

1 posted on 04/16/2025 7:44:08 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
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2 posted on 04/16/2025 7:45:04 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation gets the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: chajin; henkster; CougarGA7; BroJoeK; central_va; Larry Lucido; wagglebee; Colonel_Flagg; Amagi; ...

Our Great Loss: Death of President Lincoln – 2-4
The Succession: Mr. Johnson Inaugurated as President – 4
From Richmond – 4
The National Calamity: Popular Feeling in New-York and the Country – 5-6
From North Carolina: Affairs at Goldsboro – 6-7
From Petersburgh: Gen. Lee’s Headquarters – 7
The Generals Lee – 7-8
The Grant Family – 8
The Indian Campaign: Important Reconnaissance – 8
News from Washington – 8-9
John Wilkes Booth – 9
Editorial: The Murder of President Lincoln – 9-10
Yesterday – 10
Editorial: The Rebel Leaders and the Treatment they Should Receive – 10-11
The Last British Prophesy – 11
A Nation in Mourning – 11
General News – 11
A Friendly Word – 11
Sailing of the Nova Scotian – 11


3 posted on 04/16/2025 7:45:40 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation gets the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

Great commentary from the day:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45480/when-lilacs-last-in-the-dooryard-bloomd


4 posted on 04/16/2025 8:01:05 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

I didn’t realize Seward got a head injury and was pretty close to death. His near-assassination sort of gets lost in light of the shocking murder of Lincoln.

Also, I forgot the name of Seward’s attacker.


5 posted on 04/16/2025 8:01:53 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

The future changed from this.


6 posted on 04/16/2025 8:35:21 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

So was the Vice President involved in the conspiracy ?

Why oh why did Lincoln have to run with a democrat !!!


7 posted on 04/16/2025 11:37:44 AM PDT by Pikachu_Dad
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Thank you very much for posting these! I should have told you that years ago. Your posting the news day-by-day news coverage of World War II was VERY appreciated!! :-)
8 posted on 04/16/2025 11:46:25 AM PDT by Ciaphas Cain
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To: Pikachu_Dad

Lincoln chose Johnson as a War Democrat. The both ran under the banner of the National Union Party. This was to bring war Democrats into the tent.


9 posted on 04/16/2025 12:50:23 PM PDT by cowboyusa
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To: ConservativeDude

I remember Seward fell off a horse not too long before the assassination, so he was hurt pretty bad even before that.


10 posted on 04/16/2025 6:09:22 PM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: Ciaphas Cain; Homer_J_Simpson; x
Ciaphas Cain: "Your posting the news day-by-day news coverage of World War II was VERY appreciated!! :-)"

Given the more isolationist tone of many FReepers these days, and our further distance from the WWII generation, I wonder if that coverage would be as well reviewed now as it was, was that 10 years ago?

11 posted on 04/17/2025 6:36:44 AM PDT by BroJoeK (future DDG 134 -- we remember)
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To: SamAdams76

I did not know that!


12 posted on 04/17/2025 11:21:28 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: SamAdams76; ConservativeDude

All in all, Seward had a pretty rough week.


13 posted on 04/17/2025 12:00:34 PM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation gets the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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