Grant and Lincoln's invitation

[Linda Anderson]

Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life and Letters, includes a letter that Mary Lincoln wrote to Schuyler Colfax (Speaker of the House) dated April 13, 1865 inviting him to the theater that evening. The footnote to the letter states that, "It has been generally assumed that the performance to which Mrs. Lincoln had invited Speaker Colfax and General Grant was the fateful one at Ford's Theatre, yet the date on the above letter (and the presumed date on the one which follows) is April 13, and Mrs. Lincoln wrote 'this evening.' There is no way of accounting for this discrepancy except Mrs. Lincoln's habit of misdating letters. Neither Grant nor Colfax accepted the invitation: Colfax was about to leave for a trip West, and Mrs. Grant, it has been said, did not, after City Point, choose to spend an evening with Mrs. Lincoln."

The first letter to Schuyler Colfax dated April 13, 1865:

"It appears to have been arranged, (without Mr. Lincoln's knowledge, that you were to accompany us, to the theatre this evening) that Gen. Grant & staff, were to occupy the box usually assigned to us, therefore I shall have to waive, all ceremony & request you to accompany us some other evening soon..."

The second letter to Schuyler Colfax:

"Since sending you my note, I have found that Gen Grant's staff will not be seated with him, therefore, with much pleasure, I will send the carriage at 7 o'clock..."

Mary Todd Lincoln: Her Life and Letters, Justin G. Turner, Linda Levitt Turner

Does this mean that Grant would not have had security with him had he gone to Ford's that night?