April 14, 1865: why did the Lincolns have guests?

[Eva Elisabeth]

(06-06-2015 12:49 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Funny I never thought about it before- why did the Lincolns have guests with them that night? Did they always have guests accompany them? We have heard that there were several invitations to accompany the Lincolns that were turned down.? Why didn't they just go as a single couple? And didn't Major Rathbone and Miss Harris think it odd that they were invited as guests?

Once the newspapers had announced a presidential party of consisting of more VIPs than just the #1 couple, the need for a "Grants substitute" to keep the audience's disappointment as low as possible was sure obvious to Mr. Lincoln.

While thinking about this, I came upon some questions. When and on Suisse behalf were the Grants invited, and which way (orally? By telegram or other message/messenger?) According to W. E. Reck writes that A. Lincoln had invited the Grants on Thursday to accompany him and Mary on Good Friday evening. When exactly would that have been? I also seem to recall another version (but don't recall the source right now) according to which it was Mary who at breakfast on Good Friday morning uttered the wish to attend Ford's (while already having tickets for Grover's) and possibly being accompanied by the Grants. If the incident of Mary being mad at Grsnt's popularity at the illumination on April 13 was true it seems strange to me that she wanted the Grants to accompany them just one day later.
So,.when and how did the Grants receive the invitation?