Was there an abortive attempt made by Booth to kidnap Lincoln in Jan. 1865?

[loetar44]

John Brophy once said that there was an abortive attempt to kidnap Lincoln when he passed over the Anacostia Bridge in his carriage on his tour of the military hospital. This was in January 1865.

Eisenschiml speaks in his “In the shadow of Lincoln’s death” that there was an abortive attempt in January 1865, by saying that Atzerodt did not want to carry New York cotton broker Eddy Martin across the Potomac because he expected to transport a “more important party” over the river (this was about Jan 7, 1865 and Jan 16 he was still waiting to cross the river, when he was introduced to John Surratt at Brawner's Hotel in Port Tobacco) . Secondly, John Surratt left his employ (Adams Express Co.) abruptly (he didn’t even draw his pay) on January 14. The kidnap was abandoned because the roads were impassable by extreme mild winter weather and the kidnaping party could not afford the risk of becoming mired before crossing the Potomac.

David Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier Jr. speak in "The Lincoln Conspiracy" about 7 or 8 attempts (!), with January 18, 1865 the first attempt. That there were 6 or 7 attempts more I think is an exaggeration, as Mark E. Neely, Jr. said in 1978 in a book review that the book is amateurish and full of forgeries, fabrications and fantasies (Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 74, Issue 2, pp 165-166).

That there was an aborted attempt on January 18, 1865 I’ve seen in more (internet) articles. Lincoln wanted to attend Jack Cade’s "The Kentish Revolution", but because of extremely bad weather he did not go to the theater.

Terry Alford mentions in “Fortune's Fool” an abortive plan by Booth and his gang to kidnap Lincoln in January 1865, in which John Surratt, Harbin and Atzerodt participated among others. I did not read the book, but saw Susan’s posting #6: http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...-2320.html
in the John Brophy thread.

We know that there was an abandoned kidnap on March 17, 1865, but was there an aborted attempt mid-January 1865? That is the question I want to discuss. I tend to believe that there was NOT such an attempt. I have 5 points.

1) In Booth’s head there were different plans to kidnap Lincoln. Originally he planned to seize Lincoln as he rode out to visit a hospital across the Anacostia bridge. Another plan was to capture Lincoln as he rode to and from his summer residence at the Soldiers’ Home. Another plan was to abduct him while he rode to a theatrical performance. And there was a plan to seize Lincoln during one of his nocturnal walks between the White House and the War Department telegraph office. And last but not least there was the plan to snatch Lincoln from his box at Ford’s or Grover’s Theatre. Mid-January 1865, none of these plans materialized already in the plan that had to be followed. None of the conspirators knew their exact job until March 15 (Gautier’s Restaurant).

2) To succeed Booth had to plot and plan the kidnapping very carefully. Maybe if one of his plans was executed with boldness and speed, it could succeed. But the risk was high. Careful preparations had to be made and mid-January 1865 Booth was in the middle of this process, but there was still a lot to do. The kidnaping party could not afford the risk of a failure. No ad-hoc decisions, but a coordinated forethought plan was necessary.

3) The group of conspirators was mid-January 1865 still very small, too small to guarantee a flawless execution of the abduction plan. Booth had only recruited at that moment Arnold, O’Laughlen (both in August 1864), John Surratt (on or about January 2) and Atzerodt (on or about January 14). He also needed a man in the theater and wanted Samuel Chester, who refused to participate in “a plan that could not fail”. Harbin and Dr. Mudd were partially “in” and only had promised to assist in transporting Lincoln along the illegal smuggling route in Maryland.

4) Mid-January 1865 the logistics were inadequate. On January 12 the trunk with weapons had just arrived in D.C. Booth had only two horses (the one-eyed and the brown bay) and one buggy in a stable in D.C. On January 16 a large boat was bought, which was then turned over to George Atzerodt and hidden on King's Creek.

5) Sure, mid-January 1865 there was a lack of protection concerning Lincoln, but he was not totally unprotected. The President's safety on his trips was since January 1865 entrusted to the cavalry and the Union Light Guard and since November 1864 four man were drafted from the ranks of the Metropolitan police force to protect Lincoln. Lincoln's seizure in “open field” had become a lesser option. And if there was an abduction mid-January planned, than this was in "open field". The plan to abduct Lincoln in a theater was born in or around March 1865 (if I'm right).