Surratt Society Meeting and "Conference" 2021

[RJNorton]

Many thanks to Steve Williams for sending this account. Steve writes, "It's part of an undated account by Dr. Ezra W. Abbott of his actions during the night of the assassination. Unfortunately the auction site that sold the original letter only posted images of two pages (1st and 3rd?) of the four page account. It may have been written for a talk he gave

https://historical.ha.com/itm/autographs...14-61117.s

Dr. Abbott says that he was in Ford's Theatre during the assassination. He describes heading down stairs and then heading around the box, which would indicate Abbott had been sitting in the Family Circle. His description of Laura Keene already in the box by the time he got there would indicate that he got to the box well after Drs. Taft and King had entered the box. From the lack of description of his involvement in the care of Lincoln in the box, it's possible they were already preparing to move the President by the time he arrived at the box. He does say that he was one of six people to carry Lincoln across to Petersen House."

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Although Dr. Abbott lists himself as one of those who carried the stricken President to the Petersen House, I have seen accounts in which Abbott is not listed at all. I know he is the doctor who kept track of Lincoln's pulse readings during the long night.