Grant and Lincoln's invitation

[loetar44]

Kees, I have not researched your question...just going from memory. I do not recall that Lincoln issued any proclamations for April 14th. The only thing that comes to mind is that Stanton let War Dept. workers off to attend religious services on Good Friday. Once again there is no research on my reply so don't take it to the bank.

Roger, just found this at

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/...eatre.html

Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, effectively ending four years of devastating warfare. President Lincoln proclaimed April 14 as a day of thanksgiving. To celebrate, he decided to attend a performance of a lighthearted comedy, Our American Cousin, at Ford’s Theatre.

Is this realiable information, well researched? I doubt it. Do you?

[RJNorton]

Kees, I have a web page on Lincoln's various thanksgiving proclamations here. As far as I know there are no additional ones that he issued related to the general topic of "thanksgiving."

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thank you, Kees, for YOUR kind words and wishes. So then here it goes again:

Kees, THANK YOU for this excellent research and explanation, and for sharing it. I, too, have always wondered why the "4****" rank had not existed in the USA before, but failed to research it. I just accepted the USA had their own, different system - period. But the reason and info are as interesting as they do make sense.

Kees, it was a cold and rainy fall break day and I down with a cold, so I checked the "One Hundered Eyewitness Accounts" in "We saw Lincoln Shot" as for 1.) statements on Gen. Grant's and/or A. Lincoln's announced attendance being the decisive attraction, and 2.) hints on how packed the theater was. [I add some personal thoughts in brackets, you may, of course, draw different conclusions from the accounts.]

Roger, please see Spencer Bronson's account of April 16, 1865 (800 came)!

- Jason S. Knox (Apr. 15, 1865): "I could not resist the temptation to see General Grant and the President."
- Helen DuBarry (Apr. 16, 1865): "It was given out during the day that Mrs. Lincoln had engaged a "Box" for the President and Genl. Grant and having a desire not only to see them but to see the "American Cousin" performed, we determined to go."
- Charles A. Sanford (Apr. 16, 1865): "As I was going to dinner last night and passing Ford's Theatre, I saw by a poster that Laura Keene was to make her last appearance that night…I stopped and procured a ticket." [So there were still tickets available at last minute!]
- Spencer Bronson (Apr. 16, 1865): "I would make an attempt to be present not so much for the attraction of the play but for the sake of seeing Mr. Lincoln & most of all Gen. Grant who I have heard but seen once At an early hour. 800 came."
- Major General B. F. Butler (?): I arrived at the theater about 8 ¼ PM and …found a vacant seat…" [Still vacant seats after the first curtain had risen…]
- John Downing, Jr. (Apr. 26, 1865): "That evening about 7 o'clock I saw…Ewell, and five others…my companion, who had never seen Gen. Grant proposed that we shoukd go to Ford's…Although I had seen the Lieutenant General Grant, I was willing and anxious to see him again, and so we went…Gen. Grant was not there…We soon got over our disappointment however…" [Another seven tickets available at last minute!]
- Roeliff Brinkerhoff (?): "…I had a couple of friends who had never seen General Grant. Therefor…I concluded to go with them."
- Henry Williams (1900, newspaper article): "He was one of the 1700 persons who strolled into Ford's." [As for newspapers and the figure 1700 I still believe what I said in post # ]
- Laura H. Freudenthal (Feb.13, 1908, newsp. art.): "Mrs. Freudenthal…wanted to see the President…"
- W. H. Taylor (March 3, 1920): "…an announcement that President Lincoln, General Grant, and other notables were to attend Ford's Theatre that night. This caused me to resolve upon going to the theater, as I had never seen General Grant, whose fame had for some time so well been established."
- Captain Oliver Gatch (Feb. 5, 1909, newsp. art.): "…he met his brother…they went to Ford's Theatre, attracted thither by the announcement that President Lincoln was to be a guest."
- William H. Flood (Feb. 15, 1911): " I was invited to Ford's Theatre by my captain, Silas Owen. He had heard that president Lincoln would attend the performance... - and, of course, I accepted the invitation."
- James N. Mills (Apr. 12, 1914): " General Grant, whose face was not then so familiar in Washington…was to attend in the company of President Lincoln…the "President and Lady" and the "Hero of Appomattox" . the theatre therefore was packed.
- Captain William Greer (Dec. 1, 1914): "Captain Greer was with several covalescing army comrades, who went to the theater more for the purpose of seeing the President than to witness the play."
- Daniel Dean Beekman (Feb. 11, 1915): "…hearing that Lincoln and Grant were to be at Ford's…, I decided to stay over another day."
- Dr. Samuel R. Ward (Apr. 14, 1931, newsp. art.): "…had met the President and heard him speek at Gettysburg, but had never seen General Grant, and it was for that purpose that he attended the fatal performance."
- Charles H. Johnson (Apr. 11, 1915, newsp. art.): "The two young men learned that Gen. Grant was expected to be in the presidental party, and they decidedthey wanted a look at the famous leader, who had not, up to this time, been seen much in Washington."
- Mrs. Nelson todd (May 1935, newsp. art.): "…our only opportunity, probably, of seeing President Lincoln, we might wave our religious scruples.”
- [ plus Fergusson’s account, see Roger’s post., and A. C. Richards’ which I had already posted.]

∑ = 18 comments on motives, 10 (9) x Gen. Grant, 5 x A. Lincoln, 3 (4) x both

Susan - yours are excellent points IMO!!!

[loetar44]

∑ = 18 comments on motives, 10 (9) x Gen. Grant, 5 x A. Lincoln, 3 (4) x both

Thanks Eva! I really do believe now that Ford's was not sold out that evening and that maybe twice as much people came to see Grant rather than Lincoln. It's still a guess however.

Here's another account from someone (Frederick A. Sawyer ) who came to see Lincoln "and his party" and again an indication that not all tickets were sold:

"After sitting through the first act Mr. Bates and myself left the lower part of the house and went up in to the "dress circle," on the opposite side of the house in order that we might get a better view of the President and his party. We staid there some time, when we returned to the seats below and this time I took the chair on the end of the second row from the Stage and as near Mr. Lincoln's box as possible in that row. Mr Bates sat next to me. (Good, We Saw Lincoln Shot, pp. 37-38).

[loetar44]

Two thoughts:

(1) John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln, no doubt about that. It’s also proven that Lincoln and General Grant were set to attend the play in Ford’s. But I’m still not so sure that Booth indeed ALSO had plans to kill General Grant, had he been in the box. How do we know that for so sure? Do we just assume this? In other words: is there any hard (primary) evidence that Grant WAS indeed a target of Booth? Did Booth ever say (to his friends), or write (in his diary), or otherwise, that he had resolved to carry out a coordinated assassination on both, Lincoln and Grant?

(2) And another thought about “why did Grant decline Lincoln’s invitation?”. Herb wrote in post #14: maybe, Mrs.Grant knew something we don't know. I ask you: is it possible that Mr. Grant knew something more? Is it possible that he knew about a plot and did he not wish to see his President shot? It is said by some researchers that had Lincoln lived out his term, he would no doubt have implemented a policy of rapid reconciliation. The South would have regained its political privileges quickly, and the radical Republican party might have lost the next election. That party was led by ….. Stanton and Grant. Likely? Just a thought to debunk…. It is my understanding that a Stanton-plot did not exist, but ….. who knows? It would declare why Grant left town so quickly.

Your comment(s) will be appreciated as always …..

[L Verge]

I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I have never felt that Booth had any plans on assassinating Gen. Grant. I have always thought that just the three that we know were the intended targets because of their power and position that could bring down the government if they were destroyed. It didn't help Seward any that his rabid abolitionist views and his quotes about his power "to ring a bell and send people to prison" (not the exact quote) didn't sit well with folks like Booth.

I think Booth probably saw Grant as a puppet of the evil government in Washington - just doing his duty. And, at this point in the game, there were other generals who would jump in to fill Grant's boots if he were killed, so don't waste the effort and the bullet.

[RJNorton]

I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I have never felt that Booth had any plans on assassinating Gen. Grant.

Good point, Laurie, IMO. At the trial was there additional "evidence" other than Michael O'Laughlen may have come to the Stantons' reception the night of the 13th and asked for Grant (and Stanton)? I know we have recollections from the Grants that Booth "bothered" them on the 14th, but I don't think that came out at the trial.

[L Verge]

To my knowledge, there has been no identifying evidence brought to light that the man (if he even existed) was O'Laughlen. I have also heard it speculated that O'Laughlen was there to warn Stanton that a plot was afoot.

[STS Lincolnite]

I have also heard it speculated that O'Laughlen was there to warn Stanton that a plot was afoot.

I have heard the same speculation.

[HerbS]

That is why I said what I said!Who knows,what without some speculation and thinking out of the box!--Herb Swingle

[L Verge]

David Keehn, who wrote that great book on the Knights of the Golden Circle found that William O'Laughlen, Mike's older brother, was a member of that group and that Michael may have been also. He also suggested that William was supposed to be the one in Booth's original kidnap gang, but that Michael became the substitute when William became a new father.

It might make sense that Michael would become an informant once the plan turned to something more sinister. The friends that he came to D.C. with from Baltimore to see the Illuminations said that Mike would disappear every now and then - perhaps to meet up with Booth to find out what was really going on. There's no evidence to indicate any plan was afoot for the night of the 13th (and if my family story is correct, Herold wasn't in town on the 13th), when O'Laughlen MIGHT have been at the Stanton house.

[Eva Elisabeth]

∑ = 18 comments on motives, 10 (9) x Gen. Grant, 5 x A. Lincoln, 3 (4) x both

Thanks Eva! I really do believe now that Ford's was not sold out that evening and that maybe twice as much people came to see Grant rather than Lincoln. It's still a guess however.

Kees, IMO these two accounts provide further interesting info.

-W. H. Roberts (Feb. 12, 1927): "I was with a group of comrades…we were admitted free. I guess it was because we were soldiers."
- John L. Bolton (1914): From the fact that a large part of the audience of the theatres was composed of army men…"

There are more than just these two accounts stating/indicating that 1.) a great portion of the audience attending Ford's on April 14 was (were? But "portion" is singular...) army members, and 2.) (at least many of these) army members got their tickets for free/were invited by superiors etc. (and simply attended because they didn't deny the gift).

Any thoughts on this?

[L Verge]

I think that you are absolutely correct in the make-up of the audience, Eva. P.S. Also about "was" being the correct form to use.

[HerbS]

Freebes are everywhere!From-The NFL to High School Sports.We call them-comps.So it does make sense that"Fords Theatre",should have been crowded that night.PR.Comps are often used to boost attendance levels for any audience.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I still wonder how Ford was able to run his theater profitably without selling the other boxes whenever the President attended, and issuing free ticket for soldiers on a large scale...
Also I wonder if the President had to pay? At least to first nights it's common practice here that high ranking city authorities and journalists (and theater employees for their family members) get free tickets.