I'm so glad to see you posting. I still have the photo you sent me of you standing beside the Lincoln deathbed at the Chicago Historical Society. That's as close as I will come to seeing the real thing.

(11-23-2012 08:38 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I'm so glad to see you posting. I still have the photo you sent me of you standing beside the Lincoln deathbed at the Chicago Historical Society. That's as close as I will come to seeing the real thing.

Laurie,
Forgive me for not knowing this, but I always assumed that the bed in the Petersen house was THE bed. I was unaware that it was in Chicago. I guess you learn something new every day. Out of curiosity where did this bed in the Petersen house come from?

Craig

It is a fairly typical, middle-class bed of the Civil War era, so lots of them were made. I can only assume that the NPS found an antique or constructed their own replica. Jim Garrett, another question to post to the folks at Ford's Theatre.

(11-23-2012 09:05 PM)L Verge Wrote:  It is a fairly typical, middle-class bed of the Civil War era, so lots of them were made. I can only assume that the NPS found an antique or constructed their own replica. Jim Garrett, another question to post to the folks at Ford's Theatre.

Here you go....The bed that Lincoln died in was sold at auction in 1872 along with 2 chairs 2 prints, the bureau and a gas wall sconce. They changed hands once to Charles Gunther from whence the CHS acquired them. The bed was a spindle bed, sometimes also referred to as a Jenny Lind bed. They were good sturdy stock and alot were produce and easy to find.

The furnishings in the house were made possible through the efforts of Il. representative Henry R. Rathbone, sone of Major Henry and Clara. Additional funds for the furnishings were provided by U.S. Grant III. All furnishings in the Petersen house are original period antiques, however none are originally from the house, although there are claims that some may be. No provenance.

Mention was made above that the style of bed was known as a Jenny Lind. I have always chuckled at that nickname. As you know, Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale, toured the U.S. during this period, courtesy of P.T. Barnum, who paid a small fortune to get her here.

All of a sudden beds, trunks, and other things were being named after her. Surratt House has a full suite of Jenny Lind furniture in the master bedroom, and I personally own a Jenny Lind traveling trunk. Many years ago (and I don't remember where), I saw a picture of Miss Lind's real bed -- a majestic piece of construction.

BTW: One of us original Boothies from the 1970s on, Art Candenquist of Virginia, is a leading authority on Jenny Lind and has spoken in the U.S. and abroad many times on the lovely lady.

Additional information on this topic. Mr. Steers has a book, "The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia". On pages 443-445 there is information under the heading, President's Box, Ford's Theater.
For some of this topic, Mr. Steers gives credit to the Surratt Courier.

Speaking of doors . . .
In 1962, Frank Ford, the son of Harry Clay Ford, wrote to Dr. George Olszewski, a historian involved in the restoration of Ford's Theatre, about the "hole in the door leading to the box President Lincoln occupied . . . ." He writes, in part:

I say again and unequivocally that John Wilkes Booth did not bore the hole in the door leading to the box President Lincoln occupied the night of his assassination, April 14, 1865, as "history" seems to think and has so many times repeated.

The hole was bored by my father, Harry Clay Ford, or rather on his orders, and was bored for the very simple reason it would allow the guard, one Parker, easy opportunity whenever he so desired to look into the box rather than to open the inner door to check on the Presidential party.

My father would always "blow his top," to use today's slang, whenever he read or heard of this historical absurdity ... .


Comments?

Personally I can go either way on this. G. W. Bunker, a clerk at the National Hotel, testified at the conspiracy trial that a gimlet with an iron handle was found in Booth's trunk.

I also think Everton Conger reported wood shavings were among the things found on Booth's person at Garrett's.

Still, I think this issue can be argued either way. I never thought twice about this until the late 1980's when I read W. Emerson Reck's A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours. That was the first time I read Frank Ford's letter.

Dr. Reck's book never seems to get much mention, but I find it a terrific resource for that last day.

I agree, Roger, that this is another one of those pesky little sidelights to the story. When I first read the Frank Ford letter (and I think it was in Dr. Reck's book), I wondered why they would, in essence, damage the door simply to give a guard a peephole. If the guard, or in this case, Charles Forbes, sat at the assigned post, he would know of anyone who might enter the box to harm anyone. There was only one way in -- unless you want to use that lasso story again and have an assassin come swinging into the box from stage left!

I also question, however, why Booth would keep those wood shavings in his handkerchief for twelve days. Someone once suggested as kindling, but that wasn't enough to start a fire. Didn't he need to use his handkerchief at some point on his escape, and the shavings would fall out? Maybe he just wanted a souvenir of his deed?

If only Parker had stayed at his Post to even use the peep hole...

Didn't Ford also claim that the defect in the wall (used by Booth to utilize the music-stand leg to wedge the door shut) also predated the assassination? Seems to be quite a coincidence that it was there.

Ford may have been trying to limit the theatre's complicity in allowing Booth the time and the access to the president's box in preparation for his assassination that same day.

[/quote]
Here you go....The bed that Lincoln died in was sold at auction in 1872 along with 2 chairs 2 prints, the bureau and a gas wall sconce. They changed hands once to Charles Gunther from whence the CHS acquired them. The bed was a spindle bed, sometimes also referred to as a Jenny Lind bed. They were good sturdy stock and alot were produce and easy to find.
[/quote]

The Lincoln deathbed later acquired at least one other use. A story in The Chicago Historical Society 1856-1956 by Paul M. Angle (New York: Rand McNally, 1956, pp 228-229) described a February 1948 incident where Roger Anderson was arrested after looting the Chicago Historical Society museum. He was arrested by police after being called by a motorman on a streetcar, where the man was drunk on whiskey and waving two 1846 Whitney pistols, bragging of his duels with western sheriffs. Upon questioning he admitted the guns came from the museum. Anderson stated he visited the museum during the afternoon just before closing time, and hid underneath the Lincoln deathbed. After everyone left the building he broke into gun cabinets. He had also robbed the museum in the previous year, also hiding under the Lincoln bed. He sold the guns to an antiques dealer and each time spent the money "on drinks."

Here you go....The bed that Lincoln died in was sold at auction in 1872 along with 2 chairs 2 prints, the bureau and a gas wall sconce. They changed hands once to Charles Gunther from whence the CHS acquired them. The bed was a spindle bed, sometimes also referred to as a Jenny Lind bed. They were good sturdy stock and alot were produce and easy to find.
[/quote]

The Lincoln deathbed later acquired at least one other use. A story in The Chicago Historical Society 1856-1956 by Paul M. Angle (New York: Rand McNally, 1956, pp 228-229) described a February 1948 incident where Roger Anderson was arrested after looting the Chicago Historical Society museum. He was arrested by police after being called by a motorman on a streetcar, where the man was drunk on whiskey and waving two 1846 Whitney pistols, bragging of his duels with western sheriffs. Upon questioning he admitted the guns came from the museum. Anderson stated he visited the museum during the afternoon just before closing time, and hid underneath the Lincoln deathbed. After everyone left the building he broke into gun cabinets. He had also robbed the museum in the previous year, also hiding under the Lincoln bed. He sold the guns to an antiques dealer and each time spent the money "on drinks."
[/quote]

Now we have to start looking under the beds before we can lock up Surratt House and turn on security each night?

The Chicago Historical Society has loaned the Lincoln bed to the A. Lincoln Museum for 2015 and it is on display. If you go to CHS and are looking for the bed you will be disappointed and need to travel about 3 hours south.

Door Number 8.