List of Ford's Theatre Attendees

[wpbinzel]

TODAY!!! The annual meeting of the Surratt Society will be on Saturday, April 25, 2026, via Zoom, from 2:00 to approximately 4:30 pm, ET. The Zoom link is posted below. There will be a brief business meeting for the election of officers for the 2026-27 term. The proposed slate is:
Louise Oertly, president
Bill Binzel, vice president
Rebecca Morris, secretary
Dr. Nathan Willis, treasurer

In the interest of time, a motion will be offered to approve the slate en bloc (all together) so as not to have individual votes of the membership on each position.

After the business meeting, there will be two presentations. Joe Barry will discuss the audience at Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, and Mike Mazzeo will discuss the history and restoration of Rich Hill, which was the home of Samuel Cox and John Wilkes Booth’s third stop in his attempt to escape.

The meeting and presentations are open to all, and free.

The Zoom link to the meeting is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84728950585?pw...ZYp5NVZk.1 .

[David Lockmiller]

(04-24-2026 11:34 AM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  

(04-24-2026 08:28 AM)Gene C Wrote:  Thanks Linda,

The links are for 4 volumes (about 45 pages each of newspaper clippings) memories of people who claim to have been at Ford's Theatre when Lincoln was shot. Interesting and worth a look.

You're welcome, Gene. Mrs. Luther E. L. Doethe, (that's her name in the file but it's spelled "Deothe" in the same Newspaper.com article and "DeOthe" in the 1929 Denver City Directory) said she recognized Booth "as I had often seen him hang around the Kirkwood Hotel with some other, worthless third-rate actors." Mrs. Deothe also offered her opinion that Lincoln married Mary "in an effort to overcome his grief at the death of his first sweetheart."

Mrs. Deothe also offered her opinion that Lincoln married Mary "in an effort to overcome his grief at the death of his first sweetheart."

[Steve]

The Lincoln Financial Foundation collection has many interesting accounts the diary entry of Adelbert D. Baughman, who attended Ford's Theatre that night, written right after it happened. Baughman is on Joe's list but listed only as "A. D. Baughman"










Baughman was able to get to the bannister as they were carrying Lincoln down the stairs.

Baughman mentions coming to a theater with a man whose name seems like it reads Dexter Austin. So he can be added to Joe's list. Baughman also mentions somebody named "Billy", I'm not sure if he mentions Billy's surname or not.

[RJNorton]

Thank you to Steve for sending the following articles. Steve writes, "I have some articles to post to the Forum. The first is the obituary of Adelbert D. Baughman. It's from page 4 of the 23 Nov. 1914 edition of the Grand Rapids Press. The second article is from page 1 of the 13 Feb. 1916 edition of the Trenton Times-Advertiser. Joe's list's includes a "clergyman" who spoke at a 1916 Billy Sunday event who mentions carrying Lincoln from the theater. Joe uses a wire service article which doesn't name the Rev. but he gives 4 possibilities from his list. I looked up a local newspaper article on the event and it names one of the four, Rev. William James as the man."

[jbarry]

(04-25-2026 02:49 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Thank you to Steve for sending the following articles. Steve writes, "I have some articles to post to the Forum. The first is the obituary of Adelbert D. Baughman. It's from page 4 of the 23 Nov. 1914 edition of the Grand Rapids Press. The second article is from page 1 of the 13 Feb. 1916 edition of the Trenton Times-Advertiser. Joe's list's includes a "clergyman" who spoke at a 1916 Billy Sunday event who mentions carrying Lincoln from the theater. Joe uses a wire service article which doesn't name the Rev. but he gives 4 possibilities from his list. I looked up a local newspaper article on the event and it names one of the four, Rev. William James as the man."

Thanks, great work Roger!

[RJNorton]

Joe, proper credit to Steve for his research. He's amazing.

[Linda Anderson]

I found a Joseph Coombs in the 1870 Census who was born in 1817, lived in DC and was a lawyer. He could be the Mr. Coombs, bank inspector, who accompanied the 98-year-old Mrs. Deothe to Ford's on April 14.

I haven't looked through all the names in the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection but I did find one person, William Hearsey of Dayton (Folder 3), who is not on the list.

"As a soldier Mr. Hearsey happened to be in Washington, and, having heard of the fame of Laura Keene as. an actress, and also of the fact that the President would attend, went to Ford's Theater to pass the evening."

Also, I noticed that a twelve year old boy, Henry B. Polkinhorn (sometimes spelled "Polkenhorn) in Folders 2, 3 & 5, is on the list as having claimed to carry the dying Lincoln across the street but I think he was just listed in Clark's article as one of the people in Ford's Theatre that night who were still alive in 1923 when Clark first read his article to the Columbia Historical Society.

"Of those whose witnessed the assassination and happily survive although nearly sixty years intervene are Colonel Otto J. Downing of Dixon Ill., - he was of the five who bore Mr. Lincoln across the street - Louis Kettler, Myron M. Parker, Henry B. Polkinhorn, and Mrs. Beekman DuBarry, all of the City of Washington, D.C.," 104.

Allen C. Clark, “Lincoln in the National Capital,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., 27 (1925)

This article has a photo of "little Henry."

https://archive.org/details/assassinatio...1/mode/2up

[RJNorton]

Thank you, Linda. Your research is amazing.

Many years ago I compiled a list of over 25 men who claimed (or were given credit) to have helped carry the stricken President across the street from Ford's Theatre to the Petersen House. The names include Dr. Charles Leale, Dr. Charles Taft, Dr. Albert King, Albert Daggett, Augustus Clark, Capt. Obadiah Jackson Downing, Capt. Edwin Bedee, Major Isaac Walker McClay, W.H. Flood, Frederick Johnstone, Jacob J. Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, William Sample, William McPeck, John Weaver, Joseph Hazelton, Capt. Owen, Capt. John Sears, Capt. John Busby, Capt. Oliver C. Gatch, George A. Clark, Thomas Gourlay, William Greer, Andrew J. Smith, Dr. Ezra Abbott, and Dr. Charles Davenport Gatch.

I think these four names may be mentioned most often in history books: Jacob Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, and William Sample.

[Linda Anderson]

(04-26-2026 07:19 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Thank you, Linda. Your research is amazing.

Many years ago I compiled a list of over 25 men who claimed (or were given credit) to have helped carry the stricken President across the street from Ford's Theatre to the Petersen House. The names include Dr. Charles Leale, Dr. Charles Taft, Dr. Albert King, Albert Daggett, Augustus Clark, Capt. Obadiah Jackson Downing, Capt. Edwin Bedee, Major Isaac Walker McClay, W.H. Flood, Frederick Johnstone, Jacob J. Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, William Sample, William McPeck, John Weaver, Joseph Hazelton, Capt. Owen, Capt. John Sears, Capt. John Busby, Capt. Oliver C. Gatch, George A. Clark, Thomas Gourlay, William Greer, Andrew J. Smith, Dr. Ezra Abbott, and Dr. Charles Davenport Gatch.

I think these four names may be mentioned most often in history books: Jacob Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, and William Sample.

Thank you, Roger.

I asked AI and this is what it said:

"Four Union soldiers from Battery C of the Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery—John Corey, Jabez Griffiths, William Sample, and Jacob Soles—carried President Abraham Lincoln from Ford's Theatre to the Petersen House after he was shot on April 14, 1865. They were off-duty soldiers seated in the balcony who rushed to the Presidential box to assist." The source is Emerging Civil War.

Carl Bersch sketched the scene "as it happened."

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2022/04/14/...eir-hands/

[jbarry]

(04-26-2026 02:30 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  I found a Joseph Coombs in the 1870 Census who was born in 1817, lived in DC and was a lawyer. He could be the Mr. Coombs, bank inspector, who accompanied the 98-year-old Mrs. Deothe to Ford's on April 14.

I haven't looked through all the names in the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection but I did find one person, William Hearsey of Dayton (Folder 3), who is not on the list.

"As a soldier Mr. Hearsey happened to be in Washington, and, having heard of the fame of Laura Keene as. an actress, and also of the fact that the President would attend, went to Ford's Theater to pass the evening."

Also, I noticed that a twelve year old boy, Henry B. Polkinhorn (sometimes spelled "Polkenhorn) in Folders 2, 3 & 5, is on the list as having claimed to carry the dying Lincoln across the street but I think he was just listed in Clark's article as one of the people in Ford's Theatre that night who were still alive in 1923 when Clark first read his article to the Columbia Historical Society.

"Of those whose witnessed the assassination and happily survive although nearly sixty years intervene are Colonel Otto J. Downing of Dixon Ill., - he was of the five who bore Mr. Lincoln across the street - Louis Kettler, Myron M. Parker, Henry B. Polkinhorn, and Mrs. Beekman DuBarry, all of the City of Washington, D.C.," 104.

Allen C. Clark, “Lincoln in the National Capital,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., 27 (1925)

This article has a photo of "little Henry."

https://archive.org/details/assassinatio...1/mode/2up

Hi Linda, I appreciate your Eagle Eye on this list! I originally had Mr. Hearsey on the list, but on further inspection noticed it overlapped with the William Hershey I have listed. If your research indicates otherwise, please let me know and I'll amend as necessary.
Thanks!
Joe

---

(04-26-2026 07:19 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Thank you, Linda. Your research is amazing.

Many years ago I compiled a list of over 25 men who claimed (or were given credit) to have helped carry the stricken President across the street from Ford's Theatre to the Petersen House. The names include Dr. Charles Leale, Dr. Charles Taft, Dr. Albert King, Albert Daggett, Augustus Clark, Capt. Obadiah Jackson Downing, Capt. Edwin Bedee, Major Isaac Walker McClay, W.H. Flood, Frederick Johnstone, Jacob J. Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, William Sample, William McPeck, John Weaver, Joseph Hazelton, Capt. Owen, Capt. John Sears, Capt. John Busby, Capt. Oliver C. Gatch, George A. Clark, Thomas Gourlay, William Greer, Andrew J. Smith, Dr. Ezra Abbott, and Dr. Charles Davenport Gatch.

I think these four names may be mentioned most often in history books: Jacob Soles, John Corey, Jacob Griffiths, and William Sample.

Thanks Roger, this is a great list. Also, in case you haven't seen it already, Lincoln Financial Foundation has digitized a folder specifically on people claiming to have carried Lincoln to Petersen House: https://www.lincolncollection.org/search...item=96583

[jbarry]

(04-25-2026 12:13 PM)Steve Wrote:  The Lincoln Financial Foundation collection has many interesting accounts the diary entry of Adelbert D. Baughman, who attended Ford's Theatre that night, written right after it happened. Baughman is on Joe's list but listed only as "A. D. Baughman"










Baughman was able to get to the bannister as they were carrying Lincoln down the stairs.

Baughman mentions coming to a theater with a man whose name seems like it reads Dexter Austin. So he can be added to Joe's list. Baughman also mentions somebody named "Billy", I'm not sure if he mentions Billy's surname or not.

Thanks for digging into this, Steve! As best I can read his difficult cursive, it looks like he writes Billy (Guy?) Kendall. Also I see where it looks like Dexter "Austin," also wondering if Austin is "question" although that imparts weird grammar into sentence. But also confusing is the "a" isn't capitalized. I've added to the list with these questions highlighted.

[Linda Anderson]

Hi Joe, you are right. Mr. Hershey and Mr. Hearsey seem to be the same person. Mr. Hershey's account is on page 8 and Mr. "Hearsey's" account is on page 10 in Folder 3 of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection.

The article concerning Mr. "Hearsey" can be found in the Indianpolis Star, Feb. 7, 1909.

Thanks for pointing that out!

[RJNorton]

Mnay thanks to Steve for sending this article. Steve writes, "I have something to post to the Forum. It's an article from page 5 of the 10 April 1909 edition of the Lincoln Evening News (Nebraska). It's William Greer's account of that night at Ford's Theatre. He doesn't claim that he helped carry Lincoln. Rather, he and a companion were following behind Lincoln and picked up a hat and shaw that had fallen from the body as it was being carried. Greer. He claims they then dropped off the hat and shaw at Petersen House. Here's Greer's Find A Grave memorial:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1285...liam-greer

I looked into Greer's military record. He got injured in battle and had an arm amputated in 1864. I don't know what hospital he would have been in to see if he was in Washington DC in April 1865. Someone would probably have to look up Greer's Carded Medical Records (or maybe it could be in his pension files?) to do that. I did learn that Greer was only a Private and never a Captain, though. So the fact that he presents himself as being a Captain in the Civil War could be considered a possible red flag of his honesty about what he did that night."

[jbarry]

(04-28-2026 02:47 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Mnay thanks to Steve for sending this article. Steve writes, "I have something to post to the Forum. It's an article from page 5 of the 10 April 1909 edition of the Lincoln Evening News (Nebraska). It's William Greer's account of that night at Ford's Theatre. He doesn't claim that he helped carry Lincoln. Rather, he and a companion were following behind Lincoln and picked up a hat and shaw that had fallen from the body as it was being carried. Greer. He claims they then dropped off the hat and shaw at Petersen House. Here's Greer's Find A Grave memorial:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1285...liam-greer

I looked into Greer's military record. He got injured in battle and had an arm amputated in 1864. I don't know what hospital he would have been in to see if he was in Washington DC in April 1865. Someone would probably have to look up Greer's Carded Medical Records (or maybe it could be in his pension files?) to do that. I did learn that Greer was only a Private and never a Captain, though. So the fact that he presents himself as being a Captain in the Civil War could be considered a possible red flag of his honesty about what he did that night."

Thanks, I've updated the record. Given all the honorifics floating around (including many in a civilian capacity that we sometimes confuse with military rank) including "Captain" and "Colonel", I don't think it's that egregious of an inflation 40 years later, especially when it's written in third person. That, and people's jobs later in life often conferred an honorific.

[Steve]

I have an update for Joe's list -- one duplicate name and one name to add to the list.

The list has a William F. Kent and William T. Kent.

Here's the list's reference for William F. Kent from pages 1 and 2 of the 12 Feb. 1909 edition of the San Francisco Call referenced in the list:





If you look at these other newspaper accounts of William T. Kent, they match the 1909 newspaper account. There was just an error on Kent's middle initial by the newspaper----


An earlier account of William T. Kent from page 4 of the 05 Dec. 1891 edition of the Indianapolis Journal





Page 11 of the 14 April 1916 edition of the Washington Evening Star




William T. Kent conspiracy trial testimony:

https://archive.org/details/conspiracytr...6/mode/2up



Now for the new name for the list. In an April 15, 1865 letter to his mother William T. Kent said he went to theater with a "Mr. Franklin".

Here's Roger's earlier post of image of transcript of April 15, 1865 letter Kent sent to his mother:

(04-01-2023 10:46 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Many thanks to Mr. James Pratt of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park for sending the full text of William Kent's April 15, 1865, letter. There is no mention of finding Mary Lincoln's opera glasses.