Lincoln and the secret service

[RJNorton]

Laurie, when it comes to Lincoln's last day activities the first source I check is Lincoln Day By Day. If what I am seeking is not there I will check Reck's A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours. If it's not there I will check Sandburg's War Years and Starr's Lincoln's Last Day. In this case I also checked McCulloch's memoirs regarding his interactions with Lincoln on April 14th. Additionally, I checked Neely's Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia. And I checked Gerald Prokopowicz's book as it has a ton of Lincoln-related facts and stories. It sounds like a story Emanuel Hertz would certainly include in Lincoln Talks, but it's not there, either. Jim Bishop says nothing about this (not the most reliable source, but he usually mentions things that would be "of interest"). Everywhere I look I draw a blank. Kids have asked me about this since 1996 as teachers in the USA are teaching it, so it's "out there." I just haven't found why, so I simply tell the kids I cannot verify what their teacher is teaching. I agree the idea that Lincoln created the Secret Service hours before being shot makes for a good story, but I cannot find an original source regarding the veracity of it.