Political caucus right after assassination

[Gene C]

I am hoping to one day get to the point of how and why exactly the radicals turned on him (I'm sure that is quite a story) but as of now, my knowledge is wikipedia level.
There is just too much to learn about Lincoln for me...

Stanton's biography by Benjamin Thomas & Harold Hyman will answer a lot of your questions. It is very good. Probably the best book I have read this year.