Lincoln's embalmment

[loetar44]

Some thoughts: I think that Edwin Stanton would likely have played a greater role if Lincoln had miraculously survived. Andrew Johnson would certainly not automatically have taken charge. When Garfield was shot he died 11 weeks later. That was the first real issue with presidential disability, but “who exactly was in charge” in that time span, i.e. who made the decisions that had to be made on matters of state? Remember that Woodrow Wilson’s wife essentially took over when her husband fell seriously ill.