Fly Through Historic Ford’s Theatre

[Dennis Urban]

(12-07-2019 07:16 PM)Tom Bogar Wrote:  In terms of the question about time, as near as I have been able to determine, the shot occurred at 10:14, and within minutes soldiers were rushing into the theatre, with several of them beginning to clear the street in front of Ford's by 10:20, when the group began carrying Lincoln from the box on a (single) shutter. Perhaps--Laurie's favorite word --Tanner's or Leale's accounts are more specific, although Tanner wasn't called down (at Gen. Augur's request) until nearly midnight, I believe. According to at least one first-person account (sorry, I don't have time right now to dig through all my files for who), several shutters were stacked against the wall of the theatre outside the box (near the SW corner of the second level of the theatre).

I appreciate seeing the 10:14 time of the shot. Mr. Bogar's book does not contain any reference to the shutters he now mentions. However, I have seen references in other books to Lincoln being carried on a "door". I'd also like to know the origin of the reference to the shutters being stacked outside the box near the SW corner of the building and one of them being used to carry the President. Seems like there would have been more than one witness reference to these shutters. Ford's Theatre did not have window shutters at this time, so why would several be stored inside on the second floor unless John Ford was going to install them. Apparently Ford never commented on them either.

The painting also seems to depict a pillow under Lincoln's head. That, and the flags, probably represent the artistic license taken by Bersch. I doubt the flag was in the street and also one was not likely hanging from the theatre. With all that said, I understand how unreliable many witnesses to the same event can be.