Lincoln Movie - Your Reviews

[ReignetteC]

(11-30-2012 05:07 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I found the scene with Tad interesting as I have read many versions of how things played out at Grover's.
Over the years I have read all these versions in a variety of different books:

Who accompanied him?

1. His tutor.

2. Alphonso Donn or Dunn (one of the group of Metropolitan Washington police officers assigned to the White House).

How did Tad find out his dad had been shot?

1. Someone rushed up the aisle, whispered what happened into the tutor's (or Donn's) ear, and Tad was rushed out of the theater before a general announcement was made to the audience.

2. A man rushed into the theater and yelled the tragic news to the entire audience with Tad still present.

3. An actor or manager went on stage and announced to the crowd that Lincoln had been shot with Tad still present.

4. A combination of 2 and 3.

Greetings,

Anthony Pitch and Edward Steers, among others, write that Alphonse Donn (sometimes spelled Dunn), a former member of the Metropolitan police, accompanied Tad to Grover’s Theatre.

As you know, Mary Lincoln gave President Lincoln’s assassination clothes (including the Brooks Brothers overcoat) to Alphonse Donn “for his devoted attentions to Mr. Lincoln.” (Mary Lincoln referred to Donn as “A Dunn.”)

Interestingly, Donn’s children and grandchildren referred to him as a “favorite” of the Lincoln’s. I have not found, however, any reference - by them - to Donn’s attendance at Grover’s Theatre on the fateful night of April 14, 1865.

Mr. Donn’s granddaughter wrote the following in 1933:

I am the granddaughter of the late Alphonse Donn (sometimes spelled Dunn), who was one of the personal guards of President Lincoln. About ten days after the assassination, Mrs. Lincoln presented the suit of clothes and overcoat worn by her husband on that fatal night to my grandfather because of his devotion and faithful service to the President.