Norman D. Schmidt They Took Our President

Annotation

ON JANUARY 10, 1865 JOHN WILKES BOOTH, DAVID HEROLD, AND LEWIS POWELL KIDNAPPED PRESIDENT LINCOLN AS HE WALKED FROM THE NEARBY WAR DEPARTMENT OR TELEGRAPH OFFICE TO THE WHITE HOUSE. SEVERAL WEEKS EARLIER BOOTH HAD A NEARBY CARPENTER BUILD TWO LOW SLUNG WAGONS FOR TRANSPORTING THE PRESIDENT TO THE RICHMOND AREA. AFTER MANY MONTHS OF PLANNING IT WAS NOW HAPPENING. THE UPSTAIRS BEDROOM WINDOWS WERE BOARDED OVER. WHEN LINCOLN WOULD GO ON A WALK AROUND THE HOME OR WOULD CUT FIREWOOD, DAVY HEROLD WITH HIS GUN WOULD ALWAYS BE NEARBY. IN MID-FEBRUARY A NEIGHBOR CAME OVER TO BORROW SOMETHING AND WAS INTRODUCED TO LINCOLN AS BEING SOMEBODY ELSE.THE NEIGHBOR ALSO SAW THE UPSTAIRS BEDROOM BOARDED OVER. THE NEXT DAY THE NEIGHBOR TRAVELLED TO THE NEARBY BATTLE BEING FOUGHT AND MET WITH GENERAL SHERIDAN. WASHINGTON QUICKLY MADE PLANS TO RESCUE LINCOLN WHICH THEY DID BUT NOT BEFORE HEROLD AND BOOTH ESCAPED TO THE NEARBY BARN. BOOTH WAS KILLED. LINCOLN HAD ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO WRITE HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS WHICH HE GAVE.