Free Republic

The leading Republican candidate for president in 1860 was Senator Seward of New York, distinguished by decades of experience in state and national government. But there was another candidate, relatively unknown nationally, but a recognized anti-slavery lawyer from Illinois. Some of his opponents delighted in calling Abraham Lincoln a "black Republican." Lincoln's government experience consisted of one congressional term, preceded by four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. Still, the darkhorse candidate had earned a reputation for leadership of the Illinois anti-slavery coalition of former Whigs and free soil Democrats. In debates and major speeches of the 1850s, he...

(snip)On the morning of Friday, April 14, Booth dropped by Ford's Theatre and learned that the President and General Grant were planning to attend the evening performance of Our American Cousin. He held one final meeting with his co-conspirators. He said he would kill Lincoln at the theatre (he had since learned that Grant had left town). Atzerodt was to kill Vice-President Andrew Johnson at the Kirkwood House where Johnson resided. Powell was assigned to kill Secretary of State William Seward. Herold would accompany Powell. All attacks were to take place simultaneously at approximately 10:15 P.M. that night. Booth hoped...