Lincoln AssassinatedApril 14, 1865

• Carried out 4/14/65 (surrender 4/9/65)• Larger conspiracy-plot to kill 3 (Lincoln, VP Andrew Johnson and

Sec. of St. Seward)• Johnson-his assassin got drunk and cold feet• Seward-stab wounds, survived• Lincoln-assassinated by John Wilkes Booth• Booth-confederate zealot, actor, fired derringer to back of Lincoln’s

head as he watched “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater• “sic semper tyrannis”-motto of VA.• Lincoln died 9 hrs later; Booth pursued in to VA. And killed in a

burning barn

• Samuel Mudd-involved??? (physician who set Booth’s leg) involvement questioned…”your name is Mudd”

• Mudd-sentenced to life, later pardoned by Johnson• Mary Surratt-executed, 1st woman executed by federal

govt.• 4 hung-2 die immediately, 2 others, including Surratt

slowly strangle• Irony: Lincoln created the Secret Service earlier that day

to suppress counterfeit money…commissioned in July

Lincoln’s Legacy

• Emancipation Proclamation-John C. Fremont issues an EP in MO. Aug. 1861: Lincoln vetoes it then issues his own Sept. 1862 (also recall 1st inaugural)

• Suspension of Habeas Corpus-when a man arrested sues, Chief Justice Taney rules Lincoln cannot do this…Lincoln ignores the ruling

• Gettysburg Address• Assassination-MARTYRDOM?

Casualties of War

Union Confederacy

Total Service members 2,213,363 1,050,000

Battle Deaths 140,414 74,542

Other deaths in service-disease, prison, accidents

224,097 592,972

Disease: 197,388Prison: 30,192Accidents: 24,881

Disease: 140,000

Wounded 281,881 Unknown

Medical Conditions

• Poor sanitation, primitive medical practices, contaminated water supplies, amputations often infected

Prisons

• Andersonville, GA.• Designed to hold 10,000; pop. Swelled to over 32,000• Deteriorating resources and overcrowding-health and

nutritional conditions• 12,912 deaths by war’s end• Apart from the Lincoln conspirators, Conf. Henry Wirz who

commanded Andersonville is the only other one executed for actions in the Civil War

• Federal prisons notorious for the same: Alton, IL. and Elmira, NY

54th Massachusetts Regiment

• 1st African-American regiment-for the Union• Commissioned in 1863 after the Eman. Proc.• Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw• Initially mistreated, gained respect over time• Movie “Glory”