On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth carried out the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre, marking a tragic event that would immortalize the 16th president. This heinous act occurred just days after the conclusion of the American Civil War, a turbulent period in the nation’s history. Notably, at the moment of his assassination, Lincoln had some unusual items in his pockets.
The assassination that shook the United States
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln stands as one of the pivotal moments in American history. The president had just steered the nation through the tumultuous Civil War, a period of unprecedented challenge, and enjoyed immense popularity, particularly among the African-American community for his significant contributions to the abolition of slavery.
Attending Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC with his wife, Mary, to watch a play, Lincoln, immersed in the performance, was oblivious to the approach of his assassin, John Wilkes Booth. A relatively popular figure at the time due to his successful stage career, Booth gained access to the president’s box.
Seizing the opportunity, Booth approached Lincoln from behind, catching him unaware, and fired a single shot into the back of the president’s head using a .44-caliber Derringer pistol. The assassin then made a dramatic escape, battling his way out of the theater and fleeing on horseback. The next morning, Lincoln was pronounced dead, marking the tragic end of one of America’s most esteemed presidents at the age of 56.
While Lincoln’s assassination had profound implications for American history, one intriguing, yet ordinary aspect lay in the contents of the president’s pockets at the time.
The contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets
When he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln had a small pocket knife, two pairs of glasses and a pocket watch fob in his pockets. He was also carrying a leather wallet and a linen handkerchief with “A. Lincoln” inscribed in red letters. Remarkably, one of the pairs of spectacles showed evidence of a small repair done by the president himself.
Beyond the ordinary belongings, Lincoln possessed a collection of newspaper clippings containing commendations about himself. Perhaps the most intriguing item in his possession that night, however, was a $5.00 Confederate bill that was found in his wallet.
The presence of enemy currency raises questions as to why the president would carry such an item. While the exact answer is unknown, researchers at the Library of Congress propose a theory.
Clark Evans, the head of Reference Services in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, suggests, “We don’t know with one hundred percent certainty but just a few days earlier, Richmond had fallen, and Lincoln did actually travel to Richmond and this was likely passed onto him as a souvenir.”
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The remarkable preservation of the possessions carried by Lincoln on the night of his assassination is extraordinary. Following his death, the items were entrusted to his eldest son, Robert, and remained in the family’s possession for the next seven decades. Presently, these invaluable artifacts can be viewed at the Library of Congress.