An Overnight Vigil
A Crowd Gathers
As Lincoln was dying in the Petersen House, a crowd gathered outside. What was it like to be there that night?
Night on 10th Street
Perspectives on the Night
What did witnesses see on the street in front of the Petersen House, and around Washington?
As you look at each testimony, consider:
- How does this evidence match—or not—with other evidence? Who gave the testimony?
- What might the person’s motives be for saying what they did?
- When did this person give the testimony? Was it soon after the event? Much later? How might that affect what they said?
(Note: Original spelling preserved in all quotations.)
“People were saying ‘Secretary Seward and his son have had their throats cut in their own house.’ Is it so? Yes, it was true, and the murderer of our President has escaped through a back alley where a swift horse stood awaiting him. Cavalry came dashing up the street and stood with drawn swords before yon house.”
[...]
For hours delicate women stood clinging to the arms of their protectors, and strong men throw their arms around each other’s necks and cry like children, and passing up and down enquire in low agonized voices ‘Can he live? Is there no hope?’”
Julia Adeline Shepherd, in a letter to her father, April 16, 1865
“Large groups of people were gathered every few rods, all anxious and solicitous. Some one or more from each group stepped forward as I passed, to inquire into the condition of the President, and to ask if there was no hope. Intense grief was on every countenance when I replied that the President could survive but a short time. The colored people especially — and there were at this time more of them, perhaps, than of whites — were overwhelmed with grief.”
Gideon Welles, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, in his diary, April 15, 1865
“Grief and anxiety were making me weak, and as we joined the outskirts of a large crowd, I began to feel as meek and humble as a penitent child. A gray-haired old man was passing. I caught a glimpse of his face, and it seemed so full of kindness and sorrow that I gently touched his arm, and imploringly asked: ‘Will you please, sir, to tell me whether Mr. Lincoln is dead or not?’
‘Not dead,’ he replied, ‘but dying. God help us!’ and with a heavy step he passed on.”
Elizabeth Keckly, dressmaker and friend to First Lady Mary Lincoln, in “Behind the Scenes”, 1868
“A rumor ran about that General Mosby and his Confederate troops had taken possession of the city. After leaving the theater, I learned that an attempt had been made on the lives of Seward, the secretary of state, and Andrew Johnson, vice president. And a hundred and one other exciting tales, both true and false, were started and died out.”
Daniel H. Veader, account found in the Louis A. Warren Lincoln Library, 1920
Lincoln Carried Across The Street
Carl Bersch was sitting on a balcony sketching a torchlight parade when he saw soldiers carry President Abraham Lincoln out of Ford’s Theatre and into the Petersen House. Later in 1865, he painted a fanciful version of what he saw.
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A Sign of Celebration
U.S. flags were hanging throughout Washington in celebration of the end of war. At Ford’s Theatre, the President’s Box was decorated with both an American flag and a U.S. Treasury Flag. After the assassination, this symbol reminded American citizens of the leader they had lost.
A Theatre is No Place For a President
Soldiers carried the president out onto Tenth Street, hoping to return him home to die in peace with loved ones surrounding him, as was the Victorian ideal. The above image shows the theatre draped in mourning and protected by armed guards after the assassination.
A State of Panic
Panicked and shocked citizens poured out of the theatre, unsure if the president’s assassination was a sign of an impending Confederate attack on Washington. That confusion spread across the country, as this proclamation shows.
Unpaved Roads
A bumpy ride from the theatre to the White House could mean immediate death for the president. Doctors agreed they should take Lincoln to a nearby location instead. The above image shows the dirt road outside of Ford’s Theatre.
Bird’s-eye View
Like Carl Bersch, some eyewitnesses peered down from their balconies or windows at the chaos playing out on Tenth Street. This image shows the Petersen House and other nearby homes.
“Bring Him Here!”
Henry Safford, who lived in the Petersen boardinghouse across the street, encouraged the group carrying Lincoln to bring the President into an empty room there.
The Torchlight Parade
A torchlight parade celebrating Lee’s surrender passed by the theatre as the Lincolns were inside. This parade prompted Carl Bersch to sketch what soon became a scene of tragedy on Tenth Street.
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“The struggle of today, is not altogether for today -- it is for a vast future also.”President Abraham Lincoln, December 3, 1861 Message to Congress
Photo of Abraham Lincoln Courtesy of Ford's Theatre Historic Site.
Continue Exploring
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Lincoln’s Death
What happened inside the Petersen House after soldiers carried Lincoln there? Learn from eyewitnesses what it was like during their terrible overnight vigil.
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Ford’s Theatre
What happened to Ford’s Theatre after Lincoln’s assassination? Explore how the building went from theatre to office building to museum to working theatre again.
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Teaching the Lincoln Assassination
Are you looking to teach the Lincoln assassination? Find lesson plans and other resources here.
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Digital Programs
Looking for learning activities related to this history, and more? See what Ford’s Theatre has to offer.
