Governor Leonard Farwell and the Lincoln Assassination

                        (Article originally published in the July 2014 edition of the Surratt Courier)

As time has passed and the events of April 14, 1865 have been retold in countless books and articles, it’s amazing to see the amount of interest the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln still brings. In a packed theatre in front of a large audience, actor John Wilkes Booth made history by giving his last performance in front of an audience by shooting Lincoln. With over a hundred eyewitness in the crowd that night it’s rather difficult to name all those in attendance. One guest in Washington that night was former Wisconsin Governor Leonard J. Farwell.

Leonard J. Farwell was born in Watertown, New York in 1819 and he later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1840, just prior to Wisconsin becoming a state. Upon arriving in Wisconsin Farwell was able to purchase large amounts of land that would become beneficial financially in the future. Later in 1847 Farwell left Milwaukee for Madison where he was able to secure his future political plans when he made large improvements to the city itself.

             In 1852 Farwell was elected Governor of Wisconsin and was also the first governor to be elected from the Whig Party. Some of his well-known accomplishments as governor was abolishing the death penalty in Wisconsin and replacing it with “Life in Prison.” Leonard Farwell would serve another year as governor after this and he left the governorship in 1854. As a former governor, Farwell still had a drive for politics. So in 1860 the former governor began serving in the assembly.

            After the election of Abraham Lincoln, Leonard Farwell was offered a job in Washington by the Lincoln Administration. In 1863, the former governor and assemblymen left Wisconsin and set out for a new life in Washington, D.C. It was this position at the U.S. Patent Office that Farwell would serve until 1870.

            On the night of April 14, 1865 the city of Washington, much like other parts of the country was in celebration of the ending of the American Civil War. The four years of killing and hardship felt touched so many lives. The night of the 14^th President Lincoln, his wife Mary along with Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée Clara Harris, all went out for a relaxing evening at Ford’s Theatre. However, it wasn’t long before what was supposed to be a joyous night out, turned into a night of terror.

 As John Wilkes Booth fired the fatal shot, the play came to a halt and the crowd went silent. The next thing many eyewitness remember was seeing Booth leap out of the presidential box, land on the stage and race out the back.  With the crowd in a panic Governor Farwell raced over to the Kirkwood House to inform Vice-President Andrew Johnson of the news. Farwell and Johnson had been friends for a while by this point,[i] and it was Farwell who ordered guards to be placed at the vice-presidents door. 

            On June 3, 1865 Leonard Farwell gave testimony about his version of events. Farwell stated “On the evening of the 14^th of April last, on leaving Ford’s Theater, I went immediately to the Kirkwood House, to the room of Vice-President Johnson. I should think it was between 10 and half-past 10 o’clock. I found the room door locked. I rapped, but receiving no answer, I rapped again, and said in a loud voice ‘Governor Johnson, if you are in the room, I must see you’…. I did not see anyone apparently lying in wait near Mr. Johnson’s door.”[ii]

The press would declare Farwell a hero and credited him with saving the life of the Vice-President. The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote in an article dated April 18, 1865 ran the headlines “How Johnson’s life was saved.”[iii] The article states “Suspecting that an attempt would also be made on the life of the Vice-President, he (Farwell) rushed from the theater to Mr. Johnson’s room, which he reached within five minutes after the shooting of the president.”[iv] When the Vice-President finally opened the door and let Farwell in, “Mr. Farwell told him of the murder.”[v]

            Although we now know the Vice- President was not in any real danger at this time, since Atzerodt had backed out and wanted no part in any killing. Atzerodt was the only one of Booth’s group of assassins that didn’t attempt what he was supposed to do. However, this wasn’t known on the night of the assassination and Andrew Johnson would be, unlike Lincoln, well protected.

            It wasn’t until 1923 when the Wisconsin State Journal released their story about Farwell’s actions that tragic night in 1865 where it mentioned Farwell being inside of Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865. On December 2, 1923 the state journal reported “Former Wisconsin Governor saw Lincoln shot.” The reporter, Fred L. Holmes writes Farwell “Occupied seat opposite from President’s box.”[vi]

            Upon closer reading one has to question why Farwell didn’t give a full statement of what he saw take place inside Ford’s. To further my point, why didn’t Farwell give his witness statement to the War Secratary Edward M. Stanton the night of the assassination? In the 1923 article it says Farwell didn’t give his version of what happened the night of April 14, 1865 until sometime “before his death.” At this point one has to question the accuracy of these claims. With the passage of time and with the great hype of the event, one can maybe think it was more or less wishful thinking placing oneself at the scene of one of the greatest tragedies in history.

            In the 1923 article it continues on with Farwell saying “as the President fell and the cry rang through the house that he was assassinated, it flashed across my mind that there was a conspiracy…”[vii] The discrepancy here in Farwell’s statement shows his memory was not clear by this point. When exactly did Lincoln fall? He never did fall out of his chair after being shot as Mrs. Lincoln was observed hanging on to the president. Two of the best witnesses we have to the president not falling is from Major Henry Rathbone and Dr. Charles Leale, who was the first doctor to arrive inside the president’s box.

            Major Rathbone gave his statement on April 15, 1865 as to what he observed inside the Presidential Box. After John Wilkes Booth fired the shot, Booth and Major Rathbone fought as Booth tried to make his escape. Booth was able to escape by leaping out of the Presidential Box and onto the stage, but not before slashing Rathbone on his arm. Rathbone’s remark regarding President Lincoln was “his position was not changed. His head was slightly bent forward and his eyes were closed.”[viii]

Dr. Leale writes “As I looked at the President, he appeared to be dead. His eyes were closed and his head had fallen forward. He was being held upright in his chair by Mrs. Lincoln, who was weeping bitterly.  From his crouched down sitting posture it was evident that Mrs. Lincoln had instantly sprung to his aid after he had been wounded and kept him from tumbling to the floor. By Mrs. Lincoln’s courage, strength and energy the President was maintained in his upright position…”[ix]

So when did Farwell actually see Lincoln fall? It’s also hard to judge Farwell’s view of the Presidential box since his description of his seating was only mentioned as being in “full view at our right.” While there is no disputing Governor Farwell’s appearance at the Kirkwood House, where he notified Vice-President Andrew Johnson with the news; his general description of the shooting of Lincoln and the actions of John Wilkes Booth was something that was widely published around the world.

            The hype the assassination caused and the attention that could be gained by being there would be something someone, like Governor Farwell, could use for furthering ones career. Especially with one being credited with saving the Vice-President’s life.

            Governor Leonard Farwell ended up leaving Washington, D.C. for Chicago in 1870 where he started his own private patent office. Farwell’s business would fall victim to the great fire of Chicago in 1871 and he later died in Grant City Missouri on April 10, 1889.

http://calscornerblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/jeb-stuart-at-gettysburg.html

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[i] Steers, Edward. The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. Harper Perennial Books, 2010.

[ii] Steers, Edward. The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the trial of the conspirators. The University Press of Kentucky, 2003.

[iii] The Cincinnati Enquirer April 18, 1865.

[iv] Ibid

[v] Ibid

[vi] The Wisconsin State Journal. December 2, 1923.

[vii] Ibid

[viii] Good, Timothy S. We Saw Lincoln Shot. University Press of Mississippi, 1995.

[ix] Leale, Charles A. Lincoln’s Last Hours. New York, 1909. Reprint by Kessinger Legacy Reprints.

A day on the ice

 

 

 

 

 

It’s easy to say ice fishing equipment has changed over the years. Mostly for the better. Due to these changes there are a large number of anglers who prefer hard water fishing to open water. It’s nice to be able to fish deep water without the hassle of hauling a boat out and for some, if you have no boat, then hitting the deeper water can be truly great!

The best thing about the new advances of ice fishing equipment have allowed the angler to have the upper hand in many ways. However, having a technique is just as important today as it was years ago. The fish still go throw their stages of biting aggressively to being extremely picky. When the latter happens, no amount of fancy equipment seems to help.

Jigs have changed too for the better. They are one of the most important pieces of equipment an angler can have. Using the newest tiny heavy jigs, designed to get into deep water quickly to a waiting school of panfish is one of the greatest inventions! Having a variety of colors and sizes are also important.  It’s also important to have a couple different rods rigged up and ready for action. Gone are the days of using just a single rod. There are several different brands of rods on the market today that can fit anyone’s budget.

I love crappies and bluegills. Crappie are my absolute favorite and am always willing to go the extra mile to get the big slabs. Like many ice anglers, I get super excited when the lakes finally freeze over enough to hold people and their gear.

The early ice always is an exciting time to fish. The fish are aggressive, they will eat just about anything and for the most part, they will swim longer distances for food. Since the bite is hot, the angler can still be aggressive with jigging.

One a recent day trip to one of my favorite lakes, the bite was real slow. I literally fished for five hours and caught only three fish. It seemed no matter what color I used or how aggressive I jigged, it just didn’t matter. The fish would not cooperate.

I ended the day by using one of my favorite Lindy jigs in the Viking color; it worked on the two large 9 inch bluegills and one 13 inch crappie I caught. Other than that, noting was interested. It happens, that’s why it’s called fishing and not “catching.”

While it’s always fun doing the “catching” it’s not how things always go. However, no matter what, it was a good day on the ice, like most are and I was able to use my electronics to watch fish follow my jig, but not bite. Frustrating yes, but still worth the time spent on the hard water.

The Murder of Christine Rothschild

             

                                                     

                                                              Christine Rothschild

 

 

The fall of 1967 was an exciting time for 18- year -old Christine Rothschild. Christine or “Chris” as she was known to her friends, had recently graduated from Senn High School in Chicago, Illinois a few months prior and was starting her freshmen year at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Christine took up residence at Ann Emery Hall, room 119 on the university campus.

On the cool damp morning of May 26, 1968 Christine Rothschild was up at 4 a.m. The night hostess, Mrs. Gertrude Armstrong said “She came out of her room, headed for the bathroom. I met her in the hall-we almost ran into each other. That was the last time I saw her.”

Seeing Christine out and about in the early morning hours was nothing out of the ordinary. She enjoyed taking morning walks around campus around 7 to 7:30 each morning.

On that last morning, Christine put on a mini-dress, black boots and an all-weather coat and set out for her walk. What happened after she left her dorm is something only Christine and her killer know.

Around 7:30 p.m. that same day, 22 year old University Maintenance worker Phillip Van-Valkenberg tried to enter Sterling Hall. Finding the doors locked, he went to knock on a lower window behind some bushes in front of Sterling Hall.  In those bushes Van-Valkenberg came upon the horrific sight that sent shock waves throughout the entire university.

Christine Rothschild’s lifeless body had been found. It was a sight UW-Madison Police Chief Ralph Hanson would never forget. “I don’t know what kind of person would have done this,” he said.

According to Hanson Christine had been stabbed 14 times in the chest and neck. She also had four broken ribs and a broken jaw, along with being strangled with the lining of her own coat. Police said the coat lining was tied into a “slip knot” around her neck and Christine’s gloves were shoved down her throat. Chief Hanson would not say if Christine was killed where her body was found, but said there was “plenty of blood” at the scene.

There was no sign of sexual assault. Christine was still fully clothed in her mini-dress, black boots and a three-quarter length beige all-weather coat. However, her clothing was “ripped and askew” in some places, but otherwise intact.

The police also reported Christine was still wearing her rings that appeared “expensive” and a bloody “man’s handkerchief” was found under her head. There was also a broken umbrella sticking out of the ground found next to the body.

While no murder weapon was found, the broken umbrella and handkerchief were sent to the FBI for forensic testing. However, the tests conducted could not link anyone to the murder. DNA evidence was not available at this time. The two key pieces of evidence were sent back to UW-Madison Police Department and from there sent to the county sheriff’s office for safe keeping.  The evidence was ultimately lost so no modern day analysis can be done.

Since the murder of Christine Rothschild is still an open case, what remaining evidence there is, is not known. At the time of the murder, there was speculation by the local press that there could have been foot prints left at the scene since it rained recently. However, this is not confirmed by police.

The attack on Christine seemed a bit of an overkill one could say. The intensity of the violence seemed personal in nature, leading some to believe Christine may have known her killer. She was described by those that knew her as a happy and easy going person. So just who exactly could have done this?

Chief Hanson had no leads to go on, but his department interviewed several people right away. Nothing would come of it and the State Crime Lab, who searched the crime scene, refused to disclose if any leads had been found.

As the summer of 1968 continued, investigators looked into several “persons of interest” but none proved to be the killer. There was even a $5,000 reward offered to anyone with information, but that also lead nowhere. With no new leads, no new suspects and no murder weapon, Christine’s murder was placed into the “cold case” file.

Jumping ahead to 2009, the hunt for Christine Rothschild’s killer is still active. On Saturday, August 29, 2009 NBC News 15, a local news station in Madison, Wisconsin broke the news that police have a person of interest in the murder.

Forty-one years after she was murdered, could it be Christine’s killer was finally found? Many, including Christine’s close friend Linda Schulko says “no.” The news story claimed serial killer William Floyd Zamastil is a “person of interest” in the Rothschild killing. Zamastil is currently serving a life sentence for the 1978 murder and rape of a Madison woman. He has also been indicted for the 1973 murder and rape of a woman from Arizona. Zamastil was sixteen years old when Rothschild was killed and was said to be living in Madison at the time.

“I’m really skeptical that Zamastil murdered Chris,” said Linda Schulko to NBC News. It was Schulko that has been the driving force in keeping her dear friend’s murder a live. “If Zamastil had murdered her, this would possibly be his first crime of this nature.”

One major problem police have not explained is how different Zamastil’s other victims died compared to Rothschild. Zamastil raped and shot his victims, then took their bodies far from the crime scene. Christine was strangled and stabbed, not shot. She also was not raped like the others. It is also safe to assume she was killed where she was found based on the amount of blood discovered in the bushes. According to Schulko she thinks, “This is a cop out for a serial killer to take the rap on something, that it won’t make a difference since he’s already serving a life sentence.”

As the years have passed, the trail continues growing colder. Police checked several leads early, but admitted they had no motive and no weapon to link to the crime.

There was however, one suspect that stood out from the others. He was a resident surgeon at the University of Wisconsin Hospital at the time of Christine’s murder. The hospital was located across the street from Sterling Hall and it was common, according to Schulko, for Christine to stop for a break and have a cigarette with this surgeon.

Linda Schulko says this doctor wanted to date Christine, but Christine was not interested in him. Police, in September, 1968 went to New York where this doctor moved shortly after the murder. The detectives questioned him for hours only to leave without making an arrest. A mistake Schulko felt on the part of the police. In one statement Schulko wrote, “I have been in written and verbal correspondence” with the suspect and “have no doubt he is a psychopath.”

In an August, 2011 article published by The Globe and Mail, a college professor sent out students to conduct their own investigation on cold cases. One group of students were assigned to the Rothschild murder. These students were able to get into contact with the doctor who was 84 at this time and living in New York. He denied he was the killer, but spoke at length with some students about the case. The murder was “like an act of rage” and the 14 stab wounds were “too many-one good thrust would do the job if you had the knowledge of anatomy to do it.”

After the interview and a 40-page case analysis, which the students concluded “was probably not the work of a serial killer,” was turned over to UW-Madison Police. The lead detective commented “he (the doctor) is still a person of interest. It’s a fairly short list and he’s on it.”

No arrests have been made and more time passes by without any further investigaton.

After 47 years, no one has been captured or paid for the needless murder of an 18 year old college student who had her whole life a head of her. Christine’s family and best friend mourn her death as much today as they did in 1968. They all look forward to the day when her killer is brought to justice.

A Life Turned Tragic: Major Henry Rathbone and the Lincoln Assassination

                            (Article originally published by Emerging Civil War.com, July 31, 2014)
By the beginning of April 1865, the Civil War was essentially over and Washington was in the mood to celebrate. On the day before the assassination of Lincoln, April 13, the city of Washington had been putting on grand shows with fireworks, bonfires and torchlight parades. Most everyone had reasons to be in good mood, of course with the exception of the well- known stage actor, John Wilkes Booth.

Major Henry Reed Rathbone, along with his fiancée Clara Harris, was in a celebrating mood. On that night the Major and Miss. Harris were asked by President Lincoln to accompany him and the First Lady to Ford’s Theatre. Rathbone accepted the invitation. The night of April 14^th was supposed to be a great night of celebration since the bloody Civil War had ended days before. Little did Major Rathbone know, later that evening, his life would change forever.
                                              
Around 8:20 P.M on April 14 Major Rathbone and Clara Harris met the President and Mary Lincoln at the Harris residence on the “corner of 15^th and H Streets.”[1] From there, Rathbone and Harris rode with the Lincoln’s to the theatre.

By the time they arrived the play, Our American Cousin had already begun. As the President and his party made their way to the presidential box, the performance on stage had stopped. The crowd began to cheer and the orchestra started playing “Hail to the Chief.” President Lincoln simply smiled, bowed and continued toward his parties waiting box that had been prepared. President Lincoln took his seat in a cushioned rocking chair near the door, his wife Mary would take the chair to Lincoln’s right. Major Rathbone would be seated farthest away from the door on an upholstered walnut sofa[2] with Miss Harris to his right.

Around 10:15 P.M the play was in Act 3, scene 2 and it was at this point John Wilkes Booth slipped in through the door of the Presidential Box. On Stage actor Harry Hawk said his famous line that normally received loud laughter from the crowd. As expected, the crowd burst into laughter and at this point, Booth fired his shot into the back of Lincoln’s head. The audience grew silent.

The smoke from Booth’s gun filled the Presidential Box, but Major Rathbone was able to see the assassin. “I instantly sprang toward him and seized him,” Rathbone testified on May 15, 1865 for the prosecution during the conspiracy trial.[3] “He wrested himself from my grasp, and made a violent thrust at my breast with a large knife. I parried the blow by striking it up, and received a wound several inches deep in my left arm, between the elbow and the shoulder.”[4]

As Booth was able to break free from Rathbone’s grip, the Major lunged at Booth again; however he was only able to grab a piece of clothing as Booth made the twelve foot leap onto the stage. “As he went over upon the stage, I cried out, stop that man!”[5] The frozen crowd could only watch as Booth ran across the stage. Many witnesses would later claim they at first thought Booth leaping from the Presidential Box was part of the performance.

Major Rathbone then turned his attention to the president. Rathbone remarked Lincoln had not changed positions, but his head was “slightly bent forward and his eyes were closed.”[6] Major Rathbone assumed Lincoln’s wound was mortal so he hurried to the door of the Presidential Box to seek medical aid. The door, as Rathbone soon discovered had been barred shut by the assassin with a piece of plank which was secured in the wall on one end and the other tight against the door.
The Major could hear people on the other side of the door trying to get in, but were unable to. Booth’s trick with the piece of plank served its purpose. Major Rathbone, after several attempts of trying to remove the plank, was finally successful and managed to get the door open.  Several people tried to gain entrance; one of them was Dr. Charles Leale.

Dr. Leale (1842-1932) was the first surgeon to reach President Lincoln, thus making him the primary physician in the case. Leale wrote about the tragic event in his 1909 writings titled Lincoln’s Last Hours. In it he described what happened as he entered the Presidential Box. “Major Rathbone had bravely fought the assassin; his arm had been severely wounded and was bleeding. He came to me holding his wounded arm in the hand of the other, beseeching me to attend to his wound. I placed my hand under his chin, looking into his eyes an almost instantaneous glance revealed the fact that he was in no immediate danger…”[7] Leale then moved on to attend to President Lincoln. Upon the first look at Lincoln, Dr. Leale thought Lincoln was dead. “His eyes were closed and his head had fallen forward. He was being held upright in his chair by Mrs. Lincoln, who was weeping bitterly.”[8] Dr. Leale then placed his finger on the President’s right radial pulse; however, he wasn’t able to feel any movement from the artery. Leale made the decision to remove Lincoln from his chair and place him on the floor, hoping this would help with reviving him.

After Lincoln was laid out on the floor the search for the wound was sought out. Dr. Leale recalled seeing Booth, as he ran across the stage with a dagger in his hand. With this remembrance and seeing Major Rathbone’s injury, Leale thought it possible President Lincoln may have been stabbed. “…while kneeling on the floor over his head, with my eyes continuously watching the President’s face, I asked a gentleman to cut the coat and shirt open from the neck to the elbow to enable me, if possible, to check the hemorrhage that I thought might take place from the subclavian artery or some other blood vessel.”[9]

 No injury was discovered and it was then that Dr. Leale lifted Lincoln’s eye lid. From the look of the eyes, Leale determined Lincoln had a brain injury. Dr. Leale then ran his fingers through Lincoln’s hair and the bullet wound was found. Dr. Leale was able to remove some of the clotted blood in the wound, when this happened, pressure on the brain was relieved and Lincoln had a pulse.

While Dr. Leale was attempting to save the life of President Lincoln, two other doctors, Dr. Charles S. Taft and Dr. Albert F.A. King had come to render any assistance. The three doctors figured it was best to remove the president from the theatre, but he was too badly wounded to transport back to the White House. Instead, they had Lincoln taken to a boarding house across the street where he was placed in a bed that was too small for his large frame; Lincoln had to be placed diagonally on the bed in order for him to fit.
 
Mary Lincoln was assisted across the street by Major Rathbone and Clara. Mary would call out “oh! My husband’s blood” every time she would see Clara’s blood stained dress. Although the blood probably was Rathbone’s, that didn’t register to Mary at the time. When they arrived at the boarding house across the street, Mary went to the room where the president was placed. Dr. Leale began to make a complete examination and asked some people, including Mrs. Lincoln to step out.
 As the examing of President Lincoln took place, out in the hallway, Major Rathbone started feeling light headed. Rathbone then passed out and was taken back to the Harris home. Clara remained with the first lady for a while, but later left to attend to her fiancée. At the Harris residence, Dr. G. W. Pope was called to attend to the wounded Rathbone. Pope recalled Rathbone being stripped of his clothes and how pale he looked.

Due to the loss of blood, Henry became delirious and continued talking about the shooting of Abraham Lincoln. The Assassination of the president was something that haunted Rathbone for the rest of his life. There were always feelings of guilt since he wasn’t able to stop Booth. As years went on, Rathbone’s knife wound healed, but his mental health did not.
 

Weeks after that tragic April night, Clara Harris posed for Photographer Matthew Brady, who was well known for his photography during the Civil War. Clara wore the dress she had on the night the president was assassinated, blood stains still remained on it. Harris later told a friend she was doing what she could to forget about the shooting and the wounding of Henry Rathbone, but wasn’t able to.

As time passed by, seventeen years to be exact, Henry’s wounds all healed up, at least on the outside, went to Albany to the office of his wife’s uncle. Hamilton Harris was the man a younger Henry Rathbone studied law with and on this day, Henry was on his way back to Europe with his family. This time was different though, as Harris thought. Henry was ill and when asked what was wrong, Rathbone simply said it was dyspepsia which is a chronic ailment of the stomach.
 

When Henry was 45 years old, in the fall of 1882 Henry was constantly plagued by mysterious medical problems. One doctor that treated him described the attacks as “neuralgia of the head and face” and heart palpitations and difficulty breathing were also symptoms Henry suffered from. It was in 1870 that Henry retired from the Army due to his sickness.[10]

After Rathbone’s visit to Hamilton Harris’s office, Rathbone and his family set sail to Germany. After their arrival Henry’s health continued to fail. He became depressed and some people called him erratic. His marriage to Clara also suffered more and was tense much of the time. One of the problems with Henry’s depression was he seemed to be under the impression Clara was leaving him and taking the kids.

 On Christmas Eve in 1883, just before dawn Henry lost all control, grabbed his revolver and knife and walked to his children’s bedroom. Clara, who was able to distract Henry, had him follow her into their bedroom and closed the door. It was there that Henry shot and stabbed Clara until she died. Henry then turned the knife on himself, but failed the suicide attempt. News spread fast about the tragic events that took place in Germany. Several people believed Henry never fully recovered from the events that took place at Ford’s Theatre in 1865. “The scene always haunted his mind,” Rathbone’s lawyer said.[11]

  Dr. Pope said, “He never was thoroughly himself after that night…I have no hesitation in affirming that the dreaded tragedy, which preyed upon his nervous and impressionable temperament for many years, laid the seeds of that homicidal mania.”[12] Henry Rathbone was declared insane and was never allowed to be prosecuted for the crime of murder. Henry, after recovering from his wounds was sent to live out his days in the Provincial insane Asylum where he dies on August 14, 1911.

Major Henry Rathbone suffered from Lincoln’s Assassination for the rest of his life and most are convinced that night in 1865 played a large part in Henry going insane. When John Wilkes Booth entered the Presidential Box at Ford’s Theatre on April, 14 1865 he not only took the life of President Lincoln, but also Henry and Clara Rathbone’s. Henry’s life was a life turned tragic.

 

                                                                       

 

                                                       Bibliography

Edwards, William C and Edward Steers Jr. The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence. University of Illinois Press Urbana and Chicago, 2009. P 1080.

 Leale, Charles A. Lincoln’s Last Hours, 1909. Reproduction by Kessinger Legacy Reprints.

Ruane, Michael E. (April, 2009) A Tragedy’s Second Act, Washington Post.

Steers, Edward Jr. The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators. The University Press of Kentucky, 2003.

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[1] Edwards, William C and Edward Steers Jr. The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence. University of Illinois Press Urbana and Chicago, 2009. P 1080

[2] Ibid

[3] Steers, Edward Jr. The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators. The University Press of Kentucky, 2003.

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid

[6] Ibid

[7] Leale, Charles A. Lincoln’s Last Hours, 1909. Reproduction by Kessinger Legacy Reprints.

[8] Ibid

[9] Ibid

[10] Ruane, Michael E. A Tragedy’s Second Act, Washington Post.

[11] Ibid

[12] Ibid

Lincoln’s last visit to Wisconsin

                         (Originally Published in the July, 2013 edition of the Surratt Courier)

Before Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860, he like the Presidential candidates of today, traveled to different states campaigning. In October 1859 Lincoln traveled to Janesville, Wisconsin to give a speech against his presidential rival, Stephen A. Douglas. It was in Wisconsin that Lincoln would meet a young man by the name of Lucien S. Hanks and Hanks would have a night he would remember for the rest of his life.

In 1859 Lucien Hanks (1838-1925) was a college student in New York City, but just happened to be in Janesville at the time of Lincoln’s speech. Hanks was also the nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Tallman and he would spend time with his aunt and uncle when time permitted. It just so happened that on his visit in October 1859 he would not only get to see his relatives, but also the future President of the United States. This would be an event that Hanks would never forget; not because of who Lincoln would turn out to be, but from the events that took place that one night Lincoln was at the Tallman’s residence.

Sleeping arrangements that night were tight, and Lincoln and Hanks ended up sharing the same bed which was common among 19th-century travelers. In 1918 Hanks would tell his story about the night he shared a bed with the future president to a reporter from the Madison Democrat.[1] In this article Hanks recalls his difficulty getting to sleep as Lincoln “threw elbows and snored through the night.”

After Abraham Lincoln finished his political speech against Stephen Douglas, he returned to the Tallman house. Hanks at this time also had just returned home and was speaking to his aunt when Lincoln arrived. As Lincoln entered the house, he overheard Mrs. Tallman say to young Lucien that he would have to sleep down stairs in “the lounge” because there was not “a spare bed, but Mr. Lincoln’s.”[2] Lincoln who felt sorry for Hanks offered to share his bed with him. Lincoln remarked with a laugh, “He’s not a very big fellow and won’t take up much room. Let him sleep with me. I think we will get along famously; don’t you?”

Hanks, who recalled being confused on what to think, stood there for several moments not saying anything. As young Lucien looked up he observed his uncle in the other room, Lincoln at this time was not able to see Mr. Tallman, nodding his head “yes” so as not to insult Mr. Lincoln. When Hanks agreed, Lincoln excused himself and went upstairs to his room. Shortly after Lincoln’s departure to bed, Hanks soon followed.

When Lucien Hanks arrived upstairs in the bedroom, Lincoln was already in bed and Hanks wasted no time in crawling in beside Lincoln. Hanks recalled that it wasn’t long before it was obvious that Lincoln was asleep given the “vocal evidence” that came from Lincoln. Not only was Lincoln loud with his snoring, but he also shook violently and tossed and turned constantly. Hanks stated Lincoln would raise his “arms one instant” then “shift his leg” the next. Poor Hanks just was not going to get any sleep that night.[3] Finally after sometime of not sleeping and knowing sleep was not going to come that night, he finally decided to slowly and quietly go downstairs where he was originally going to sleep.

The next morning while everyone else was up, Lincoln was the only one missing. Mrs. Tallman, who started to get concerned about Lincoln, sent Lucien up to check on their guest. Lucien knocked on Lincoln’s bedroom door and instantly the door flew open. There standing in the room, right in front of the young Hanks was Lincoln, in his old “blue stockings with white toes.” Recalling the event, Hanks remembered Lincoln saying, “I haven’t any boots.” Lincoln went on to say, as Mrs. Tallman arrived upstairs that he didn’t want to “cast any aspersions, but when I went to bed last night, I certainly had boots.” Lincoln then stated he would let the issue go if his boots were returned, but he would be unable to leave without boots.

As in his normal humorous way, Lincoln asked “what would the people down home say” if he was to show up without boots? At this time Mrs. Tallman returned downstairs, then shortly returned back upstairs “with the missing articles.”[4]

It was at this time that Lincoln remembered he had set his boots outside his room so they could be cleaned. However, after the boot cleaning, Mrs. Tallman forgot to return them back outside Lincoln’s bedroom door. It was a simple and small mistake, but one that Hanks would recall nearly sixty years later. Abraham Lincoln would leave Janesville, Wisconsin that same day and would never return to Wisconsin again.

 Lucien S. Hanks after graduating college would live in Madison, Wisconsin where he eventually become president of the Wisconsin State Bank. His home where Lucien and his wife lived remained standing until it was torn down in 1966. Lucien Hanks, who had a very memorable and unusual meeting with the future President remained in Wisconsin until he died in 1925.

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[1] The Madison Democrat was a newspaper based out of Madison, Wisconsin

[2] The Madison Democrat. August 25^th 1918.

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid