Thinking of Abraham Lincoln on April 14

On this April 14, I decided to write a few lines about my thoughts on Abraham Lincoln. This is not a book review or anything I have researched or drafted - just a few random thoughts that I decided to share on this 154th anniversary of such a sad, tragic day.

I've always admired Lincoln's work ethic and focus. Even when he lost an election in Illinois, struggled to make a living in New Salem or faced difficulties dealing with women, he just "kept on keeping on." He did have a bout of depression and certainly had tough times, but none of them stopped him until the horrendous act at Ford's Theater on that awful Good Friday. He kept moving forward in life, from poor boy, to store clerk, to surveyor, attorney, state legislator, Congressman and President.
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Of course, it is impossible to write about Lincoln without noting his writing skills. His speeches and papers are so incredible. I especially like his Second Inaugural, even though every time I start to claim that as my favorite of his works, I keep coming back to the brevity of and phrasing in the Gettysburg Address. I simply cannot make a decision on which I prefer, though I think the Second Inaugural deserves more attention than it gets. "With malice towards none, with charity for all" is just a brilliant phrase, even if not as well-known as "Four score and seven years ago."

Part of this post, I admit, is because I have not written much lately, but on Facebook this morning I someone mention that he/she makes a Lincoln post on this date every year. I don't know that I will do that, but it is a good idea that I wish I had thought of and I am going to "borrow" that idea at least for today.

Lincoln was born in Kentucky and when I was in elementary school, I learned that fact. Since I also was born in the Bluegrass State, that fact caught my attention. I guess I have always enjoyed stuff with a local connection or else a love of Kentucky was always a part of me. I have admired him since my school days and when I read about Lincoln, the Civil War was a natural off-shoot of that reading and my love of the war developed from there.

A few years ago, I took a trip to Lincoln's birthplace and boyhood home in Hodgenville. The birthplace building was closed for renovation so I did not go through it and have not made a return trip. That would be a good idea for this summer, but I said the same thing last year. It is easy to say things or make plans than to do them.

Last year, I did read a biography on John Wilkes Booth. I had previously thought I would never do such a thing, as it felt weird to study the creator of such a horrible act, but I am glad I read it. It humanized Booth, yet still showed the awful, perhaps cowardly, side of him that led to the tragedy at the theater. His life was more than that one act and though April 14, 1865 properly does define his legacy, there was a lifetime that led up to it and he did have family and friends, just like other people. He was not born a monster who spent his entire life doing such deeds. I still have not read any of the books specifically about the assassination and the hunt for Booth and maybe I should. Like the travelling, though, that is easier said than done.

I know this is far from my best or most in-depth post, but it does feel good to type these words and express my thoughts on this date and I am glad I saw the Facebook post that gave me the idea.

Abraham Lincoln is, has been and will continue to be the historical figure I admire the most. There is no doubt about it. His strength, ambition, persistence, intelligence and many other traits made him a fascinating character and the situation in which he found himself as President gave him the opportunity to prove his greatness. He was the right man at the right place at the right time.

Book Review: Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth

Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth

(C) 2015

By Terry Alford

Oxford University Press

John Wilkes Booth was human. He had friends, he had hopes, he had love, fears, ambitions, dreams. 

He also had flaws and his share of struggles, from family issues to establishing a career, to finding the perfect love to, money problems.

That might be a surprise to those who know him only through the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, but this book, by Terry Alford, rescues Booth’s humanity from the shadows of infamy and demonstrates that Booth was a man, a mere mortal whose short life was more than one night in April of 1865. That is the heart and the strength of this biography - the life, career and evolution of John Wilkes Booth in the eyes of people who knew him and in history.

Alford’s book is a fine addition to a Civil War or even Abraham Lincoln library. He obviously researched Booth’s life deeply, using a wide selection of letters, diaries, books, and newspapers to uncover aspects of the young actor’s life, career, and the memories that his friends, colleagues, and associates held of him. It includes endnotes and a wonderful section of photographs and illustrations. The writing is very readable, a fine style that makes this book a quick read and that lacks typographical or editing errors.

This book explores Booth’s entire life, including his family history. It describes his father’s successful career, which three of his sons followed, but also addresses flaws that Junius Booth displayed, and how those imperfections affected his reputation and his family, particularly John. The discussion of how John wanted to make his own name and succeed on his own ability, not his father’s reputation, was enlightening, especially as the author showed how John frequently used stage names like J.B. Wilkes to show he was his own man, though some theater goers still knew he was Junius’ son. This is not something often associated with Booth, and definitely adds a sense of the reality of Booth’s life. He was not simply born a monstrous killer; he grew up as people do, and had challenges to face, obstacles to overcome, again just like people generally do.

Booth was physically gifted, quite fit, strong and athletic, good at riding horses and using guns and swords, which came in handy in his chosen career. He was ambitious, competitive, handsome, a ladies’ man, and, according to the author “loved being in love.”  He made friends with his  personality, displaying a good sense of humor, enjoying playing jokes and pranks on colleagues. Many people considered him a gentleman.

He was also well-liked by many fellow actors and was willing to offer advice to younger thespians once he had started to establish himself as a star.

In other words, in his early adulthood, John Wilkes Booth was quite a people person and comes across as even likeable in this work, though every now and then small examples of erratic behavior - reminders of his father’s troubles and, in hindsight, possible foreshadowing of his own future - made themselves evident.

One flaw he did possess was explained in a line from page 151: “Booth never had a new thought after his core opinions were formed in his teenage years.” It contrasts his close-mindedness and tendency to hold grudges to the abilities to grow and forgive of his nemesis, Abraham Lincoln. 

The exploration of Booth’s career, from being one of many players in a stock company, to his days as a star and his decision to end his stage work is another helpful theme of this work. He was born with great physical gifts and was not a person naturally inclined to study, but he loved his profession and as he matured, he did work harder at his craft, though he never quite arrived at the point where he strived to be the very best technician. The brief section about whether he was truly great and what defines acting greatness was enjoyable, and the mention of Booth’s ambition and love of applause, showed another human sign of this man.

Real life, of course, could not avoid interfering even with the make-believe life of the world of acting. As sectional tensions began to bubble across the country, Booth’s political preferences started becoming evident as well, specifically his support of the Southern cause, though he hated extremists on both sides, both those favoring secession, and, especially, abolitionists. His love of the union as one whole nation was a surprising revelation of this book.

As much as this book reveals the normal challenges Booth faced, it also describes his evolution into the bitter, angry man who committed the assassination. Booth favored the South, supported slavery, and felt the North was badly mistreating his beloved region. He usually tried to avoid having political discussions and hearing news about the war, but that was impossible in such times and his anger grew and became more well-known. A bitterly heated argument with his brother Edwin was one example of his political beliefs affecting his life.

Booth began drinking more frequently as life and the war continued, though alcohol apparently energized him more than it made him drunk. It almost was like his version of Red Bull. His behavior became more erratic, as he sometimes surprisingly ignored or rudely treated old friends.

The book’s description of this slow change in Booth is a real strong point of this work, but it also shows that Booth still retained his full mind until near the end. His planning of the plot to kidnap Lincoln and recruitment of the associates whose assistance he wanted shows that he was not completely mad, and that he still maintained the capacity of logical thinking, at least in planning the kidnapping plot, even if focusing on such a deed was not logical to most people.

This changed, however, when the kidnapping plan failed and Northern victory in the war became a reality. Booth then became significantly more angry and bitter, almost a Mr. Hyde-type monster in terms of his red-hot hatred towards Lincoln. While the early parts of this book showed a gentlemen and a likeable person, perhaps a Dr. Jekyl, the later pages describe the Booth that most people think of when recalling the assassination. 

The book ends with a discussion of Booth’s attempt to avoid capture, including discussions of how several people  assisted him, especially David Herold. Booth was surprised that the nation, or at least the South, did not regard him as a hero, expressing frustrstion and disappointment over how people perceived his deed.

The author also includes an overview of the myths involving Booth’s rumored escape from capture, the supposed misidentification of his body by Federal authorities, and his continued life in many cities around the world. Arnold debunks these stories, sometimes with harsh and/or sarcastic language, and shows how authorities identified the corpse and secured it in the days after Booth’s death.

I have tried to highlight the main points of this terrific book, but others also populate the pages, describing how John Wilkes Booth was all-too-human, how he evolved into the man who committed a nearly unspeakable action that has come to define him. As I think about it more, a comparison to Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, over a period of years, seems appropriate. 

This is a wonderful biography and exploration of a subject who somehow remains both infamous, yet not well-known. I gladly and highly recommend this book.

I thank Oxford University Press for a review copy of this book. I have given my completely honest thoughts on it.

Booths in Cincinnati

As was I flipping through a recently-acquired copy of The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia by Edward Steers Jr, I found an interesting tidbit on pages 65 and 66.

In an entry about Junius (Jun) Brutus Booth Jr. older brother of John Wilkes Booth, Steers notes: "At the time of the assassination, Jun was appearing at the Pike Opera House in Cincinnati. Like his brother Edwin, he hid in his room from angry crowds that might have hanged him if they found him."

This interesting tidbit, which might be a good idea for further research for me to do to see if any local newspapers at the time realized he was in the area, reminded me of a note I had found in previous research about the Siege of Cincinnati, a Cincinnati Enquirer article of November 13, 1862 had an announcement in the Amusements section:

Booth at the National: - The great French drama of the Corsican Brothers will be presented this evening, Mr. J. Wilkes Booth appearing in the double of "Fabian" and "Louis," supported by the entire company. The announcement of this thrilling drama alone should crowd the "Old Drury." Mr. Booth's engagement is rapidly drawing to a close, and consequently but a few nights more are granted in which to see the splendid acting of the young tragedian.

Given that this was only a few weeks after the announcement of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln and Booth's disdain for emancipation, I do have to wonder what non-acting thoughts were going through his head at this time.

A similar announcement appeared in the November 19, 1862 Enquirer, and then on November 14, 1863, the paper reported:

National Theater - Mr. J. Wilkes Booth will appear to-night for the second and last time in his great impersonation of "Richard III."  This is Mr. Booth's masterpiece. No actor now upon the stage can render the character of the hump-backed tyrant with equal affect. In short, Booth out-Richards Richard. The piece will be produced in superb style, and none should fail to see it. Mr. Booth's engagement closes to-morrow night.

145 years ago today

 President Abraham Lincoln passed away after being shot by John Wilkes Booth the previous evening at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C., the first assassination of an American President, and one of the saddest days in our nation's history, leading to a long period of mourning among many Americans of the time.



Lincoln was not always popular during his Presidency, but the assassination turned him into a martyr and one of the most popular American legends ever.

Though some Confederates remained in the field for a few more weeks, the main fighting of the Civil War had  ended and a new period was about to begin, but Lincoln's murder certainly changed how Reconstruction unfolded. Maybe things would not have changed too much had he lived, but it's hard to imagine him not being more effective than Andrew Johnson was, particularly as the victorious President of such a major war.