Editing Andrew Johnson (section)

=== Accession ===
{{Main|Assassination of Abraham Lincoln}}
[[File:Johnson inauguration (cropped).jpg|thumb|Contemporary woodcut of Johnson being sworn in by Chief Justice Chase as Cabinet members look on, April 15, 1865]]

On the afternoon of April 14, 1865, Lincoln and Johnson met for the first time since the inauguration. Trefousse states that Johnson wanted to "induce Lincoln not to be too lenient with traitors"; Gordon-Reed agrees.{{Sfn|Gordon-Reed|p=87}}{{Sfn|Trefousse|p=192}}

That night, President Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded at [[Ford's Theatre]] by [[John Wilkes Booth]], a Confederate sympathizer. The shooting of the President was part of a conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln, Johnson, and Seward the same night. Seward barely survived his wounds, while Johnson escaped attack as his would-be assassin, [[George Atzerodt]], got drunk instead of killing the vice president. [[Leonard J. Farwell]], a fellow boarder at the [[Kirkwood House (Washington, D.C.)|Kirkwood House]], awoke Johnson with news of Lincoln's shooting. Johnson rushed to the President's deathbed, where he remained a short time, on his return promising, "They shall suffer for this. They shall suffer for this."{{Sfn|Trefousse|pp=193–194}} Lincoln died at 7:22 the next morning; [[Inauguration of Andrew Johnson|Johnson's swearing-in]] occurred between 10 and 11&nbsp;am with Chief Justice [[Salmon P. Chase]] presiding in the presence of most of the Cabinet. Johnson's demeanor was described by the newspapers as "solemn and dignified".{{Sfn|Trefousse|p=194}} Some Cabinet members had last seen Johnson, apparently drunk, at the inauguration.{{Sfn|Gordon-Reed|p=90}} At noon, Johnson conducted his first Cabinet meeting in the Treasury Secretary's office, and asked all members to remain in their positions.{{Sfn|Trefousse|pp=194–195}}

The events of the assassination resulted in speculation, then and subsequently, concerning Johnson and what the conspirators might have intended for him. In the vain hope of having his life spared after his capture, Atzerodt spoke much about the conspiracy, but did not say anything to indicate that the plotted assassination of Johnson was merely a ruse. Conspiracy theorists point to the fact that on the day of the assassination, Booth came to the Kirkwood House and left one of his cards with Johnson's private secretary, [[William A. Browning]]. The message on it was: "Don't wish to disturb you. Are you at home? J. Wilkes Booth."{{Sfn|Gordon-Reed|pp=90–92}}

Johnson presided with dignity over Lincoln's funeral ceremonies in Washington, before his predecessor's body was sent home to [[Springfield, Illinois]], for interment.{{Sfn|Gordon-Reed|p=93}} Shortly after Lincoln's death, Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman|William T. Sherman]] reported he had, without consulting Washington, reached an armistice agreement with Confederate General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] for the surrender of Confederate forces in North Carolina in exchange for the existing state government remaining in power, with private property rights (slaves) to be respected. This did not even grant freedom to those in slavery. This was not acceptable to Johnson or the Cabinet, who sent word for Sherman to secure the surrender without making political deals, which he did. Further, Johnson placed a $100,000 bounty (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|100000|1865}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}}) on Confederate President Davis, then a fugitive, which gave Johnson the reputation of a man who would be tough on the South. More controversially, he permitted the execution of [[Mary Surratt]] for her part in Lincoln's assassination. Surratt was executed with three others, including Atzerodt, on July 7, 1865.{{Sfn|Gordon-Reed|pp=93–95}}