Editing Abraham Lincoln (section)

====Assassination====
{{Main|Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|}}
[[File:Lincoln assassination slide c1900 - Restoration.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Painting of Lincoln being shot by Booth while sitting in a theater booth.|An illustration of [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's assassination]] on April 14, 1865, in the presidential booth at [[Ford's Theatre]], featuring (left to right): assassin [[John Wilkes Booth]], Abraham Lincoln, [[Mary Todd Lincoln]], [[Clara Harris]], and [[Henry Rathbone]]]]

[[John Wilkes Booth]] was a well-known actor and a Confederate spy from Maryland; though he never joined the Confederate army, he had contacts with the Confederate secret service.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=586–587}} After attending Lincoln's last public address, on April 11, 1865, in which Lincoln stated his preference that the franchise be conferred on some Black men, specifically "on the very intelligent, and on those who serve our cause as soldiers",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/the-presidents-last-public-address|title=The President's last public address|website=The American Presidency Project|publisher=University of California, Santa Barbara|accessdate=May 3, 2025}}</ref> Booth plotted to assassinate the President.{{sfn|Harrison|2010|pp=3–4}} When Booth learned of the Lincolns' intent to attend a play with General Grant, he planned to assassinate Lincoln and Grant at [[Ford's Theatre]].{{sfn|Goodwin|2005|pp=734&ndash;735}} Lincoln and his wife attended the play ''[[Our American Cousin]]'' on the evening of April 14. At the last minute, Grant decided to go to New Jersey to visit his children instead of attending.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=594–597}}

At 10:15 pm, Booth entered the back of Lincoln's theater box, crept up from behind, and fired at the back of Lincoln's head, mortally wounding him. Lincoln's guest, Major [[Henry Rathbone]], momentarily grappled with Booth, but Booth stabbed him and escaped.{{sfn|Donald|1996|p=597}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Lincolns-Missing-Bodyguard.html |title=Lincoln's missing bodyguard |first=Paul |last=Martin |date=April 8, 2010 |work=Smithsonian |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927221216/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Lincolns-Missing-Bodyguard.html |archivedate=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> After being attended by [[Charles Leale|Doctor Charles Leale]] and two other doctors, Lincoln was taken across the street to [[Petersen House]]. After remaining in a [[coma]] for nine hours, Lincoln died at 7:22 am on April 15.{{sfn|Steers|2010|p=153}} Lincoln's body was wrapped in a flag and placed in a coffin, which was loaded into a hearse and escorted to the White House by Union soldiers.{{sfn|Craughwell|2009|p=4}} President Johnson was sworn in later that same day.{{sfn|Trefousse|1989|p=194}} Two weeks later, Booth was located, shot and killed at a farm in Virginia by Sergeant [[Boston Corbett]].{{sfnm|Steers|2010|1p=153|Donald|1996|2p=599}}