Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination: The Untold Story of the Actors and Stagehands at Ford’s Theatre

330 Pages·2013·2.46 MB·English

by  Thomas A. Bogar

PRAISE FOR
BACKSTAGE
AT THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION
“Dr. Bogar’s scholarship is original and impeccable. With stunning clarity, this
vivid narrative shines a light into the shadows and behind the scenes of the most
resonant crime in American history. Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination is an
indispensable resource for understanding the width, breadth, and scope of the
tragedy at Ford’s Theatre.”
—ERIK JENDRESEN, writer and producer of Killing Lincoln and Band of
Brothers
“Just when we thought there was nothing new to learn about the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre comes this important book by theater
historian Tom Bogar. It brings the actors and actresses of Ford’s Theatre finally
—and fully—to life. In a masterpiece of skillful research and synthesis, Bogar
immerses us in one of the most dramatic moments in American history while
answering questions we thought were unanswerable. A definitive treatment.”
—TERRY ALFORD, author of Fortune’s Fool: The Biography of John
Wilkes Booth and John Wilkes Booth: A Sister’s Memoir
“Most Lincoln assassination books follow the well-documented trail of Booth
into Maryland and Virginia, repeating often-told stories. Backstage at the
Lincoln Assassination stays behind at Ford’s Theatre, giving an old tale a new,
fresh focus that other historians missed for the past 150 years.”
—CLINT JOHNSON, author of “A Vast and Fiendish Plot”: The
Confederate Attack on New York City
“Thomas A. Bogar’s innovative investigation of the traumatic event of April 14,
1865, at Ford’s Theatre will quickly become an essential study among the
plethora of books on Lincoln’s assassination. This lively and engrossing
narrative reveals the impact of the assassination on the forty-six people involved
with the theatrical performance that fateful evening. Bogar follows all of them
from their activities that day to their deaths, recalling controversies and
questions still unanswered. Even the most ardent of Lincoln assassination
addicts will find much to savor and learn in this terrific book.”
—DON B. WILMETH, editor of The Cambridge Guide to American
Theatre, co-editor of The Cambridge History of American Theatre, and editor
of the series Palgrave Studies in Theatre & Performance History
“Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination is a must-read for anyone interested in
Lincoln’s assassination or history in general. Tom Bogar brings to life the many
people whom other accounts mention only in passing, if at all. It’s difficult to
call any Lincoln assassination book unique—there are over 120 of them—but
Bogar’s book is indeed a unique addition to Lincoln assassination lore.”
—ROGER NORTON, founder and moderator of the Lincoln Discussion
Symposium and the Abraham Lincoln Research Site
“Though many books have been written about the Lincoln assassination, many
gaps in the story remain. One of the most obvious of these surrounds the people
who worked at the scene of the crime—the actors, managers, and stage crew of
Ford’s Theatre in Washington. Being acquainted with, and in some cases close
to, the assassin, they were potential suspects in the case. Some were arrested in
the aftermath of the shooting, and one was convicted on the strength of divided
testimony from his colleagues. They all survived the experience and moved on
with their lives. A few continued their careers on the stage, but most faded into
oblivion. Now, with the publication of this marvelous book, Professor Bogar has
brought those forty-six important characters back into the spotlight. He clears
away a century and a half of folklore and mythology and reminds us how even
the minor figures have fascinating stories to tell. They were there, they saw it all,
and now at last, their stories will be heard. This is long overdue.”
—MICHAEL KAUFFMAN, author of American Brutus
“By uncovering the stories of the largely anonymous actors, managers, and
stagehands whose lives were changed forever at Ford’s Theatre, Tom Bogar has
found a fresh and exciting angle on the events of April 1865. This is a
fascinating account, and an important piece of research.”
—DANIEL STASHOWER, author of The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to
Murder Lincoln before the Civil War
“History tells us that the Lincoln assassination was more than the work of lone
gunman John Wilkes Booth. Tom Bogar shows us in this revealing and riveting
book just how much more. Bogar has fleshed out stunning details involving
more than a few suspects who were inside Ford’s Theatre that fateful night—
along with other never-before-seen primary source material. Highly
recommended.”
—MARC LEEPSON, author of Flag: An American Biography, Saving
Monticello, Desperate Engagement, and Lafayette

Copyright © 2013 by Thomas A. Bogar All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or
any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing
from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review
written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, broadcast, or on a website.
First ebook edition ©2013
eISBN 978-1-62157-174-2
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Published in the United States by
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Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the
stage and then is heard no more.
—MACBETH, Act V, Scene v (Abraham Lincoln’s favorite Shakespearean
play)
CONTENTS
The Forty-Six Actors, Managers, and Stagehands
Note about Theatrical Terms
Preface
CHAPTER 1: “Is John Booth Crazy?”
CHAPTER 2: “A Hotbed of Spies and Seditious Plots”
CHAPTER 3: “It Is a Lottery, This Profession of Ours”
CHAPTER 4: “Our American Cousin”
CHAPTER 5: “The Handsomest Man in Washington!”
CHAPTER 6: “Have You Got the Key?”
CHAPTER 7: “I Guess I Know Enough to Turn You Inside Out”
CHAPTER 8: “Burn the Damned Place Down!”
CHAPTER 9: “One of the Last Places to Which a Good Man Should Go”
CHAPTER 10: “Dreadful Uncertainty”
CHAPTER 11: “Ignorance and Innocence”
CHAPTER 12: “Good Bye. Sometimes Think of Me”
CHAPTER 13: “Actors, in Order to Live, Must Go On with Their Business”
CHAPTER 14: “To Open All My Wounds Afresh”