Record Data
Source citation
Reprinted in War Department, et al., The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. ; Series 1 - Volume XLVII , Part 3 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1896), 220-221.
Type
Military record
Date Certainty
Exact
Transcriber
John Osborne, Dickinson College
Transcription date
Transcription
The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print. Spelling and typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.
War Department,
Washington City, April 15, 1865 — 12.10 p. m.
(Sent 1.40 p.m.)
Major-General Sherman,
Commanding :
President Lincoln was murdered about 10 o'clock last night in his private box at Ford's Theater in this city, by an assassin who shot him through the head with a pistol ball. About the same hour Mr. Seward's house was entered by another assassin, who stabbed the Secretary in several places, but it is thought he may possibly recover; but his son Frederick will probably die of wounds received from the assassin. The assassin of the President leaped from the box, brandishing a dagger, exclaiming, Sic semper tyrannis! and that now Virginia was revenged. Mr. Lincoln fell senseless from his seat, and continued in that state until twenty-two minutes after 7 o'clock, at which time he breathed his last. General Grant was published to be at the theater, but fortunately did not go. Vice-President Johnson now becomes President, and will take the oath of office and assume the duties to-day. I have no time to add more than to say that I find evidence that an assassin is also on your track, and I beseech you to be more heedful than Mr. Lincoln was of such knowledge.
EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
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