February 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, February 27th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2014
Four detailed Lincoln assassination letters written by William Clark, a soldier at the Washington Arsenal, where the Lincoln conspirators were imprisoned before their executions. Letters are dated in various months of 1865 from U.S. Arsenal Hospital, Washington D.C., with one upon Arsenal letterhead and enclosed in an Arsenal envelope. Written in subsequent days and months after Lincoln's assassination on 14 April 1865, letters discuss Lincoln's death and funeral procession, as well as the status of various assassination conspirators. Lot includes in chronological order: (1) Letter dated 21 April 1865, written by Clark to his family about Lincoln's assassination, mistakenly referring to the play Lincoln was watching as ''Aladdin and His Lamp''. Reads in part, ''...all the particulars as far as I know about the Assassination of our Chief Magistrate on the Night of the 14th at Fords Theatre...The President and wife also Miss Harris and one of her companions and a Major were sitting in one of the Boxes when at 10.30 as they were in the last part of the play there was a man entered the box from the back way and sayed in lattin Death to the tirant drawed a Pistol and shot the President in the back part of the head as near as i can tell you it was just where the Scull fastens on to the neck...after he shot he drew a dirk and struck at the Major and then jumped onto the stage and run out the back way there he had a horse waiting for him jumped on and rode away...The President Died just 8 hours and 52 minutes after he was shot. He was unconcious from the time he was shot untill his death. I have been with Pheebe [his wife] to the Captial to see the Body.'' He also briefly mentions the attempt on William Seward's life, ''the man has been caught''. (2) The second letter, dated 16 June 1865, discusses various people arrested in relation to the assassination, reading in part, ''...12 is the number one or more of them are very sick the trial is near to a close and i think they will all swing.'' (3) 28 June 1865 letter discusses the health of Mary Surratt and the hanging of the conspirators, ''...Ms. Surratt is very sick in Prison here and is not expected to live...Now to the Prisoners they have been tried and several have been sentanced to be hung by the neck until they are dead dead dead and in short time the rest will follow the same Road this is the penalty of trying to kill the Cheaf Majistrate of the nation after he was lawfully elected by the people therefore let traitors take warning.'' (4) The final letter, with no date, though circa 21 April 1865, as it discusses Lincoln's funeral procession: ''The Body left this City at 8 OClock A.M. on a special train for Baltimore...The body of the Child [Willie Lincoln] that died some time since is to be sent with the Body of the Father for Burial at Springfield...Joe Johnson has surrendered but i cannot say how true it is one thing certain the war is about played out.'' Collection includes one transmittal envelope included with the first letter. Toning, else very good to near fine.
Four 1865 Letters by a Soldier at the Washington Arsenal, Where the Lincoln Conspirators Were Held -- ''...Ms. Surratt is very sick in Prison here...they...have been sentanced to be hung...''
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