Protecting President Lincoln

From his election in November 1860 to his death in April 1865, Abraham Lincoln faced constant danger from those hostile to him and to the Union cause. Lincoln’s enemies made four overt attempts on his life, including a Confederate partisan effort to infect him with yellow fever by sending a contaminated valise of clothing to the White House. Because Lincoln’s life ended with John Wilkes Booth’s assassination plot, the president’s protection has come under extreme scrutiny, with many considering it flawed, inadequate, or completely lacking. By providing the first thorough exploration of the security surrounding Lincoln, this intriguing study offers new insight into this long-running issue. Detailing the dangers, real and uncertain, facing Lincoln and the unprecedented measures taken to protect his life and health, this work presents a fresh perspective on the presidency of the Great Emancipator.

Frederick Hatch is the editor and publisher of The Journal of the Lincoln Assassination and has written for American History, Lincoln Herald, Sea Classics, and Surratt Courier. He lives in Maryland.

Frederick Hatch
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 81 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6362-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8691-5
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface 1

Introduction 3

 1. National Crisis 5

 2. President Elect 10

 3. Inauguration—1861 19

 4. Protecting President Lincoln 25

 5. Presidential Health 42

 6. Reelection 51

 7. Confederate Secret Service 58

 8. John Wilkes Booth 69

 9. Conspiracy 77

10. A Night of Horrors 91

11. Cause of Death 102

12. The Missing Guard 109

13. The Hand of the Avenger 118

14. The Long Good-bye 132

15. Rest in Peace 144

16. Aftermath 149

Appendix 1: Weapons of the Assassination Conspirators 167

Appendix 2: Presidential Succession 170

Notes 175

Bibliography 187

Index 195

“will satisfy the spontaneous student and the serious scholar…a first-rate account of not only Lincoln’s death but the issues involved in keeping him alive. Hat is off to Hatch for a difficult job well done”—Civil War News; “great value”—Strategypage.com; “a book of great value”—The NYMAS Review.