Boys In Blue: Diary Entry, Pvt. James W Ferguson, 10th Ill. Inf. Co. G

Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 and died the next day at 7:22 a.m.  Word immediately spread about the President’s death, but the information wasn’t always accurate. This diary entry from two days after the event in WashingtonD.C.by Pvt. James W Ferguson of the 10^th Illinois Infantry, Company G is an example of how information transfer became a game of “telephone.”  The basic facts are correct, but some of the details are skewed.
 

Monday April 17..1865

All is quite today, nothing farther in reguar to Jonsons surrender—-but the terebal news has reached us of the ontimely death of our President Abraham Lincoln. he was assasionated when at the theater the assasian Shot him through the head. as he was getting up to leave at 10 oclock and Pm and lived till 10 oclock Am and died, the likewise brook into Secretary Seward house and pearced him in several places and his Sun served in the same manner, the think Seward will recover but his sun is not expected to recover, the assasians is not found yet
 

©2012 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum