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This page is about the Assassins of President Abraham Lincoln. There were many people who were involved in his sudden death. This page will tell you about the people who organized, planned and carried out the dastardly deed that ended the President's life. The first, and most famous person in the assassination of President Lincoln was JOHN WILKES BOOTH. John Wilkes Booth was a well-know actor. He was a Southern sympathizer who thought that Lincoln was the source of the South's problems. Booth started to plan Lincoln's kidnapping in 1864. An early addition to Booth's conspiracy was JOHN SURRATT. His mother MARY SURRATT also joined in on the plan. She ran a boarding house where most of the conspirators' meetings took place. In 1865 DAVID HEROLD, GEORGE ATZERODT, and LEWIS POWELL joined in on Booth's plan to kidnap Lincoln. EDMAN SPANGLER was a stage hand that held Booth's horse. The group tried to kidnap the president on March 17, but they failed. John Surratt reconsidered the idea and then decided to leave the area. When Lee surrendered Booth put together his final plan: Powell would kill Secretary of State William Henry Seward, Atzerodt would shoot Vice President Andrew Johson, and John Wilkes Booth would kill President Lincoln. Out of the three only Booth was succsessful. Through the chaos after he shot the President, Wilkes fled with Herold to Maryland. Booth had injured his leg when he jumped from box to the stage, so he rode to the home of of DR. SAMUEL MUDD to have it set. These were the men that planned and carried out the assasination of President Lincoln. WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? On April 26 1865, Booth and Herold hid in a tobacco barn near Port Royal, Va. They were surrounded by Union troops. Herold surrended. Booth did not surrender and in turn he was shot and killed. Booth burned in the barn, which had been set on fire as an attempt to force him out. The other conspirators were later arrested. The trial that involved them began on May 10 and ended June 29, 1865. Atzerodt, Powell, Mary Sturratt and Herold all were given death sentences, and they were hanged July 7, 1865. Edman Spangler was given six years of hard labor. All of the surviving conspirators were sent to Fort Jefferson in Florida to serve their sentences. President Andrew Johnson pardoned the others in 1869. In conclusion, this page has given you information on some of the most infamous assassins in the history of America.
