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The ORIGINAL TELEGRAM HANDED To GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT at the Philadelphia Railroad Station The Night Of APRIL 14th 1865 NOTIFYING HIM Of The ASSASSINATION Of PRESIDENT LINCOLN

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(April) 14, 1865-Dated Civil War, Partially-Printed Document Original Telegram Signed (transcribed by the telegraph clerk), “General Rawlins, Chief of Staff” to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Philadelphia Railroad Station, informing him about the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre that night, Display Framed, Choice Very Fine or better.

This original Telegram, notifying General Ulysses S. Grant of the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on the night of April 14, 1865, is a momentous significant historical document reflecting a pivotal moment in American history. The American Telegraph Company official printed form is the authentic, fully completed and handwritten in rich brown ink by the telegraph clerk as transmitted by General John Aaron Rawlins, General Ulysses S. Grant's chief of staff that very evening. After the war, Rawlins served as Secretary of War in Grant's presidential administration. The Telegram form measures 7.75” x 5” (by sight) beautifully matted at center within the display frame. This original Telegram reads, in full:

“Dated Wash(ington) 14 1865. --- Red’d, Philadelphia (no time recorded)

To Lt Genl Grant -- An attempt has been made tonight to assassinate the Presdt & secy Seward & has probably succeeded as both have been wounded suffered mortally - The Presidt was shot in Fords Theatre, this is for your information to put on your guard --- (Signed) Jno (John) A(aron) Rawlins chf of staff”.

This document is professionally matted and display framed together with a woodblock engraving at top measuring 3.5” x 7.75” of the Assassination scene taken from Harpers Weekly of April 29, 1865, page 260. Below the Telegraph form is an informative text inset measuring 2” x 5.75” reading, if full:

“The ORIGINAL TELEGRAM HANDED To GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT at the Philadelphia Railroad Station The Night Of APRIL 14th 1865 NOTIFYING HIM Of The ASSASSINATION Of PRESIDENT LINCOLN -- General and Mrs. GRANT Had Planned To Attend FORD’s THEATER That Evening With The President and Mrs. LINCOLN, But Having Changed Their Plans Left Washington At 6 P.M. For Burlington, New Jersey.”

As history records, on April 14, 1865, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., at approximately 10:15 p.m. Booth shot Lincoln at point-blank range in the head from behind while Lincoln, the First Lady, and another couple were watching a play.

The Civil War had effectively ended just five days before, April 9, when Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to U.S. general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant had been in Washington on April 14, 1865, and spoke with President Lincoln, who invited Grant and Grant’s wife Julia to accompany him and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln that evening to see Laura Keene in Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre. Grant received a message from his wife saying that she wanted Grant, herself, and their son Jesse to leave the capital for the Grants’ cottage in Burlington, New Jersey. Grant conveyed his regrets to Lincoln.

Grant, Julia, and son Jesse took a train out of town early that evening. In route to Burlington, the news reached them that Lincoln had been shot, the wound would be fatal, and that Secretary of State William Seward had also been stabbed repeatedly by an attacker at his home-thus, a profoundly dangerous plot was unfolding. In the subsequent hours, it would come to light that the conspirators, led by actor John Wilkes Booth, had intended to kill Lincoln, Grant, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Remarkably, Seward survived the assassination attempt against him. President Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m., April 15, 1865.

Though inconclusive, some evidence suggests that an assassin got onto the Grant’s train. Definitely someone tried to barge into their train car, but the conductor had locked the door earlier. What is more, as the Grants rode in a carriage towards the train station to leave Washington, D.C., John Wilkes Booth had galloped past them, though they did not of course know who he was or his designs. As Julia related in her memoirs, a man “at a sweeping gallop on a dark horse” rode past their carriage, glaring at General Grant, then turned his horse around and rode back past them, again glaring at Grant. Then, as Jesse recorded later, the rider “wheeled his horse and rode furiously away.” Booth had been speaking roadside with fellow actor John Mathews when the Grants’ carriage passed by. He saw it and set off on horseback in pursuit.

Though we cannot know for sure that Booth was aware that the Grants were heading for the train station, historians point out that the extensive baggage on the carriage would likely have been an obvious sign to Booth. A few days after Lincoln’s assassination, Grant related: “I received an anonymous letter from a man, saying he had been detailed to kill me, that he rode on my train as far as Havre de Grace, and as my car was locked he could not get in. He thanked God he had failed.” The letter was unsigned, and we will likely never know if its contents were true. (Principal source: Ron Chernow, GRANT, (New York: Penguin Books, 2017).

A remarkable Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant item, mentioning the fatal occurrence at Ford’s Theater in real time, the night of April 14, 1865. This important historic document is shown under special UV Plexiglas and display framed to 22.5” x 14.25”. A remarkable highlight for any private or institutional collection.

Provenance Ex: Sotheby Parke Burnet, June 20, 1979, The Property of the Elsie O. and Philip D. Sang Foundation, Collection of Jules K. Sindic, to our present consignor.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF

AMBASSADOR J. WILLIAM MIDDENDORF II


On April 14, 1865, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., at approximately 10:15 p.m. Booth shot Lincoln at point-blank range in the head from behind while Lincoln, the First Lady, and another couple were watching a play.

The Civil War had effectively ended just five days before, April 9, when Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to U.S. general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant had been in Washington on April 14, 1865, and spoke with President Lincoln, who invited Grant and Grant’s wife Julia to accompany him and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln that evening to see Laura Keene in Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre. Grant received a message from his wife saying that she wanted Grant, herself, and their son Jesse to leave the capital for the Grants’ cottage in Burlington, New Jersey. Grant conveyed his regrets to Lincoln.

Grant, Julia, and son Jesse took a train out of town early that evening. In route to Burlington, the news reached them that Lincoln had been shot, the wound would be fatal, and that Secretary of State William Seward had also been stabbed repeatedly by an attacker at his home-thus, a profoundly dangerous plot was unfolding.

In the subsequent hours, it would come to light that the conspirators, led by actor John Wilkes Booth, had intended to kill Lincoln, Grant, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Remarkably, Seward survived the assassination attempt against him. President Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m., April 15, 1865.

Though inconclusive, some evidence suggests that an assassin got onto the Grant’s train. Definitely someone tried to barge into their train car, but the conductor had locked the door earlier.

What is more, as the Grants rode in a carriage towards the train station to leave Washington, D.C., John Wilkes Booth had galloped past them, though they did not of course know who he was or his designs.

As Julia related in her memoirs, a man “at a sweeping gallop on a dark horse” rode past their carriage, glaring at General Grant, then turned his horse around and rode back past them, again glaring at Grant. Then, as Jesse recorded later, the rider “wheeled his horse and rode furiously away.”

Booth had been speaking roadside with fellow actor John Mathews when the Grants’ carriage passed by. He saw it and set off on horseback in pursuit. Though we cannot know for sure that Booth was aware that the Grants were heading for the train station, historians point out that the extensive baggage on the carriage would likely have been an obvious sign to Booth.

A few days after Lincoln’s assassination, Grant related, “I received an anonymous letter from a man, saying he had been detailed to kill me, that he rode on my train as far as Havre de Grace, and as my car was locked he could not get in. He thanked God he had failed.” The letter was unsigned and we will likely never know if its contents were true.

Principal source: Ron Chernow, Grant (New York: Penguin Books, 2017).

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Lot Number: 207
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