What Were the Disturbing Details Revealed in Lincoln’s Autopsy?
A brief look at the final moments of Abraham Lincoln’s life.
President Abraham Lincoln (R-Illinois) walked into Ford’s Theater in Washington DC on April 14, 1865. He and his wife wanted to watch the top-rated comedic play, Our American Cousin. However, fate had other plans.
During the play, John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor sneaked into the presidential enclosure and shot Lincoln in the head with a 0.44 caliber pistol. Wilkes chose a moment of laughter to shoot the President so that the sound of laughter would obscure the sound of a bullet escaping his pistol. Afterwards, he jumped onto the stage and yelled, “Sic Semper tyrannis!”- the Latin phrase which can be translated into “thus always to tyrants.”
Amidst the chaos and fear of the guests, Wilkes disappeared from the theater, whereas Lincoln became unconscious and was paralyzed. Charles Leale — an Army surgeon, made his way to Lincoln to provide first aid.
The Next Few Hours After Being Shot
One look and Charles Leale was convinced that Lincoln’s wounds were fatal. Charles persuaded officials surrounding Lincoln that he had to be transported to a neighboring hospital.
