The Daring Attempt to Steal Abraham Lincoln's Body: An Abridged History

History Of An Attempt To Steal The Body Of Abraham Lincoln (Abridged)

by R L Meadows

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	318 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	149 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Prologue: The Shadow of Death

The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, cast a dark shadow over the nation. As his body lay in state in the White House, the United States Army took unprecedented security measures to protect the body and prevent any attempts at grave robbing.

The Grave Robbers' Plot

In the years after Lincoln's death, rumors persisted that his body was not safe in its tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. These rumors reached the ears of a group of men known as the "Knights of the Golden Circle," a pro-Confederate organization with a history of clandestine activities.

The plot to steal Lincoln's body was led by John Wilkes Booth, the actor who had assassinated the president. Booth, motivated by a desire to avenge the Confederacy, believed that stealing Lincoln's body would be a symbolic act of defiance against the Union.

Assembling the Team

Booth recruited a group of accomplices, including Edmund Spangler, the stage manager who had helped him escape after the assassination, and Benjamin Boyd, a former Confederate soldier with a reputation for violence. The team meticulously planned their operation, studying the layout of Oak Ridge Cemetery and devising a way to access Lincoln's tomb.

The Night of the Crime

On November 10, 1876, the team struck. Under the cover of darkness, they broke into the cemetery and approached Lincoln's tomb. Using a crowbar, they pried open the coffin and removed the president's body.

The Chase and Capture

However, the body thieves' plan hit a snag when they realized that the body was too heavy to carry away. They were forced to abandon the body in a nearby field, where it was later discovered by a farmer.

The discovery of the body sparked a massive manhunt. The thieves, realizing their operation had failed, fled in different directions. Spangler was quickly apprehended, followed by Boyd. Booth, however, managed to

History Of An Attempt To Steal The Body Of Abraham Lincoln (Abridged)

by R L Meadows

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	318 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	149 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE