General Grant, with whom the President had engaged to attend Ford's
Theater that evening, had left with his wife for Burlington, New-Jersey,
in the 6 o'clock train. After this departure Mr. Lincoln rather
reluctantly determined to keep his part of the engagement, rather than
to disappoint his friends and the audience. Mrs. Lincoln, entering the
room and turning to Mr. Colfax, said, in a half laughing, half serious
way, "Well, Mr. Lincoln, are you going to the theater with me or not?"
"I suppose I shall have to go, Colfax," said the President, and the
Speaker took his leave in company with Major Rathbone, of the
Provost-Marshal General's office, who escorted Miss Harris, daughter of
Senator Harris, of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln reached Ford's Theater
at twenty minutes before 9 o'clock.

The house was filled in every part with a large and brilliantly attired
audience. As the presidential party ascended the stairs, and passed
behind the dress circle to the entrance of the private box reserved for
them, the whole assemblage, having in mind the recent Union victories,
arose, cheered, waving hats and handkerchiefs, and manifesting every
other accustomed sign of enthusiasm. The President, last to enter the
box, turned before doing so, and bowed a courteous acknowledgment of his
reception--At the moment of the President's arrival, Mr. Hawks, one of
the actors, performing the well-known part of Dundreary, had exclaimed:
"This reminds me of a story, as Mr. Lincoln says." The audience forced
him, after the interruption, to tell the story over again. It evidently
pleased Mr. Lincoln, who turned laughingly to his wife and made a remark
which was not overheard.

[Illustration: Scene of the Assassination.

_X_ President's Position. _A_ The course of the Assassin after the