A Night at the Ford

A Night at the Ford is my attempt at a Civil War Era Alternate History, detailing what would happen if President Abraham Lincoln's trip to the Ford Theater at the tail end of the War Between the States did not result in his untimely death.

This is a work in progress, as I would like to work on this differently than my other TL's: starting with the Timeline first, then expanding articles, instead of the other way around. So, I hope you enjoy!

Tbguy1992 03:48, August 17, 2011 (UTC)

April 14, 1865
While watching Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C., recently re-elected President Abraham Lincoln, the leader of the victorious Union forces in the American Civil War, narrowly avoids being shot in the back of the head by would be assassin, and Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, when Major Henry Rathborne, who was sitting in the Presidential box with his wife and Mary Todd Lincoln notices the door to the box open. Glancing behind, Major Rathborne spots the gun, and shouts to alert the President, who looks over to the Major in time for the bullet from the single shot derringer pistol to miss the President. Lincoln then rose up to confront his would be assassin, and though Booth tried to stab his target with a knife, both he and Rathborne are able to subdue him. Booth is then taken under arrest by US Army officer’s that were in attendance in the theater.

At the same time, another pro-South agent, Lewis Powell, had come to Secretary of State William H. Seward’s home in Lafayette Park, near the White House. The injured Secretary (he had been thrown from a carriage nine days earlier) was the intended target of Booth’s affiliate, which, coupled with an attack on Vice-President Andrew Johnson would have thrown the US Government into disorder and confusion, possibly allowing the South to rise again against the North, as General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Union General Ulysses Grant on April 9. Powell was able to enter the Secretary’s home, claiming he had medicine for Seward. When his son (and Assistant Secretary of State) Fredrick confronted the intruder, he stabbed the man in the chest with a silver bowie knife, then ran up to the room that contained Seward, pushing aside his daughter Fanny, and shot the Secretary of State with his 1858 Whitney Revolver, mortally wounding him. At the time, he was in a neck splint to try to heal his carriage injury, and was unable to move enough to escape. Powell then ran out of the house, but not before a Sergeant Robinson and the waiter that admitted the assassin in the house to begin with attacked him, but both were stabbed and allowed Powell to escape to his horse. Moments later, a messenger came with a message for Seward, but was confronted by the panicking Fanny Seward, who cried "Oh my God, father's dead!" William H. Seward, hanging on to the last, croaked; “I’m not dead; send for a doctor, send for the police. Close the house.” He then slipped unconscious, and would not wake up again.

April 15, 1865
The news of the near assassination of President Lincoln, as well as the brutal slaying of Secretary of State Seward, quickly sweeps through Washington. Reports of Vice-President Johnson also nearly escaping assassination are widespread, though it is later found that, although John Wilkes Booth had sent a man to kill Johnson, he developed cold feet, and got drunk and left the hotel the Vice-President was staying at.

Booth is taken, under armed guard, to the Old Capitol Prison, along with other suspects in the assassination attempt. Booth was imprisoned along with other prisoner’s including the infamous commandment of the Confederate prison near Andersonville, Georgia, Henry Wirz.

Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton declared martial law in Washington D.C., and the pursuit for Lewis Powell, murderer of Secretary of State William H. Seward, was begun in earnest. US Cavalry squadrons under the command of General George Custer fanning out in the surrounding area, tracing every clue that came up, and there were many by the dumbstruck populace: rumors of Powell fleeing south into Virginia, or even north into Maryland, were widespread, and the horsemen were soon hunting down many leads, false or otherwise.

President Lincoln, still shocked at the event’s the night before, asked the Supreme Court to figure out how to try the assassins, wither by military or civilian courts. Plans for a state funeral for Seward also began, his body lying in state under the unfinished Capitol Rotundia. As well, plans for a Grand Review of the Armies came together, and three armies; the Army of the Potomic, Army of the Tennessee and the Army of Georgia were all to take part, to celebrate the end of the Civil War, and to try to restore the mood of the capitol.