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The Lincoln Conspiracy (book)
Encyclopedia
The Lincoln Conspiracy is a book
by David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier, Jr. promoting certain conspiracy theories
concerning the 1865 assassination
of U.S. President
Abraham Lincoln
.
, originally orchestrated by Lincoln's Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton
and some Radical Republican allies in 1865, by over-reliance on false documentation produced by Stanton and his conspirators. This was done to disguise the fact that Stanton, Union spy Lafayette C. Baker
, Senator Benjamin F. Wade, Senator John Conness
, other congressional Radical Republicans, and a group of Northern bankers and speculators were all involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln. Lincoln was then intended to be hidden for a time while bogus articles of impeachment
were drafted to remove him as President. The primary motivations for this plot were strong opposition to Lincoln's liberal Reconstruction plans and the loss of profits due to Lincoln's restrictions on the cotton trade during the U.S. Civil War.
, to kidnap Lincoln with the help of a different group of conspirators with different motives. The Stanton group, through Baker and Conness, provided Booth with money and information on Lincoln's movements. After several abortive attempts, Booth was ordered to halt his efforts in March, 1865. Mr. Booth made no further attempts to kidnap Lincoln, but secretly resolved to murder him instead.
documenting meetings with several members of the Stanton group. A few days later on April 26, a Confederate double agent (James William Boyd
), mistakenly identified
as Booth, was shot and killed in Virginia
. Stanton, who was aware of the mistake of identity, saw to it that the autopsy
records were altered to remove or obscure descriptions of the body not consistent with Booth. Booth's diary, now in Stanton's personal possession, had 13 pages of incriminating references removed. Baker quietly pursued the hunt for Booth as far as Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, where the trail went cold.
At the military trials of Booth's conspirators (who were not members of the Stanton group), held in May and June 1865, the proceedings were rushed, the government produced paid witnesses against the defendants, and even the trial records were altered. Four of Booth's co-conspirators were hanged on July 7, 1865, others received long prison sentences, but Booth himself eventually escaped to England
. However, Booth's whereabouts after that are uncertain.
s. Many objections were raised against the book's sensational theories and the authors' use (and misuse) of source materials. The Lincoln Conspiracy is often considered a form of revisionist or even alternate history.
The Lincoln Conspiracy was the basis of the 1977
film of the same name
by Sunn Classic Pictures
, whose publishing division also released the book.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier, Jr. promoting certain conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
concerning the 1865 assassination
Abraham Lincoln assassination
The assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...
of U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
Cover-up of the plan to kidnap Lincoln
The central premise of the book is that "traditional" historians have perpetuated a cover-upCover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
, originally orchestrated by Lincoln's Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
and some Radical Republican allies in 1865, by over-reliance on false documentation produced by Stanton and his conspirators. This was done to disguise the fact that Stanton, Union spy Lafayette C. Baker
Lafayette C. Baker
Lafayette Curry Baker was a United States investigator and spy, serving for the Union Army, during the American Civil War and under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson....
, Senator Benjamin F. Wade, Senator John Conness
John Conness
John Conness was a first-generation Irish-American businessman who served as a U.S. Senator from California during the American Civil War and the early years of Reconstruction. He introduced a bill to establish Yosemite National Park and voted to abolish slavery...
, other congressional Radical Republicans, and a group of Northern bankers and speculators were all involved in a plot to kidnap Lincoln. Lincoln was then intended to be hidden for a time while bogus articles of impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
were drafted to remove him as President. The primary motivations for this plot were strong opposition to Lincoln's liberal Reconstruction plans and the loss of profits due to Lincoln's restrictions on the cotton trade during the U.S. Civil War.
Kidnapping changes to assassination
The book then states that in 1864, Baker uncovered the plans of Lincoln's future assassin, John Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
, to kidnap Lincoln with the help of a different group of conspirators with different motives. The Stanton group, through Baker and Conness, provided Booth with money and information on Lincoln's movements. After several abortive attempts, Booth was ordered to halt his efforts in March, 1865. Mr. Booth made no further attempts to kidnap Lincoln, but secretly resolved to murder him instead.
Booth's "incriminating" diary
Lincoln's assassination by Booth on April 14 is said to have thrown Stanton and his allies into a panic, fearing that their involvement in the kidnap plots would be exposed. A frantic search soon turned up Booth's coat, which contained a highly incriminating diaryDiary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
documenting meetings with several members of the Stanton group. A few days later on April 26, a Confederate double agent (James William Boyd
James William Boyd
James William Boyd was a Confederate States of America military officer who was alleged in a conspiracy theory to have been killed in the place of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln....
), mistakenly identified
Mistaken identity
Mistaken identity is a defense in criminal law which claims the actual innocence of the criminal defendant, and attempts to undermine evidence of guilt by asserting that any eyewitness to the crime incorrectly thought that they saw the defendant, when in fact the person seen by the witness was...
as Booth, was shot and killed in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Stanton, who was aware of the mistake of identity, saw to it that the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
records were altered to remove or obscure descriptions of the body not consistent with Booth. Booth's diary, now in Stanton's personal possession, had 13 pages of incriminating references removed. Baker quietly pursued the hunt for Booth as far as Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, where the trail went cold.
At the military trials of Booth's conspirators (who were not members of the Stanton group), held in May and June 1865, the proceedings were rushed, the government produced paid witnesses against the defendants, and even the trial records were altered. Four of Booth's co-conspirators were hanged on July 7, 1865, others received long prison sentences, but Booth himself eventually escaped to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. However, Booth's whereabouts after that are uncertain.
Cold reception by historians
The Lincoln Conspiracy was greeted with hostility and derision from academic historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s. Many objections were raised against the book's sensational theories and the authors' use (and misuse) of source materials. The Lincoln Conspiracy is often considered a form of revisionist or even alternate history.
The Lincoln Conspiracy was the basis of the 1977
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
film of the same name
The Lincoln Conspiracy (film)
The Lincoln Conspiracy is a 1977 film directed by James L. Conway that dramatizes certain conspiracy theories concerning the 1865 assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The film, which is based on the 1977 book of the same name by David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier Jr., stars Robert...
by Sunn Classic Pictures
Sunn Classic Pictures
Sunn Classic Pictures, also known as Schick Sunn Classic Pictures is an independent U.S.-based film distributor, founded in 1971. The company was notable for family films and documentaries, and was bought by Taft Broadcasting in 1980.-History:...
, whose publishing division also released the book.
See also
- Abraham Lincoln assassinationAbraham Lincoln assassinationThe assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...
- John Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
- Conspiracy theoryConspiracy theoryA conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
- The Lincoln ConspiracyThe Lincoln Conspiracy (film)The Lincoln Conspiracy is a 1977 film directed by James L. Conway that dramatizes certain conspiracy theories concerning the 1865 assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The film, which is based on the 1977 book of the same name by David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier Jr., stars Robert...
(film based on the book) - Edwin M. StantonEdwin M. StantonEdwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...