Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 4

Mrs. Lincoln invited Sumner to witness from the White House, on Thursday evening, the illuminations, in company with General Grant, who was expected to arrive that evening; but it is not known that he accepted. The next day (Friday, the 14th, ever memorable in American annals), at a meeting of the Cabinet, the President resumed the question of reconstruction, repeating the views he had already expressed, mentioning Sumner's opposite view, and adjourning the discussion to a day of the next week, when he was not to meet them.¹ On the evening of that Friday, at or about twenty minutes past ten, he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. He became instantly senseless, and did not recover consciousness. Sumner was at the time at the house of Senator Conness, in company with him and Senator Stewart; and being told what had occurred by some one rushing in from the street, they went quickly to the White House, and then to the theatre, reaching Mr. Lincoln, who was already in the house opposite, about half an hour after the fatal shot had been fired. There Sumner remained till the President's last breath, at twenty-two minutes past seven, the next morning.² A bystander, at one in the night, wrote: ‘Senator Sumner was seated on the right of the President's couch, near the head, holding the right hand of the President in his own. He was sobbing like a woman, with his head bowed down almost on the pillow of the bed on which the President was lying.’³ A witness, in describing the last moment of the scene, said: ‘Senator Sumner, General Todd, Robert Lincoln, and Rufus Andrews stood leaning over the headboard, watching every motion of the beating heart of the dying President. Robert Lincoln was resting on the arm of Senator Sumner.’⁴ At the moment of death Sumner was at the head of the bed, by the side of Robert Lincoln.⁵ As soon as Mr.