Where is the Gun that Shot Lincoln?
The Tragic Assassination of President Lincoln
April 14, 1865, is a date etched in American history as one of the most tragic events in the country’s past. On that fateful evening, President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was assassinated while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The gunman was John Wilkes Booth, a well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer.
The Search for the Gun
After the assassination, the U.S. government launched a massive manhunt to capture Booth and his accomplices. However, Booth was able to escape and flee to Virginia, where he was tracked down and killed by Union soldiers on April 26, 1865.
As part of the investigation, the authorities also searched for the gun used in the assassination. Theories and Speculation Abound: Many believe that the gun was destroyed or lost forever, while others claim to have seen or heard rumors about its whereabouts.
The Official Story
The official story is that Booth threw the gun, a.44-caliber Deringer pistol, out of the window of the Washington, D.C. railroad station, near the Seventh Street entrance, after being confronted by Sergeant Boston Corbett, who had discovered his hiding place. According to Corbett, he told Booth, "General Ulysses S. Grant sent me to take you dead or alive." Booth responded by tossing the gun, which Corbett later picked up.
The Mystery Deepens
Despite this official account, many questions remain unanswered. Some Believe the Gun was Not Thrown Out the Window: According to some theories, Corbett may have taken the gun as evidence and it was never thrown out the window. Others claim that Booth’s brother, Junius Brutus Booth Jr., or even another conspirator may have been involved in disposing of the gun.
The Hunt for the Gun Continues
For decades, various individuals and organizations have searched for the gun, scouring old newspapers, conducting interviews with descendants of the key figures, and examining historical documents. Several Claims and Contenders Emerge: In the 1960s, a man named Edward Steers claimed to have found the gun, which he alleged was later destroyed. Another individual, William H. Bircher, made a similar claim in the 1990s.
A Table of Claims and Theories
| Claim/Theory | Details |
|---|---|
| Booth threw the gun out the window | According to Corbett’s account, the gun was tossed out the window, but some doubt this. |
| Corbett kept the gun as evidence | Some believe Corbett may have taken the gun instead of it being thrown away. |
| Junius Brutus Booth Jr. was involved | Some speculate that Booth’s brother, who was an actor and a Confederate sympathizer, may have disposed of the gun. |
| Other conspirators were involved | Some theories suggest that other individuals, including Confederate officials or actors, may have been involved in hiding or destroying the gun. |
The Verdict
Despite the numerous claims and theories, the true fate of the gun remains a mystery. While it is impossible to confirm whether the gun was actually thrown out the window, lost, or destroyed, it is clear that the investigation into the assassination and the search for the gun were marked by controversy, speculation, and conflicting accounts.
Conclusion
The assassination of President Lincoln remains one of the most infamous events in American history. The search for the gun that shot Lincoln has been a decades-long quest, marked by conflicting theories, claims, and speculation. While the true fate of the gun may never be known, it serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of that fateful evening in April 1865.
