On this day in history...

150 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.

Only five days before, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army in Virginia, ending the American Civil War.

Photo courtesy of the George T Henry Archives, Adams Collection 1734-1879

However, Lincoln didn't die immediately, he passed away the next morning at a lodging house across the street from the theater. Above is a picture of an article from the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, a newspaper from New York that ran from about 1840-1890.

When the article was written, Lincoln was still alive but not expected to live much longer. The article also describes the attack on Secretary of State William H. Seward on the same night. Seward's fate was much better than Lincoln's and he continued to live for a few more years.

If you're interested in reading the whole article, come down to the George T Henry Archives! This article is part of the Adams Collection, which includes many other newspapers detailing aspects of the Civil war and slavery. The Adams Collection also has many other other documents and artifacts from the mid 1700's to the late 1800's. Click the link under the photo to find out more!