why.........?

Question

why couldn't Booth accept the war was over?

Answer 1

Partly guilt (for not fighting for Southern Independence), partly determination (to strike a major blow for the South), and partly a desire to be considered to be greater than his famous father and brother.

Booth had been scheming for months to kidnap Lincoln and trade him for the release of more than 100,000 prisoners of war.

When the war suddenly ended, the plan changed to murder.

Doc Hudson

Answer 2

Booth didn't hear the Fat Lady Singing. Doc Hudson is largely on target - - - Booth did planned to kidnap Lincoln and then switched to murder. However much like Kennedy's assasination there is evidence of a possible conspiracy. Many Republicans did not want Lincoln around. They hated him before and during the war and did not want Lincoln around especially if he intended to be lenient toward the South.

Booth targeted Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Steward. The man assigned to kill Johnson was a coward and a drunk and failed to do anything that night. The man who attacked William Steward failed with knife and fists to kill a frail older man who was partially saved by a leather neck brace from getting his throat slit and his own rock hard dtermination not to die.


Booth was able to attack Abraham Lincoln because only one guard, and that one a notorious drunkard, was assigned to protect the President. Booth was able to escape because the one bridge he took out of Washington DC was the only one not being guarded as per regulations. Those regulations and the hunt for Booth was the task of Secretary of War Stanton a brilliant butr odd man and a prime canidate if there was a conspiracy.

Butr assuming it was all Booth's idea then it can be said that he held Lincoln responsible for the defeat of The South and he was right because it was Lincoln more than any other person who made the decision that the "Union must be Preserved,' many others were willing to let the South seccede.

Peace...