Probably one reason why Mr. Lincoln did not particularly care to go to
the theatre that night was a sort of half promise he had made to his
friend and bodyguard, Marshal Lamon. Two days previous he had sent
Lamon to Richmond on business connected with a call of a convention for
reconstruction. Before leaving, Mr. Lamon saw Mr. Usher, the Secretary
of the Interior, and asked him to persuade Mr. Lincoln to use more
caution about his personal safety, and to go out as little as possible
while Lamon was absent. Together they went to see Mr. Lincoln, and Lamon
asked the President if he would make him a promise.
“I think I can venture to say I will,” said Mr. Lincoln. “What is it?”
“Promise me that you will not go out after night while I am gone,” said
Mr. Lamon, “particularly to the theatre.”
Mr. Lincoln turned to Mr. Usher and said: “Usher, this boy is a
monomaniac on the subject of my safety. I can hear him or hear of
his being around at all times in the night, to prevent somebody from
murdering me. He thinks I shall be killed, and we think he is going
crazy. What does any one want to assassinate me for? If any one wants to
do so, he can do it any day or night if he is ready to give his life for
mine. It is nonsense.”
Mr. Usher said to Mr. Lincoln that it was well to heed Lamon’s warning,
as he was thrown among people from whom he had better opportunities to
know about such matters than almost any one.
“Well,” said Mr. Lincoln to Lamon, “I promise to do the best I can
toward it.”