abraham lincoln: you are a free citizen of this republic. kneel to god only. and thank him for the liberty that is yours. tom hanks: it s one of the most unforgettable scenes in american history. an american president walking the streets of a fallen rebel capital in the midst of a civil war. scarcely 36 hours after jefferson davis has fled his capital, abraham lincoln arrives at the surrendered home of the confederate president. crook: i am informed that general weitzel is on his way, sir. and this is mrs. o melia, the housekeeper. abraham lincoln: ma am, might you direct me to president davis desk?
robert e. lee s surrender with a grand illumination. candles burn in every window, public and private. fireworks and cannon volleys proclaim victory. on april 13th, booth visits grover s theater and learns that a production of aladdin! or his wonderful lamp is planned for the next night, april 14th. good friday. and that the president has been invited to attend. booth arranges for a ticket to the box adjoining the president s and informs his co-conspirators that the plan has changed from kidnapping to murder. that on april 14th, lewis powell will kill secretary of state seward. david herold will accompany powell and lead him across the navy yard bridge and into maryland. george atzerodt will kill vice president johnson in his room at the kirkwood house hotel. and booth will kill lincoln during the
abraham lincoln: might i have a glass of water? tom hanks: ironically, on this day, tad s 12th birthday, april 4th, 1865, the immediate danger to the president is not in richmond. it s on its way to washington. sergeant thomas harney, an explosives expert with the confederate torpedo bureau, has already been dispatched on a secret mission to blow up the white house and lincoln in it. and there is sound evidence that john wilkes booth learns of the plot while in new york, at the same time that abraham lincoln is walking the streets of richmond. southern gentleman: sergeant harney is with colonel mosby in virginia as we speak, seeking to infiltrate washington at the earliest convenience. john wilkes booth: and jefferson davis has sanctioned this harebrained incendiary scheme? i see. and it is true that president davis escaped intact from richmond? southern gentleman: yes. thank heaven he is safely bound for danville.
harry ford: well, i ll be sure to ask the president his plan in that regard. john wilkes booth: the president? you mean the buffoon who walked into jeff davis house in richmond, threw his legs over the chair and spit tobacco juice all over the place? [men laughing]. harry ford: he don t chew tobacco, john or i woulda put a spittoon in the presidential box tonight. a messenger for mr. lincoln called this morning for tickets. for them and general and mrs. grant. maybe we ll have robert e. lee and old jefferson davis himself in another box, both of them in chains. john wilkes booth: i thought he was attending grover s tonight. [singing honor to our soldiers ].
and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. tom hanks: booth is there. a face in the crowd on the steps of the east portico. on march 17th, 1865, booth and two boyhood friends, along with confederate agent lewis powell and smuggler george atzerodt, lay in wait along the president s route to visit the campbell military hospital. but lincoln cancels the hospital visit. booth then travels to new york, where he learns of a confederate plot to kill lincoln by planting explosives in the white house. [faint crying]