Robert Todd Lincoln was the eldest of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s four sons. Just as intriguing as the suggestion imbedded in the word game, however, is the episode’s transformation as it appeared in publications from 1893 to 1979. Instead it refers to Edwin Booth, John Wilkes’ older brother, and Robert Todd Lincoln, the president’s only child to reach maturity. The statement is true, but the incident to which it refers did not involve President Abraham Lincoln and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth. One of the latter featured the type of clever word game that Americans have long relished: Booth saved Lincoln’s life. In the 140 years since the Lincoln assassination, innumerable myths, legends and astonishing statements have been circulated about the ‘crime of the century. It was less than a year after this event that Booth’s brother took the life of Lincoln’s father. Lincoln recognized the famous actor and thanked him for his efforts, and Lincoln recalled the incident several times in writing and in conversation, although Booth did not know the name of the man he had saved until years later. According to Robert Lincoln, Edwin Booth grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back to his feet. As Lincoln and Booth were waiting at a train platform to buy sleeping cars, the train began to move and Lincoln lost his footing. Ironically, Edwin Booth had actually saved the life of, or at least prevented serious injury to, Lincoln’s eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln the previous year. This drove a wedge between the brothers, and Edwin was as shocked and outraged as the rest of the country when his brother, John Wilkes, shot President Lincoln on April 14th, 1865. While Edwin himself was a supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, his brother John was an extreme secessionist. His brother, John Wilkes Booth, did achieve notoriety that surpassed Edwin’s. Edwin appeared with his brothers in several performances, but neither of his brothers achieved the level of success in acting that Edwin did. His father was also a Shakespearean actor, as were his two brothers, John Wilkes Booth and Junius Booth, Jr. Booth’s Theatre, as it was called, was considered one of the most modern and spectacular theatres of its time.Įdwin Booth came from a family of actors.
He also founded his own theatre in New York. In fact, Booth has portrayed Hamlet on stage more often than any other actor. He toured throughout the US and Europe, and was most known for his portrayals of Hamlet. Explore articles from the History Net archives about Edwin BoothĮdwin Booth summary: Edwin Booth was one of the most famous Shakespearean actors of the 19th century.
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