D. K. Wall 0:00
Today's tale is a curious footnote in history, a fleeting, almost forgotten encounter between two men of some repute. It's intriguing, ironic, and it's true, at least as true as the hazy recollections of those who lived it allow. But I must warn you, it's an insignificant historical event. Robert's brush with death came in 1864, or perhaps it was 1863, in Trenton, New Jersey, might have been Jersey City. The exact time and place faded from memory. History muddles details, particularly on obscure events that have little impact on the trajectory of mankind. Whenever and wherever we know it happened, Robert himself remembered it well, recounting the tale and writing letters about the day a famous actor saved his life. Not on the battlefield, though the Civil War raged, Robert's father wanted him to fight for the cause, to serve in the Union Army. His mother, however, disagreed. She wanted him safe. Robert had always been closer to her than his father, so he took her counsel and pursued his college education at Harvard. Traveling one day in 1864, or 1863, he found himself on a crowded train platform—be it Trenton or Jersey City—so crowded, he said years later, that he was pressed up against a parked train car. Without warning, the train moved, knocked off balance, Robert stumbled. His legs slipped between the platform and the now moving train. His feet dangled inches from the massive grinding wheels. He kicked, struggled, but he couldn't lift himself free. He risked massive injury, amputation, or even death itself. To his surprise, he felt a sudden tug, not to his legs, but to the collar of his coat. Someone wrapped their hand around the fabric and yanked him back to safety. Stunned and relieved, he turned to thank his savior, but froze. He recognized the man. Edwin came from an accomplished theatrical family, one of the most famous of the era. Years earlier, Edwin's father had become enamored with acting after seeing Othello and gained national renown in England for his portrayal of Richard III. He immigrated to the United States, where his acting career flourished. Three of his sons became actors. Of the three, Edwin was widely recognized as the most talented, and it was Edwin who had saved young Robert's life. Robert's family adored the theater and attended often. He was in awe of the man who had just snatched him from danger. Flustered, though, Robert failed to introduce himself. Edwin would later say he remembered the young man as being polite and well-mannered, but did not make the connection to Robert's own well-known family. And so they parted without further conversation. In any good story, the two men would cross each other's paths again. Through some poetic justice, Robert would repay the favor. Their lives would become entwined. Alas, this isn't fiction. The truth is, they never met each other again. Robert continued his studies, graduated from Harvard, and entered law school. Only a few months in, though, he put his education on hold and joined the Union army as the war wound down. Though he didn't go on to great valor or lose his life in battle, this isn't one of those tales. In fact, he was never at grave risk. His parents, you see, found a compromise to settle their disagreement about their son's military duties. Robert's father asked a favor of none other than General Ulysses S. Grant. Could he find a role outside of harm's way to satisfy his mother's desires, but still within the military? General Grant agreed. Robert joined Grant's staff as a captain on February 20, 1865. Just a month and a half later, he witnessed the historical surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Grant. That moment, Robert standing in the room as Lee surrendered is not today's story either, but his serving on Grant's staff is a piece. Colonel Adam Badeau also served on General Grant's staff. He would go on after the war to write a three-volume biography about Grant. He also happened to be a friend of that great actor, Edwin. When he heard Robert share the tale of being saved from a train, Badeau penned a letter of thanks to Edwin. General Grant, probably at Badeau's urging, also sent a letter to Edwin. Only through those letters did Edwin realize who he had rescued. Still, it bears repeating, Robert and Edwin never encountered each other again. Now, Robert did go on to some fame. After the war ended, he left the Army, resumed his education at the University of Chicago, and became a practicing attorney in Illinois, where he helped to found the Chicago Bar Association. He made his mark in the political realm as well. He declined President Rutherford B. Hayes' offer to become Assistant Secretary of State, but took on the role of Secretary of War under President James Garfield and witnessed Garfield's assassination. He later served as the Minister to England under President Benjamin Harrison. His name was bandied about for various political offices, including the presidency, but Robert never mounted a campaign. Instead, he turned to the business world. He became the general counsel of the Pullman Company, the famous train car manufacturer. When George Pullman died, Robert became the company's president. As for Edwin, after the Civil War ended, he continued his stellar theatrical career, known for his portrayals of Othello and Hamlet. He eclipsed his father's fame, and became known as the greatest Shakespearean actor in the United States in the 1800s. This would just be a tale of a brief encounter between two famous men, not even a footnote in the annals of history. Without yet another event that neither participated in, their names would probably be largely forgotten. About a year after Edwin saved Robert, another encounter between an actor and a political figure occurred. This event was much darker and impactful, And changed history in dramatic fashion. On April 14th, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth entered the Ford Theater and assassinated President Abraham Lincoln during a performance of Our American Cousin. No, Edwin was not at the Ford Theater that night. He wasn't even in Washington. It wasn't until the next morning that the dreadful news reached Edwin in New York City. Like many families of that era, the war had divided Edwin's siblings, even the acting brothers. Edwin and his older brother appeared on stage together often, but they had only appeared on stage with their younger brother once. A production of Julius Caesar. Edwin was a staunch supporter of the North. His younger brother avidly believed in the Southern cause. And now, in New York, Edwin learned the president he admired was dead. The assassin was none other than his younger brother, John Wilkes Booth. Unlike Edwin, Robert was in Washington. He visited his parents that fateful evening. Tired from traveling, he declined their invitation to attend the Ford Theatre production. That decision haunted him for the rest of his life. If Robert had attended, as the youngest member of the party, custom would have had him seated in the back row of the box with his family. Maybe, he always wondered, he would have seen the door open, seen John Wilkes Booth enter with his pistol. Maybe he could have saved his father's life. Instead, Robert Todd Lincoln stayed in the White House. Thus my tale for you today. A simple moment in history when a famous actor, Edwin Booth, saved the life of the president's son, Robert Todd Lincoln. A simple moment between two men that wouldn't be remembered, except for a horrific event months later involving their families. Just an insignificant historical event when a Booth saved a Lincoln before another Booth would end one.
