Adriyel Carrillo
November 2010
HSPC

“A house divided itself cannot stand” (A. Lincoln). The words of a murdered icon, of an era who’s days were dark shadowed by the crimson of brothers blood being shed at each others hands. “They’ve Killed Papa Dead” by Anthony S. Pitch give the facts of Abraham Lincoln’s term as president in a story format about the events of his extraordinary brushes with conspiracy and assassination. In my opinion I believe that Anthony S. Pitch did well to make the book interesting and keep my attention as a reader. The story conveys segments of Lincoln’s political life; from his election to his assassination; to the premeditation and attempts to take his life and the trials and executions of the conspirators.
“They’ve Killed Papa Dead” is contemplation of witness stories, journals, and confessions of the events of conspiracy that Lincoln and those a part of this time dealt with. Lincoln experienced much criticism even as president-elect. Pitch describes the extent his bodyguards worked to prevent the assassination of the president-elect. On many occasions Lincoln had to be discrete when he left or entered cities so that secessionists would not take the chance to kill Lincoln. Lincoln was not the only target by secessionist. Secessionist “hoped to kill the president-elect together with anyone in close line of succession and all prominent members of Lincoln’s Republican Party”(Pitch; 1) in doing this they hoped to sever the head of the Union government so that southerners can take over union control.
Lincoln's attitude towards rumors and death threats were apathetic. In one account he nonchalantly walked down an alley way with only one guard. Lincoln’s attitude was very formal but at the same-time humorous. In one speech he mentions that “he would rather be assassinated than surrender the principles of liberty...”(Pitch; 1) . Lincoln was despised by the large population of people in open rebellion. He developed a sense of humor about death threats and stored some letters in an envelope labeled assassination. He often made jokes about them because they became frequent and no longer alarmed him.
After the victory of the union, the conspiracy to kill Lincoln started off as an idea to kidnap the president and detain him to make a deal with the union. The deal would be to release confederate prisoners of war for Lincoln. However the plan soon escalated to the actual murder of Lincoln in which John Wilkes Booth lost some support from fellow conspirators. John Wilkes Both was an accomplished actor and a devout supporter of the confederacy. As a child he was always on “opposite ends of the table”. He always wanted to be the bad guy.
On April 14, 1865 at the Fords Theater President Lincoln made a late entrance to the play Our American Cousin
Pitch describes his lengths to find information, facts, and accounts. Not length in distance due to his close proximity to the Library of Congress and the National Archives. This luxury gave him the benefit of accessing primary sources and accounts. He was able to access information no other author that has written about Abraham Lincoln knew existed.
Pitch’s style is effective in that the information that is being presented is coherent in the perspective of notable witnesses. In one account Pitch uses a young surgeon in a third person perspective to emulate the events preceding to Lincoln’s assassination. “Dr. Leale turned toward the commotion outside the door through which he had seen the president enter.” This shows that Pitch went through great lengths to make this book a pleasure to read. I would recommend this book because of the vast and in-depth detail Pitch displays.