Civil War Blog

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 13, 2012

In February 1900, while skating Lake Whitney in Connecticut, William J. Ferguson, said to be the only surviving member of the cast of Our American Cousin from the night of the Lincoln assassination, rescued a fellow cast member of The Girl From Maxims, a play in which he was performing in New Haven.  This is one of the earliest newspaper references to the fact that this 55 year old well-known actor was the same person as the callboy/actor of that fateful night in Washington, 14 April 1865, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

W. J. Ferguson, the comedian now with The Girl from Maxim’s, won a hero’s laurels at New Haven, Connecticut, last Sunday by saving Mayme Kealty, of the same company, from drowning in Lake Whitney, where both were skating.  Miss Kealty skated into an air-hole, and would have sunk had not Mr. Ferguson, by means of a long branch, managed to reach her and pull her out. [from Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 February 1900].

In making the national news, the Nebraska State Journal of 11 February 1900 reported that “Mr. Ferguson is the only survivor of the cast of Our American Cousin, that played at Ford’s Theatre on the night of Lincoln’s assassination.”  The information given was not correct, as at the time, there were several other cast members who were still alive, although it would have been correct to say that William J. Ferguson was the only one who was still actively performing to very positive reviews and that he had a long successful career behind him.

For Ferguson, the best was yet to come.  In the fifteen years between 1900 and 1915 when The Battle Cry of Peace was released as a silent film, Ferguson performed as a comedic actor in plays on stages throughout the northeast, almost always to rave reviews. There are hundreds of newspaper references to performances in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre, Atlantic City, New York, and Boston where Ferguson carried the show or was named as one of the main attractions in the cast – thus drawing full houses to these performances and in nearly every case, his performances were singled out favorably by critics.

With the coming of silent films, Ferguson made the transition that only some other actors of the time were able to make.  But, unfortunately, much of his work has been lost due to the chemical deterioration of the film used.  Several web sites have attempted to identify and catalog these early silent films and a list of films in which Ferguson appears is still incomplete.  Probably, his first film was a short called His Last Chance made in 1914.  It is known that his success in the theater, particularly in mime or pantomime comedy, was a major reason for his success in this new medium. Ironically, the film title suggests that his career was given a “last chance” through film, but this was far from the reality.  Ferguson continued to perform on the stage while adding to his resume an impressive filmography, performing for many of the major film makers of the day and with the silver screen’s best known actors.

In 1915 alone, in addition to The Battle Cry of Peace, Ferguson made at least four other feature-length films:  The Fatal Card, The Deep Purple, Little Miss Brown, and Old Dutch.  By far, the one that got the most publicity was The Battle Cry of Peace in which Ferguson played Abraham Lincoln [see prior post The Battle Cry of Peace, 10 April 2012].

In 1916, he was featured in Treasure Island.  In 1917, he played in Kitty McKay.  In 1920, he played the butler in Passers-By and he again performed in The Deep Purple, the re-make version produced the same year. The advertisement for the 1920 version is shown below for when it played at the Orpheum Theatre in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania:

Fellow screen stars Miriam Cooper, Stuart Sage, Vincent Serrano, and Helen Ware are prominently noted in the 10 August 1920 ad.

The most reviews and advertisements of Ferguson’s film work occur for the years 1921 and 1922.

Dream Street, a D. W. Griffith film of 1921, saw Ferguson play Gypsy’s father.  A clip of this film is available on YouTube, but the viewer would be hard-pressed to identify Ferguson if he is shown at all.  Also appearing in this film were Ralph Graves and Tyrone Power.  The advertisement shown above appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot, 1 July 1921, for the screening at Harrisburg’s Victoria Theatre.  It is not known if the man pictured in the ad is the character played by Ferguson.

Also in 1921, Ferguson was filming Peacock Alley, a Robert Z. Leonard production which was released by Metro Pictures. In the review that appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot, 13 March 1922, Ferguson, who played the part of Alex Smith, was mentioned as a member of the “notable cast” which featured Mae Murray in the lead role.  The film was the story of a Parisian dancer who fell in love with a small-town American boy, creating a scandal and forcing the couple to seek their fortune in New York City.  The film was singled out for its “elaborate settings” and “gorgeous and artistic costumes.”

But 1922 saw Ferguson’s most prolific production with five films released featuring the 77 year old actor, including his last, his career being cut short by an accident during the filming of Yosemite Trail.

John Smith (1922) included Ferguson in the cast as the butler.  Little is known about this film and his performance in it.

To Have and To Hold (1922) unfortunately is considered lost as there are no surviving copies.

The ‘playbill-type” advertisement (above) which appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 October 1922, prominently featured Ferguson along with stars Betty Compton and Bert Lytell, and supporting cast members Theodore Kosloff, Raymond Hatton and Walter Long.  It was a George Fitzmaurice production of what was called “the most gloriously exciting romance ever filmed!”   Another version of the advertisement is shown below and was used on 29 October 1922 by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Click on picture to enlarge.

William J. Ferguson‘s part in To Have and To Hold was of Jeremy Sparry, Percy’s servant.  Again, in a butler-type role, the critics noted that “W. J. Ferguson does an excellent bit of character work as the trusted servant.” [from Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 October 1922].  The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader noted that the film had an” exceptional cast which includes such notable players as Theodore Kosloff, W. J. Ferguson, Raymond Hatton and Walter Long. ” [from 24 November 1922].

But, it was this film, along with others in 1922, that the press began to focus more on Ferguson’s role as an eyewitness to the Lincoln assassination.  Perhaps understanding that this great actor would not be around much longer (he was one of the oldest performers then active), he was pressed by reporters for his stories of the tragedy at Ford’s Theatre.

The article which appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer of 4 June 1922 reflected on the number of people who came to know Ferguson as a result of his film appearances compared to the number who had seen him on the stage in the 57 previous years of his career:

It took a veteran character actor fifty-seven years to appear personally on the stage, before approximately the same number of people that see a modern motion picture in one night.

W. J. Ferguson, who was on the stage of Ford’s Theatre when Lincoln was shot, has appeared before some twenty-four million playgoers in the course of over a half century as a player.  Today he is working with Betty Compton, Bert Lytell and Theodore Kosloff in To Have and To Hold, a forthcoming George Fitzmaurice production for Paramount.  When it is released to thousands of theatres simultaneously all over the world more people will see his work in two or three days than the tremendous total, painstakingly amassed during fifty-seven years of personal stage appearances.

Figures of this sort express vividly the tremendous difference in scope between the speaking stage and the screen.  On the stage, Mr. Ferguson could appear before only one audience at a time, varying between a few hundred to two or three thousand.  On the screen, his visage will be flashed before millions on the same day.

“To a player with a real pride in his business of relieving for a few hours the troubles of a busy world,” says Mr. Ferguson, “it is a matter of extreme gratification that the cinema has made it possible for us to amuse, relax and educate millions, where before our scope was limited to but a few thousands.”

Ferguson, whose name had become a “household word” was featured in the advertisement for the film which appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot, 29 July 1922:

The next film of notoriety for William J. Ferguson in 1922 was Kindred of the Dust.  He played the part of Mr. Daney.  This film, which does survive, although possibly not complete, was about “Nan of the Sawdust Pile,” played by Miriam Cooper, who discovers her husband is a bigamist and flees with her child to a Puget Sound logging town where she re-falls in love with son of a millionaire who had been her childhood sweetheart.  It was a story of love and reconciliation and featured other notable actors of the day including Ralph Graves, Caroline Rankin and Lionel Belmore.

The World’s Champion, starring Wallace Reid, Lois Wilson, Lionel Belmore, Guy Oliver, Leslie Casey and W. J. Ferguson, released by Paramount Pictures in 1922, featured a cast that “could hardly be excelled.” [from Harrisburg Patriot, 15 August 1922].  In the publicity for the film, Ferguson was described as a “venerable actor who was on the stage at Ford’s Theatre in Washington the night Lincoln was assaulted.”

The Harrisburg Patriot took the opportunity to feature a story about Ferguson and the writer gave the impression he had interviewed him:

Actor in World’s Champion Saw Abraham Lincoln Shot

W. J. Ferguson, playing the role of the butler in The World’s Champion, starring Wallace Reid, via Paramount, in the Victoria Theater this week, is one of America’s oldest actors.  He witnessed the shooting of Lincoln, in Washington, April, 1865.  “I was standing in the wings with Laura Keene, waiting to go on,” related the actor, while filming The World Champion, “when John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln.

“In making his escape Booth, after jumping from the box to the stage, ran between Miss Keene and myself.  The play was Our American Cousin and I had been pressed into service to play a small part because of the illness of an actor.  I had only ten lines to speak, but only spoke two of them in the first act.  I was just ready to appear in the third act when the shooting took place.”

Mr. Ferguson, despite his age, is vigorous as a man twenty-five years younger than himself.  As a butler, he has much to do and his characterization is strong and faithful.  Wallace Reid, as the champion fighter, has an excellent role and Lois Wilson, who plays opposite him, heads a clever supporting cast. [from 15 August 1922].

The Philadelphia Inquirer also produced an interview of Ferguson which was supposedly done during the making of the film:

An Actor Who Saw Abraham Lincoln Shot

W. J. Ferguson, playing the role of the butler in The World’s Champion, starring Wallace Reid via Paramount at the Stanley Theatre this week is one of the oldest of American actors.  He witnessed the shooting of Abraham Lincoln in Washington in April 1865.

During the filming of the picture in question, Mr. Ferguson when not busy was, always surrounded by an interested group of listeners as he told of the old days.  On one occasion he described in detail the assassination of President Lincoln, he having been at the time a callboy in Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., where the assassination occurred.

“I was standing in the wings with Laura Keene, waiting to go on,” related the actor, “when John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln.  In making his escape Booth, after jumping from the box to the stage ran between Miss Keene and myself. The play was Our American Cousin, and I was pressed into service to play a small part because of the illness of an actor. I had only ten lines to speak, but only spoke two of them in the first act.  I was just ready to appear in the third act when the shooting took place.”

Mr. Ferguson, despite his age, is as vigorous as a man twenty-five years younger than himself.  As a butler he has much to do and his characterization is strong and faithful.

Mr. Ferguson has seen the coming and going of five different methods of acting during his long stage experience.  He discussed these methods during the filming of the new Wallace Reid picture, and declared the screen portrayal in the sixth, is a revival and development of the old school of pantomime acting.

“In the early day,” said the actor, “we had what was known as the ‘Toga Actors,’ Shakespearean artists who did not feel at home in trousers because they were so used to wearing skirts.  Later we came to the pantaloon age of acting — the period of polite English comedy and drawing room plays when gentlemen actors always wore correct clothes and freshly creased trousers.

“From that we drifted to the ‘scene chewers’ actors who ranted and raved in a declamatory style, a style used particularly in the old-fashioned melodramas when the villain murdered with gusto and the heroine tore her hair to express emotion.

“We are just recovering from the negligee age, brought on by the influx of bed room farces and featured by players costumed in silk pajamas, boudoir robes and flimsy materials.

“Screen acting is in a measure , a revival of the old art of pantomime.  Actors and actresses are developing this lost art of expressing feeling without words.  It is a long and difficult road for the young actor to travel, however, for there are no exponents of the old school of pantomime to teach the art.  The difference between pantomime on the stage and that on the screen is a matter of time.  On the stage, the actor, has minutes to get over his meaning, while on the screen he has only a few seconds.” [from 12 March 1922].

William J. Ferguson‘s last film before retirement in 1922 was The Yosemite Trail.  In this he played supporting the well-known actor Dustin Farnum.  The advertisement below is from the Philadelphia Inquirer of 1 October 1922 and names some of the members of the cast in addition to Farnum:  Irene Rich, Frank Campeau and William J. Ferguson.

On 14 May 1930, Variety reported the death of William J. Ferguson and included the following:

William J. Ferguson, 85, last surviving member of the Our American Cousin cast that played at Ford’s, Washington, night of President Lincoln’s assassination, died at the home of his nephew at Pikesville, near Baltimore, May 4….  He began his theatrical career as a call-boy in Ford’s, Washington.  Mr. Ferguson’s last professional engagement was in the picture, The Yosemite Trail.  He broke his hip during the filming of that picture and retired permanently from the stage and screen….

Not much is known about Ferguson’s activities while he recovered from his broken hip in 1922 and 1923 but he probably spent several years thereafter mulling over what others had said and were saying about the assassination and felt that it was his duty to set the record straight regarding what actually happened that night at Ford’s Theatre.  William J. Ferguson‘s “last word” was published in 1930, the year of his death, by a major publisher, Houghton Mifflin.  That work was the subject of yesterday’s post on this blog.

Tomorrow:  The Credibility of William J. Ferguson.

For prior blog posts on the subject of the Lincoln Assassination, click here.

News articles and advertisements were located through the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

For previous bloc articles on the Lincoln Assassination, click here.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on The Career of William J. Ferguson
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 12, 2012

In 1930, William J. Ferguson, actor and Abraham Lincoln assassination witness, published a book entitled, I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln.  Ferguson, who died that year was the oldest surviving member of the cast of Our American Cousin, the Tom Taylor comedy that was being performed at Ford’s Theatre on the night of 14 April 1865, when Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth.  The book was printed in an edition of 1000 copies and released by Houghton Mifflin Company of Boston and New York.  Ferguson’s purpose in writing the book was stated in the dedication which was to “the school children of the United States to acquaint them with the true story told by an eye-witness of the assassination of President Lincoln.”  The book is not yet available in digital form, but copies of the original are available for review at major libraries and occasionally are for sale on-line by used book sellers.

In telling the story of the Lincoln assassination, Ferguson relates how it was that he came to be employed at Ford’s Theatre.  William Jason Ferguson was born in Baltimore in 1845.  His father died when he was four years old so he had to go work early in life, which he did as a”printer’s devil,” re-distributing type in cases for the old Baltimore Clipper, a daily newspaper.  One of the editors of that paper was working on a play for John T. Ford and this fascinated the young Ferguson.  Later, Ferguson went to work as a train boy on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, working the route between Baltimore and Washington.  He claimed to be present in Baltimore in April 1861 when the arrival of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry was accompanied by a street riot which resulted in the death of a schoolmate, Philip Miles.  Afterward, in September, he was assigned to the route to Harper’s Ferry and again encountered Union soldiers and a “shower of bullets” but escaped unhurt.  When the Confederates occupied the place, he met several generals including A. P. Hood and Stonewall Jackson, with whom he had a conversation.  Then there was the Battle of Antietam, all within the range of the “train-boy” job that he continued to hold up through November 1863, when passenger John T. Ford asked him to deliver a package to his brother in Washington.  As a direct result of that chance meeting with Ford, he was able to land the job of call-boy at Ford’s Theatre – which took him out of the war zone and placed him in the capital at the theatre where his acting career would be launched.

Ferguson then described what were the “lowly” duties of the call-boy.  The main job was to work at the direction of the prompter and “call” actors from the “green room” to the place of their stage entrance.  His salary was five dollars per week, which he supplemented by copying actor’s parts in longhand, for which the actor paid him “eight cents the length of forty lines.” Ferguson used the occasion in describing the duties of call-boy to assure his readers that he personally knew “every nook and cranny” of Ford’s Theatre.  A lengthy discussion of the architecture of the theatre followed.  When he had previously told the story of the theatre’s architecture (1915), it was in reference to the inaccurate portrayal of the access of John Wilkes Booth to the State Box that was in the film, The Birth of a Nation (see previous post).  But it was clear from the description he was now giving that he was referencing something someone else had said about a path from the stage to the State Box, something not depicted in the D. W. Griffith film.  This time, although not mentioned by name or circumstance, he appeared to be referencing the story of Jeannie Gourlay, another member of the cast, that her father, Thomas Gourlay, had led Laura Keene up to the box by a way known only to regular members of the cast.

“There were no stairways to let one up from the lower box to those overhead…. The flooring between was solid.” (p. 10)

“There was no stairway from the level of the main floor, directly under the flooring of the balcony boxes…. There was no opening through the proscenium wall to permit passage to and fro between the stage and the box spaces, upper or lower.” (p. 23)

Then, describing the path that Lincoln took to get to the box, Ferguson noted:

“Any visitor or intruder, because of structural conditions, had to do the same.  There was no other way to reach the box, except by the obviously improbable course of climbing from the apron of the stage to the railing at the auditorium side.” (p. 24)

Ferguson stated clearly that no one from the audience could have possibly seen into the State Box:

“The solid wall between the balcony and the box, at its auditorium side, the the curtains of closely woven lace hanging at the front of the box were further obstructions to the vision of the audience…. In this position [Lincoln] was visible only to the members of his own party, to people on the stage, and to people offstage on the prompt, or left, side of the stage as viewed from the audience…. It was as if he were seated around a corner of a building, in advance of a crowd behind him, and screened from observation of any of the crowd…. He was not visible even to the musicians in the orchestra pit, which was back of him.” (p. 25-26).

The architectural descriptions go into much more detail in Ferguson’s accounting than are now reported here on this blog.  Some of the substance is given here to show the amount of attention that Ferguson gives to two key architectural features of the theatre – that because of the way that the box was situated, only the actors on stage or in the left wings could have possibly seen Lincoln in the box – and that there was no other way to access the box except by the way that Lincoln got there.  For a full description of the path Lincoln took to get to the State Box, see the prior post, The Architecture of Ford’s Theatre.

Ferguson does repeat several items that he previously reported, such as no guard at the State Box and Booth’s leap to the stage. But new elements are also introduced, the most significant of which is that it was he, Ferguson, who escorted Laura Keene to the State Box.  To do so, he had to help her over the footlights to the stairs near the front entrance, up the stairs, and around the Dress Circle to the box.  There can only be conjecture as to why he waited until 1930 to describe that he took Laura Keene to the State Box.

First, the explanation why he was with Laura Keene at the moment of the assassination – that he was speaking with her about a substitute part he was playing and he had some lines with her in Act III.  They were about to go on stage when the shot was fired, and according to Ferguson, John Wilkes Booth escaped between them, pushing them both aside.  How did he recognize Booth?  Another mistaken story had to be corrected first, that this was Ferguson’s first acting job.  A Playbill is produced clearly showing that the young Ferguson had appeared as a member of the Ford’s stock company on 18 March 1865, in a performance of Apostate which had starred none other than John Wilkes Booth!  Ferguson also went to great pains to tell of a drinking incident he had with John Wilkes Booth on the day before the assassination.  He told of encountering John Wilkes Booth on the very bed at the Petersen House where Lincoln died, a story he had told before in 1915.  But this time there were more details and the background information that this related to the delivery of “parts” to the actors – “parts” which he made extra money copying.

All in all, it still had to be explained why Ferguson was not arrested or even questioned – making him and Laura Keene the only assassination witnesses not to have been arrested or questioned in the hours after the crime (Keene was arrested in Harrisburg a few days later).  In I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln, Ferguson is clear that he took Keene by the long route (or the only route) to the State Box, but when they got to the box, the story is quite different than that told by supporters of the Keene legend:

“Miss Keene stood near by, silently watching, as I was.  Mr. Lincoln remained in the rocking-chair, and was lifted in it and carried past me by the doctors.  I saw what they had been examining so gravely – a little dark spot no larger that the head of a lead pencil, just under the left ear.  I saw no blood coming from the wound.  Through the theatre, out onto the street, and across to a house with which I was familiar, this was occupied by Mr. William Petersen, I followed the doctors carrying Mr. Lincoln.  They entered the front door and went up the front stairs.  I joined Mr. Petersen’s son – a lad with whom I chummed, but whose first name I do not now remember — and went with him through the basement of the house to other stairs in the rear.  Climbing them, we came to the floor of the room where Mr. Lincoln had been taken.  It was a room formerly rented by a Mr. Matthews, still a member of our company.  I had delivered parts during the season to him and others in the room.  In singular coincidence, the second I had to note, on the occasion of one of these visits I saw John Wilkes Booth lying and smoking a pipe on the same bed in which Mr. Lincoln died.  Looking into the room at Mr. Lincoln, I still saw no signs of blood on his body.  Later, about daybreak the next day, I understood blood did seep from the wound.  Previous to that time the hemorrhage was internal…. ” (p. 53-54)

This statement of Ferguson is a clear refutation of the story of the bloody dress.  But it doesn’t explain if Ferguson was an actual eyewitness to the assassination, and he was able to identify Booth as the assassin, why he was not questioned or arrested.  How was he able to get from the stage to the State Box while escorting a highly upset and very unwell actress?  How was he able to move freely from the State Box to across the street to the Petersen House and up back stairs to the bedroom where Lincoln died?  How was he able to hide from the authorities the fact that he knew Booth personally, had drinks with him the night before, and had acted with him less than one month prior to the assassination?

This exposition by Ferguson in 1930 was the first time that that he detailed aspects of his trip to the State Box… and that he took Laura Keene there.  The story of the bloody dress had evolved over the years from Laura going there alone to Laura being assisted in the journey there.  The story told by Jeannie Gourlay helped fill a missing piece.  Keene had to have been escorted to the State Box.  So, Jeannie “created” the route to the box – a route that didn’t exist so it couldn’t have been traveled by her father and Laura.  Ferguson detailed that what Jeannie described was impossible.

But there may have been more to Ferguson’s “covering” for Keene.  Ferguson claimed to be the only one with Keene at the moment of the assassination.  Perhaps the reason neither Keene nor Ferguson was arrested was that both had left the theatre and were in a “safe” place while the mobs were threatening to burn down the theatre and while Secretary of War Stanton and the military were rounding up and questioning suspects.  It is highly possible that Ferguson was paid by John Lutz, the manager of Keene,” to get Laura out of the theater and to a sanctuary – in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church which was located across the back alley from Ford’s Theatre.  Ferguson, who was relatively unknown, could have easily moved about hours after he was safely out of the theatre – unlike Keene, who was ill and shaken, and whose primary objective was to get out of town.  If Ferguson was paid by Lutz to assist Keene, then his own escape was facilitated by that duty.  Lutz had to get passes for Keene and her company to board the train to Baltimore and he may have used Ferguson as an alibi for Keene; in fact, they were alibis for each other.

Reader comments are welcome!

There are many details in Ferguson’s book, too many to discuss and analyze in this blog.  In the post tomorrow, more light will be shed on the long acting career of William J. Ferguson.  On Saturday, the credibility of William J. Ferguson will be discussed with some indication of how he has been treated by assassination authors.

For previous bloc articles on the Lincoln Assassination, click here.

Category: Research, Resources, Stories | Comments Off on W. J. Ferguson – “I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln”
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 11, 2012

In the post yesterday, the story of the silent film, The Battle Cry of Peace” (1915) was given and how that film related to the issue of preparedness for the United States possible participation in the world war that was already taking place in Europe.  In that post, it was noted that William J. Ferguson, an actor in the film, played the roll of Abraham Lincoln.  Because the film has not survived, it is nearly impossible to determine how he portrayed Lincoln.  What it is possible to do, however, is to read the story of Ferguson’s eyewitness to the assassination.  The first time he told the story which follows here, was in 1915, in the context of the release and showing of the portrayal of Lincoln in two different silent films.  The last time he told the story was in 1930, the year of his death.  In the post today, the 1915 story will be discussed.  In the post tomorrow, the 1930 version, which was much more extensive and is the one most often quoted by writers about the assassination, will be analyzed.

Only Living Man Who Saw Lincoln Assassinated Plays Abraham Lincoln in “The Battle Cry of Peace”

The article that appeared in the Iowa City Citizen (IA), on 23 February 1916, was typical of what was reported in other newspapers through the country and therefore reprinted below.

William J. Ferguson, the only man living who was on the stage at Ford’s Theater in Washington on the evening of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, is appearing as the Great Emancipator in J. Stuart Blackton‘s The Battle Cry of Peace,  the patriotic spectacle advocating preparedness against war, now playing at the Vitagraph Theater.

At the time of Mr. Lincoln’s assassination, Mr. Ferguson was callboy at Ford’s.  At the moment of the assassination he was standing in the wings with Laura Keene exactly opposite the presidential box, which was constructed that its occupants could be seen only from the stage.

The stage was made up “in one” and Mr. Ferguson was just about to go on in a short comedy scene with Miss Keene, for which he had been cast in addition to his activities as callboy, when he saw John Wilkes Booth appear suddenly in the rear of the box, point a derringer at the base of the president’s skull and pull the trigger.  He then leaped from the box to the stage, a drop of twelve feet, catching his spur in the single American flag which was draped simply over the edge of the box as he did so.

When he reached the stage he had suffered a compound fracture of the ankle, but with a knife in one hand he rushed off the stage between Mr. Ferguson and Miss Keene so quickly that his hurt was scarcely noticeable.

It is a peculiar fact that Mr. Ferguson, who with Miss Keene was the only member of the company then playing at the theater who actually witnessed the shooting, was the only member of the company who was not called upon to give testimony in court.

The nearest thing he came to it was a rather amusing experience he had with a very pompous army officer the day after the assassination.  It seemed that the evening before the assassination John McCullough and John Wilkes Booth, on leaving the theater, invited the property man and the callboy (Mr. Ferguson) out to a neighboring tavern to have a glass of beer.  The four went to the tavern, drank their beer, and the property man and the callboy returned to the theater while the two actors went home.

The officer had heard that four people had been in the tavern the night before the shooting, so, calling the callboy before him, he threw out his chest, thrust his hand into his brass buttoned coat and demanded:

“Who were the four people, who, I hear, drank a silent toast at the — tavern the night before Mr. Lincoln was assassinated?”

“I didn’t hear of any such thing,” said the callboy, quaking in his shoes, but putting up a splendid front, and that was the end of what was threatened to be a dangerous situation for McCullough, the property man and the callboy, as popular feeling was in a condition of hysteria, and almost any unsubstantiated charge was apt to result in a prison sentence at the very least.

The house where Mr. Lincoln was brought after the shooting, and where he died the following morning at 7 o’clock, was an actor’s boarding house, to which Mr. Ferguson had been accustomed to bring actors living there their “sides” or “parts.”

A peculiar coincidence connected with the house was the fact that the last time Mr. Ferguson went on his accustomed errand prior to the shooting he found the actors all sitting about on the edge of the bed in which Lincoln died, talking, and John Wilkes Booth lying in it smoking a pipe.

Another peculiar coincidence connected with the whole affair is the fact that in the very hour that Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth‘s brother, died the front of Ford’s Theater collapsed.

Edwin had never recovered from the horror and pain which his brother’s act had given him and never played in Washington after President Lincoln’s death.  Mr. Ferguson, who was a close friend of the Booths, having been born in Baltimore, their home town, never mentioned Lincoln’s assassination either publicly or privately during the remainder of Edwin Booth‘s lifetime.  As to the story that John Wilkes Booth was burned to death or shot by the soldiers who surrounded the barn to which he fled across the Chain bridge, Mr. Ferguson claims that both stories are absolutely untrue.  Booth committed suicide, and, it being the final and most gruesome coincidence of all the coincidences connected with the most tragic shooting, shot himself through the base of the skull, in exactly the same place where he had shot Lincoln.

Mr. Ferguson had been on the stage all his life, up to about a year and a half ago, at which time he “went into the movies” and has incidentally made a reputation for himself by proving that “the actor of the old school” is well qualified to work before the camera.

Only a portion of the news article is pictured but the text is transcribed in its entirety for this post.  The full article is available through the newspaper resources of Ancestry.com.

An earlier published interview of Ferguson was conducted by the New York Times and appeared in their 18 April 1915 edition.  It was actually in response to the portrayal of Lincoln in D. W. Griffith‘s film, The Birth of a Nation, in which a scene depicting the Lincoln assassination was shown.  That scene is posted on YouTube.  The portrayal of Lincoln was by actor Joseph Henabery.  Ferguson pointed out that there was no bodyguard, that the stage was not full of actors when the assassination took place, and there was no direct route to the State Box from underneath – all historical inaccuracies in the Griffith film. He also stated that Booth did not cry out “sic semper tyrannis” as the film indicates.  According to Ferguson, Lincoln did not bow profusely to the audience, that he sat back in the box so that he could only be seen from the stage, and that Booth’s spur caught in the flag draped over the box.  Booth’s exit from the stage was quick – only a few seconds – and he was out the back door.   Then the pandemonium occurred.  Ferguson claimed to be the last person to actually make eye contact with Lincoln before he was shot. This complete article is available through New York Times on-line resources.

To what extent Ferguson’s New York Times interview influenced Blackton to cast him in the role of Lincoln in The Battle Cry of Peace is not known at this time.  It certainly was a good publicity move on the part of Blackton to have Ferguson play Lincoln – adding to both the realism and the credibility of the portrayal – and even if he was cast prior to the filming of The Birth of a Nation, Blackton used the linkage of Ferguson to the assassination to sell tickets to The Battle Cry of Peace.

The 1915 New York Times article and the general articles that appeared to publicize The Battle Cry of Peace, will be compared to the 1930 version Ferguson told of his eyewitness account of the assassination, the subject of the post here tomorrow.

For previous blog articles on the Lincoln Assassination, click here.  D. W. Griffith‘s Civil War films were previously mentioned in the post entitled Douglas Fairbanks and Nellie Ulman.

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Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 10, 2012

In 1915, the Vitagraph Corporation released a silent film entitled “The Battle Cry of Peace.”  The film played in theaters throughout the country, including Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.  This film’s direct connection with Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln assassination is justification for a series of posts on this blog about one of it actors, William J. Ferguson.  Ferguson was the actor in Our American Cousin who was claimed he was standing next to Laura Keene at the moment the fatal shot was fired by John Wilkes Booth.  The posts begin today and continue through the rest of the week.

“The Battle Cry of Peace“

Propaganda Picture Produced by the Vitagraph Company Under the Personal Supervision of J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith.  Written by J. Stuart Blackton and Directed by Wilfred North.  In Nine Reels….

[Cast List includes William Ferguson as Abraham Lincoln].

“The Battle Cry of Peace” presents the motion picture’s most ambitious effort in the furtherance of propaganda.  It comes to grips with the most pressing topic of the moment, the gospel of national preparedness, and, it would seem to the reviewer, drives its lesson well home.  There can be little doubt but what “The Battle Cry of Peace” will play an important part in the agitation to strengthen our military effectiveness; that it will be able to lay claim to no small portion of whatever success the propaganda may meet. (from FultonHistory.com).

Potential film-goers in the Harrisburg, Dauphin County, area were introduced to the film by the following article and picture which appeared in The Patriot:

 Only Living Man Who Saw Lincoln Assassinated Plays Abraham Lincoln in “The Battle Cry of Peace”

W. J. Ferguson in the Character of Lincoln

William J. Ferguson, the only man living who was on the stage of Ford’s Theatre in Washington on the evening of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln is appearing as the “Great Emancipator: in J. Stuart Blackton’s “The Battle Cry of Peace,” the patriotic spectacle advertising preparedness against war, playing all next week at the Orpheum except Thursday. (from The Patriot, 3 March 1916).

The Patriot ran an advertisement for the film prior to the completion of its run in Harrisburg:

“The Battle Cry of Peace”

“The Battle Cry of Peace,” which is being shown at the Orpheum Theater this week, is intended to show what might happen if a hostile nation were to invade our country when it is not prepared for war.  The film is founded on Hudson Maxim‘s book “Defenseless America” and deals with plain, cold facts, but there is little story running throughout the picture which serves as a foundation for presenting facts which otherwise might become tiresome.  While there are parts in “The Battle Cry of Peace” which might be said to be gruesome, yet they are relieved by little touches of humor.  Some of the most notable stars in the film world today which are seen in “The Battle Cry of Peace” are Norma Talmadge, Charles Richman, W. J. Ferguson, Louise Beaudet, Mary Maurice, James Morrison and others.  A special orchestra renders appropriate music for the picture. (from The Patriot, 9 March 1916).

During the showing of The Battle Cry of Peace, an advertisement in The Patriot praised the film and noted the presence of William J. Ferguson in the cast:

“The Battle Cry of Peace”

Those who have witnessed “The Battle Cry of Peace” at the Orpheum this week declare it to be one of the finest pictures ever shown.  The story is so well told and so well acted that it cannot fail to make a deep and lasting impression.  The theme of the story is “preparedness” and shows the horrors of war as it would be waged against us were a hostile nation to invade our country in its present defenseless condition.  The picture cost $500,000 to produce and presents some of the best known stars in the moving picture world today.  W. J. Ferguson, who appears as Abraham Lincoln in “The Battle Cry of Peace” is the only man, living who was on the stage at Ford’s Theatre in Washington the night Lincoln was assassinated.

Special music is furnished by an augmented orchestra. (from The Patriot, 10 March 1916).

In Philadelphia, the Lyceum also showed the picture for one week:

(from The Day, 9 June 1916)

The cast members of The Battle Cry of Peace were featured in articles that appeared in local newspapers throughout the country with a picture-montage of many of the stars.  William J. Ferguson was on the top line of pictures to the right of the producer Blackton:

Click on picture to enlarge.  From Sheboygan Press (WI), 11 Feb 1916

An enlargement of the portrait of Ferguson from the above “poster”:

Ferguson’s portrayal of Abraham Lincoln was an important part of a flashback sequence, that although brief, tied Lincoln’s historic response to the Civil War to a lesson in preparedness that the film producers believed had to be followed for a war, then in Europe, that threatened to involve America.

In The Battle Cry of Peace, New York City was bombarded with an aerial attack and invaded.  The film did not give the identity of the invaders, but they had an uncanny resemblance to the popular negative characterizations of Germans that were in used in the media at the time.

The filmmaker also went to great expense to show the destruction he believed would occur if the nation was unprepared:

— In order to make certain the realism of the scenes of carnage in “The Battle Cry of Peace,” the Vitagraph Company destroyed $30,000 worth of frame, brick and stone buildings, accomplishing this by actual bombardments in which real cannon and real shells of the largest calibre were used.  When you see building after building toppled over on the screen at the Metropolitan Opera House, you see the picture of real devastation wrought in deadly earnest and the effect is marvelous. (from Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 Nov 1915).

After the United States entered the war in 1917, a scene from the film was reproduced on a poster calling for the purchase of Liberty Bonds.  This poster depicted an attack on New York City, with a beheaded Statue of Liberty and an aerial bombardment.

Robert Pennell poster for Liberty Loan, World War I.

Unfortunately, there are no complete copies of The Battle Cry of Peace that exist today.  Some portions or clips of the film have been found though none with Ferguson’s portrayal of Lincoln. Therefore, there is no way of knowing the level of realism given by Ferguson to the role, he being one of only a few living people who would have actually seen Lincoln, let alone portray him on the stage or in film.

In 1915, the 50th Anniversary of the Lincoln assassination was being observed.  In the advertising of the film, “The Battle Cry of Peace,” Ferguson’s eyewitness to the assassination was nearly always noted.  This gave William J. Ferguson a national audience to tell his story – the story of what he believed really happened the night of 14 April 1865.  That story begins in tomorrow’s post.

The poster at the top of this post can be found on the blog Propaganda and Mass Persuasion which includes as discussion of the propaganda value of “The Battle Cry of Peace.”  The Liberty Bond poster can be found in various forms via search of web images, including versions available at the National Archives.  News articles and film advertisements are from the on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

For previous blog articles on the Lincoln Assassination, click here.

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Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Assassination

Posted By Norman Gasbarro on April 9, 2012

After 72 years, the 1940 United States Census has finally been released by the National Archives and Records Administration and is available on the NARA website.  However, the demand for searching this important census and obtaining copies of the enumeration sheets has caused problems at the NARA website and corrections and improvements are presently being made to facilitate access.

Until the 1940 Census was released, the latest national census available was for 1930.  The Gratz Historical Society has copies of all censuses of Gratz Borough and Lykens Township for 1930 and prior.

Copies of the newly released 1940 Gratz Borough and Lykens Township Census in both print form (hard copy) and digital form are now available on ancestry.com.

There is very little in the 1940 census that directly affects the study of Civil War veterans.  Most of the Civil War veterans nationwide had passed away before 1940 and only one known veteran from the Lykens Valley area survived after 1940, Henry Maurer, who has previously been mentioned on this blog. See: Last County Civil War Vet Marks Birthday.

Indirectly affecting the Civil War Research Project are a good number of widows of veterans who were still alive in 1940 as well as the then-aged children of the veterans.

After the 1940 census sheets are studied by members and staff, a blog entry will be posted that will describe how this census can be used to draw conclusions about the legacy of the Civil War veterans.

Note:  There are 18 enumeration sheets for Gratz Borough and 31 enumeration sheets for Lykens Township.  The portion of page 1 of the 1940 Census for Gratz Borough is at the top of this post.  Click on document to enlarge.

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Tags: Gratz Borough, Lykens Township