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Civil War Blog

A project of PA Historian

The Career of William J. Ferguson

| 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 […]

W. J. Ferguson – “I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln”

| 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, […]

W. J. Ferguson – Silent Film Star & Assassination Witness

| 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, […]

The Battle Cry of Peace

| 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, […]

Laura Keene and the Bloody Dress – In Cincinnati

| March 17, 2012

In the post yesterday, there was speculation on how Laura Keene got to Cincinnati after she was released from arrest in Harrisburg.  The story of how she acted immediately after the Lincoln assassination on 14 April 1865 has been told here in a series of posts.  The goal has been to determine whether the story […]