Letter from Apr. 17, 1865
Instruction, Hunter to Adams
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Full Title
State Department Instruction 1352: William Hunter to Charles Francis Adams
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Description
Official dispatch from William H. Hunter to Charles Francis Adams, U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, informing him of Lincoln's assassination and the attempt on Secretary of State William H. Seward's life. Hunter notes that William and Frederick Seward are both expected to recover, but that, in the meanwhile, Hunter is serving as Acting Secretary of State. Because the Transatlantic telegraph cable was no longer functioning, Adams received this dispatch on April 30.
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Transcription
Read. 30 Apr. 65.
Circular
No. 1352
Department of state.
Washington. 17th April 1865
Sir:
The melancholy duty devolves
upon me officially to apprise
You of the assassination of the
president at Ford’s theatre in this
city in the evening of the 14th instant.
He died the next morning from
the effects of the wound.
About the same time an
attempt was made to assassinate
the Secretary of State in his own
house where he was in bed &
Suffering from the effects of the
late accident. The attempt failed, but Mr. Seward was
severely cut, on the face especially
it is supposed with a bowie knife.
Mr J; H, Seward was felled by a
blow or blows on the head, from
the assassin, and for some time
afterwards was apparently
Unconscious
Charles Francis Adam, Esquire,
Next page
Unconscious. Both the Secretary
and assistant Secretary are better
especially the former.
Andrew Johnson has formally
entered upon the duties of
President.
I have been authorized
temporarily to act as Ssecretary
of State.
[[?]], Sir
Your obedient servant
W.J. Hunter
Acting Secretary
[Transcription Team: Joshua H., Caleb D., Conner R., Carson B.]
[New Hampton Middle School, New Hampton, Iowa]
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Source
Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State and National Archives, Record Group 84
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Rights
This item is in the public domain and may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.
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Tags
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Cite this Item
William Hunter. "State Department Instruction 1352: William Hunter to Charles Francis Adams". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/744
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Item Type
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Creator
William Hunter
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Date
April 17, 1865
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Region
Letter from Apr. 17, 1865
State Department Instruction 1352: William Hunter to Charles Francis Adams
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Description
Official dispatch from William H. Hunter to Charles Francis Adams, U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom, informing him of Lincoln's assassination and the attempt on Secretary of State William H. Seward's life. Hunter notes that William and Frederick Seward are both expected to recover, but that, in the meanwhile, Hunter is serving as Acting Secretary of State. Because the Transatlantic telegraph cable was no longer functioning, Adams received this dispatch on April 30.
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Source
Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State and National Archives, Record Group 84
-
Rights
This item is in the public domain and may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.
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Creator
William Hunter
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Date
April 17, 1865