“Next week, America will commemorate the assassination and death of one of the country’s greatest presidents. A man who, after winning a second term and a bloody war, was shot down in his political prime: William McKinley. Just kidding! We’re talking about Abraham Lincoln, who died 36 years before McKinley, has been given a prime seat on the National Mall and, according to at least one historical film, hunted vampires. D.C. will mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s April 14, 1865, shooting and April 15 death with a flurry of commemorative events and re-enactments. How will you remember his death?
1. Salute Lincoln on his last commute
To escape the distractions of the White House and the heat, Lincoln spent many nights on a bucolic hillside a few miles up the road. To commemorate his last commute home, a retinue of men on horseback will accompany one riderless horse from the White House to President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home. View the riders anywhere along the route. Mon., noon-3:30 p.m.
2. Enjoy a quiet evening at home
On display at President Lincoln’s Cottage is a wine goblet from which the president drank on his last night at home. While you’re there, visit a special exhibit on Lincoln’s security detail — or lack thereof, “Not an American Practice: Lincoln’s Life at Risk.” It explores the growing concern over the president’s safety, which he generally ignored — even after a would-be assassin shot a bullet through his hat one night while he was riding home alone. 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW; Mon.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sun., 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., $5-$15.”
By Sadie Dingfelder, originally published for The Washington Post Express. Read the full article online: http://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/04/09/choose-your-own-adventure-retrace-the-steps-of-lincoln-his-assassin-or-the-worst-bodyguard-ever/?postshare=6401428579799028.
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