The Bullet that Killed Lincoln

On July 22, 2017 we traveled to Silver Spring, Maryland and one of our stops was the National Museum of Health and Medicine.   There were several reasons for this stop; however, one of the main reasons was to see the actual bullet that killed President Abraham Lincoln.

That is right, this artifact still remains in a museum... a Free museum at that.  The National Museum of Health and Medicine houses many artifacts that were preserved since the Civil War, and from military medical treatments which is why this museum houses artifacts from Abraham Lincoln's autopsy.

On April 14, 1865, the assassin John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln during a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC. After the President passed away on the following morning, his body was placed in a temporary coffin covered with an American flag, and returned by hearse to the White House, accompanied by a cavalry escort. At the White House, an autopsy was performed by Army Surgeons Edward Curtis and Joseph Janvier Woodward. Also in attendance were Surgeon General Joseph K. Barnes and a few military officers, medical men and friends. During the autopsy Mary Todd Lincoln sent a messenger to request a lock of hair; a tuft was clipped from the head for her.   You can read more about the autopsy reports here.

It was amazing to see these artifacts in person.   Just to know that these still exist is amazing to us.   Please see our post about the National Museum of Health and Medicine on how to find the location and details about the museum.  

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More Photos from the Museum