A Final Dinner tribute to Lincoln

A long trip to Washington DC takes me through beautiful farm country of Virginia where I pass once again through the Wilderness, that area of burning fires and ultimate slaughter at Cold Harbor and the death of Stonewall Jackson. But it also includes the mighty James River and large swatches of green and blossoms and empty roads that never seem to end.

They end in time for me to arrive in Washington DC so that I can attend the events that now commemorate that horrible evening of April 14, 1865.

The city during the days after the surrender was jubilant. The evenings  full of fireworks. All in the city turned on their lights to illuminate the feelings of relief and joy.

Vigil outside Ford's Theater

Abraham and Mary Lincoln decided to go to the theater, Ford's Theater for an evening of entertainment.  That is where my brother and I are going to go for a special 9:00 pm performance, for an evening of memory..

While I was in Appomattox, I heard about a vigil in front of the theater and tickets for a tour. Marc has managed to get tickets not just to the tour, but has found tickets for inside the theater.

We make an evening of it. First, of course we have to eat dinner. What better place than Chinese- but not just any Chinese restaurant. Noooo, we go to the restaurant that is on the first floor of the boarding house that belonged to Mary Surrat. There with John Wilkes Booth, ninth of ten children born to the famous, eccentric, and hard-drinking actor, Junius Booth they met to conspire with Lewis Powell, David Herold, Michael O'Lauglin, John Surratt, Edman Spangler, Samuel Arnold, George Atzerodt.
 
We arrived rather early, assuming there would be a crowd, so were surprised that it was rather empty. On the outside is a plaque commemorating the location, though most people don't seem to notice it or stop to read.

We ordered and soon enough,  3 men sat next to us. "Are you hear because..."  "Of course." They told us how they couldn't get tickets to the show at the theater because they hadn't become $1000 members of  Ford's Theater. I think both of us were internally smiling, knowing that we had gotten tickets. But best not to boast!

 As the restaurant slowly filled we chatted with young and old. The response was the same

"Of course!"