On the evening of Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Laura Keene, an English actress of great repute in America, was to play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater, the chief place of amusement for war-time Washington.
That afternoon, Assistant-Secretary-of-War Dana was notified by wire that Jacob Thompson of Mississippi, once Secretary of the Interior under our poor old wavering President, Buchanan, afterwards a leading Secessionist, would take a steamship for England that evening at Portland, Maine.
"What shall I do?" Dana asked Stanton.
"Arrest him! No, wait; better go over and see the President."
So Dana went to the White House. Office-hours were over. He found Lincoln washing his hands.
"Halloo, Dana!" was Lincoln's greeting. "What's up?"
The telegram was read aloud.
"What does Stanton say?"
"He says to arrest him, but that I should refer the question to you."