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April 14, 1865, got off to a far better start than most days in the White House Mary Todd Lincoln .

For years, Abraham Lincoln's wife had been attacked in the press for her profligate spending, unladylike behavior and alleged Southern sympathies during the Civil War , with her misery compounded by the loss of her 11-year-old son, Willie, to typhoid fever in 1862. Now, the first lady's burden clearly lifted by the recent surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee , the Lincolns were able to enjoy a relaxing, romantic carriage ride before heading out for an evening at Ford's Theatre.

Sadly, it would be an all-too-brief moment of happiness before the day ended in unimaginable fashion, with Mary wailing over Abraham's body following a point-blank gun

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