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Abraham Lincoln's last words have been the subject of debate among scholars for well over a century. The 16th president of the United States was killed on April 15, 1865. He was shot by Confederate sympathizer and stage actor John Wilkes Booth while sitting in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. On the website ourlostfounding.com, Lincoln's likely last words were published as: We will visit the Holy Land, and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior. There is no city on earth I so much desire to see as Jerusalem. It would be difficult to confirm the last words of someone who died well over 150 years ago, to say the least. In order to establish authenticity, we would need to see official records that left no doubt of their genuine nature. Unfortunately, no solid evidence exists in the case of Abraham Lincoln. However, this does not mean that no records exist at all. We consulted about the former president's last words with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln was born in Kentucky, but he began his political career in Illinois. He also met his future wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, in the Prairie State. Christian McWhirter is a Lincoln historian at the museum. We asked him about the Holy Land quote. He told us that the quote originates from an unpublished 1882 manuscript by the Rev. Noyes Miner, a Springfield neighbor and friend of the Lincolns. The manuscript resides in the museum's collection. Lincoln's last words will likely forever be debated. However, McWhirter said a second school of thought suggests his more likely last words: McWhirter told us that this is still secondhand and should be handled with care. However, he said that it is close enough to the event and the people involved that we can say he likely said it during the play, possibly as his last words.
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