The assassination of Abraham Lincoln left a nation in shock. In wake of the tragedy, local organizations flooded newspapers with announcements of meetings postponed, businesses closed, and proclamations issued. Baseball clubs were no exception, though such notices are not particularly easy to find. Below are images of those that I could readily track down.
On April 18, just three days after the President passed away, the Brooklyn Eagle posted the following note:
The following day, the Freeport (Illinois) Weekly Journal carried this notice from the Empire Base Ball Club of Freeport, just over 100 miles west of Chicago:
And the New York Clipper of May 13, 1865, included a brief article describing how a game to be played between the Eagles of New York City and the Athletics of Philadelphia was postponed numerous times, twice on account of "that dreaded monster, death": the murder of the President and the passing of Athletics pitcher Dick McBride's father.
A fascinating, little piece of history bridging both the assassination and baseball as a young, emerging sport.I find it interesting that none of the articles used the word "assassination," although that's the word we all use today. Was the word perhaps not in vogue back then?
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