Shortly after the Civil War ended, Lincoln was shot while attending a play in a Washington theater. He died within a few hours. The uncontrolled emotional reaction of the nation to his death was almost unbelievable and demonstrated the deep esteem （尊重）in which he was held. Newspapers were edged （加边） with black; religious leaders gave praise of Lincoln instead of their prepared sermons（讲道）.His funeral procession in Washing-ton was miles long. Lincoln's body was taken by train back to his former home in Springfield, Illinois, but in all the major cities through which the train passed, the coffin （棺材） was paraded through streets lined with sorrowful thousands. In the small towns through which the train passed, bells rang in honor of the dead President. Citizens lit torches along the railroad track to show their last respects.
内战结束后不久，林肯在华盛顿一家剧院看戏时遭人枪击，几小时后他便去世了。举国上下对他的死所作出的毫无克制的情感反应，几乎令人难以置信，表明了他深受国人的敬重。报纸上加黑框，宗教领导人收起了准备好的讲道稿，对林肯大加称赞。在华盛顿，送葬行列绵延数里之长。林肯的遗体由火车运回他在伊利诺伊州斯普林菲尔德市的故居，但是，在火车所经过的每一个大城市，灵柩穿过街道时，两旁守立着成千上万悲伤的民众。沿路的各小城镇则鸣钟哀悼这位谢世的总统。人们在铁路沿线点燃火炬，以表达对死者的最后敬意。
The circumstances of his death set Lincoln apart from other American leaders. Had Lincoln lived, it might well be that his postwar policies would have brought criticisms upon him that would have tarnished his popularity. Instead, an assassin's bullet erased in the minds of Americans any faults he had and emphasized his virtues.
林肯遇刺身亡的情势，把他与其他美国领袖明显区分开来。如果林肯活下去的话，其战后政策很可能招致批评，从而有损于他的名望。然而，谋杀者的子弹在美国人民的心目中抹去了他所有的瑕疵，使他的种种美德尤为突出。