William J. Ferguson

Biography

In the vibrant city of Baltimore, a young William J. Ferguson embarked on a life that would intersect with one of America's most pivotal moments. Born two decades before the fateful night that would claim President Abraham Lincoln's life, Ferguson began his career as a printer's devil at the Baltimore Clipper newspaper, just as the Civil War was unfolding. As the conflict escalated, he shifted gears, taking on a new role as a call boy at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. It was here, on the evening of April 14, 1865, that Ferguson found himself thrust into the spotlight, filling in for a missing actor in a performance of "Our American Cousin" – a play attended by the President himself. As the night wore on, Ferguson witnessed the horrific events that would forever change the course of American history: John Wilkes Booth's assassination of President Lincoln. Ferguson would later commit his account of that night to paper, penning a concise yet telling book, "I Saw Booth Shoot Lincoln," in which he notably disputed the oft-repeated claim that Booth uttered the phrase "sic semper tyrannis." Though Ferguson's recollections would exhibit minor inconsistencies over time, his unique perspective remains a fascinating footnote in the annals of history. As the years passed, Ferguson's acting career continued, with a brief foray into film, including a role in the 1922 movie The Yosemite Trail. A hip injury in 1924 forced him into retirement, and by 1930, he had relocated to Pikesville, Maryland, to live with his nephew. It was there, while working on his memoirs, "Sixty Years on the New York Stage," that Ferguson's own life came to a close on May 3, 1930, marking the passing of the last surviving witness to Lincoln's assassination.