Michael O'Laughlen, Jr. (pronounced ''Oh-Lock-Lun''; June 3, 1840 – September 23, 1867) was an American Confederate soldier and conspirator in

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...

's plot to kidnap U.S. President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, and later in the latter's

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

, although he ended up not directly participating. His last name was often misspelled by the press and others as O'Laughlin.

Early life

O'Laughlen was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. He was one of

's earliest friends as the Booth family lived across the street from the O'Laughlens. He attended St. Timothy's Hall in

Catonsville, Maryland Catonsville () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 44,701 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 US Census. The community is a streetcar suburb of Baltimore along the cit ...

with Booth. O'Laughlen learned the trade of manufacturing ornamental plaster work. He also learned the art of engraving. At the start of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

O'Laughlen joined the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

, but was discharged in June 1862. He returned to Baltimore and joined his brother in the feed and produce business.

Conspiracy

Michael O'Laughlen was one of Booth's earliest recruits. In the fall of 1864 O'Laughlen agreed to become a co-conspirator in the plot to kidnap

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

. He began spending time in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, with Booth picking up his expenses. On the night of March 15, 1865, O'Laughlen met with Booth and other conspirators at Gautier's Restaurant on

Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...

to discuss the possible abduction of the President. Basically, the plan was to abduct Lincoln and take him to

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

for the purpose of making the Union government exchange prisoners with the Confederacy. Booth learned that Lincoln was scheduled to attend a matinee performance of the play ''Still Waters Run Deep'' at the Campbell Hospital on the outskirts of Washington on March 17, 1865. Booth, O'Laughlen, and the other co-conspirators planned on intercepting the president's carriage. The group lay in wait along the road. Finally, a polished carriage came into view and the gang prepared itself. But the president had changed plans and the carriage was possibly that of Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. Booth's attempt to kidnap Lincoln had failed. O'Laughlen returned to Baltimore. Late in March, Booth proposed another kidnap plan. This time, Lincoln was to be captured at Ford's Theatre, handcuffed, and lowered by rope to the stage. Then, the president would be taken to Richmond. However, Booth was not able to convince his co-conspirators that this plan was feasible. According to O'Laughlen, this was the end of his plotting with Booth. However, O'Laughlen did return to Washington the day before Lincoln's assassination. It is unclear whether this was due to the conspiracy or simply to spend time with friends in Washington. At the trial, there was conflicting testimony about O'Laughlen's movements on the day of the assassination. Whatever the case, O'Laughlen voluntarily surrendered on Monday, April 17, 1865. O'Laughlen was tried for conspiracy by a military tribunal, along with

Mary Surratt Mary Elizabeth Surratt (; 1820 or May 1823 – July 7, 1865) was an American boarding house owner in Washington, D.C., who was convicted of taking part in the conspiracy which led to the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 18 ...

, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt,

David Herold David Edgar Herold (June 16, 1842 – July 7, 1865) was an American pharmacist's assistant and accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. After the shooting, Herold accompanied Booth to the home o ...

, Samuel Arnold, Edmund Spangler and

Samuel Mudd Samuel Alexander Mudd Sr. (December 20, 1833 – January 10, 1883) was an American physician who was imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth concerning the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mudd worked as a doctor and tobacco far ...

. The government attempted to prove he had stalked Secretary of War

Edwin Stanton Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. Secretary of War, U.S. secretary of war under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's manag ...

on the nights of April 13 and April 14 with the intent to kill either Stanton or General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

, who was staying with Stanton at the time. This was not proven, but there was no doubt O'Laughlen was a willing conspirator through late March. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Prison

O'Laughlen was sent to Fort Jefferson in the

Dry Tortugas Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park of the United States located about west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, in the United States. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the several Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most iso ...

with Spangler, Arnold, and Mudd. He died there of yellow fever.

After death

On February 13, 1869, President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

ordered O'Laughlen's remains to be turned over to his mother. His body was then sent north to Baltimore. He is buried in Baltimore in Green Mount Cemetery. John Wilkes Booth and Samuel Arnold are buried in the same cemetery.

In popular culture

He is a character in '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets'' played by Brent Briscoe. Among the film's many historical inaccuracies, O'Laughlen is portrayed as a middle-aged man (he was actually 24 years old in April 1865), and a member of the

Knights of the Golden Circle The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country known as the Golden Circle (), where slavery would be legal. The country would have ...

References

External links

Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Research Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olaughlen, Michael 1840 births 1867 deaths 19th-century American politicians American people who died in prison custody American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Burials at Green Mount Cemetery Confederate States Army soldiers Confederate States Army personnel who were court-martialed Deaths from yellow fever Infectious disease deaths in Florida Lincoln assassination conspirators People of Maryland in the American Civil War Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States military Prisoners who died in United States military detention