Letter written by Dr. Charles Leale

This is a letter from Dr. Charles Leale addressed to his friend and colleague, Dr. Dwight Dudley. The letter is written on two pieces of paper. The paper, oriented horizontally, was folded in half and written in two columns down either half of the page, resulting in eight pages total. Charles Leale's letter offers some of the clearest descriptions of what happened on the night of April 14, 1865. In this letter, he also provides some insight into the trial of the conspirators. Leale was the first doctor to reach the Presidential Box. Professional etiquette dictated that he remain in charge of the president’s care, although he later relinquished control to the Lincoln family physician, Dr. Robert K. Stone.