The First Assassin (42 page)

The First Assassin
is a work of fiction, and specifically a work of historical fiction—meaning that much of it is based on real people, places, and events. My goal never has been to tell a tale about what really happened but to tell what might have happened by blending known facts with my imagination. Characters such as Abraham Lincoln, Winfield Scott, and John Hay were, of course, actual people. When they speak on these pages, their words are occasionally drawn from things they are reported to have said. At other times, I literally put words in their mouths. Historical events and circumstances such as Lincoln’s inauguration, the fall of Fort Sumter, and the military crisis in Washington, D.C., provide both a factual backdrop and a narrative skeleton. Throughout, I have tried to maximize the authenticity and also to tell a good story.

Thomas Mallon, an experienced historical novelist, has described writing about the past: “The attempt to reconstruct the surface texture of that world was a homely pleasure, like quilting, done with items close to hand.” For me, the items close to hand were books and articles. Naming all of my sources is impossible. I’ve drawn from a lifetime of reading about the Civil War, starting as a boy who gazed for hours at the battlefield pictures in
The Golden Book of the Civil War
, which is an adaptation for young readers of
The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War
by Bruce Catton. Yet several works stand out as especially important references.

The first chapter owes much to an account that appeared in the
New York Tribune
on February 26, 1861 (and is cited in
A House Dividing
, by William E. Baringer). It is also informed by
Lincoln and the Baltimore Plot, 1861
, edited by Norma B. Cuthbert.

For details about Washington in 1861:
Reveille in Washington
, by Margaret Leech;
The Civil War Day by Day
, by E. B. Long with Barbara Long;
Freedom Rising
, by Ernest B. Ferguson;
The Regiment That Saved the Capitol
, by William J. Roehrenbeck;
The Story the Soldiers Wouldn’t Tell
, by Thomas P. Lowry; and “Washington City,” in
The Atlantic Monthly
, January 1861.

For information about certain characters:
With Malice Toward None
, by Stephen B. Oates;
Lincoln
, by David Herbert Donald;
Abe Lincoln Laughing
, edited by P. M. Zall;
Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries of John Hay
, edited by Tyler Dennett;
Lincoln Day by Day, Vol. III: 1861–1865
, by C. Percy Powell;
Agent of Destiny
, by John S. D. Eisenhower;
Rebel Rose
, by Isabel Ross;
Wild Rose
, by Ann Blackman; and several magazine articles by Charles Pomeroy Stone.

For life in the South:
Roll, Jordan, Roll
, by Eugene D. Genovese;
Runaway Slaves
, by John Hope Franklin and Loren Schweninger;
Bound for Canaan
, by Fergus M. Bordewich;
Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown
, written by himself;
The Fire-Eaters
, by Eric H. Walther; and
The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empire
, by Robert E. May.

For background on Mazorca:
Argentine Dictator
, by John Lynch.

This is the second edition of
The First Assassin
. Except for a few minor edits, it is no different from the first edition.

The AmazonEncore edition of
The First Assassin
would not exist but for readers of an earlier edition, which I published on my own through a print-on-demand service. They made
The First Assassin
a self-publishing success story. Their support was indispensible and is much appreciated.

At AmazonEncore, I’m indebted to Terry Goodman for having faith in this novel, Sarah Tomashek for helping promote it, Emily Avent and Jessica Smith for copyediting.

I’m also thankful for the advice and encouragement of friends, especially David Bernstein, Michael Carlisle, Ben Domenech, Robert Ferrigno, Vince Flynn, Andrew Klavan, Michael Long, Rich Lowry, Brian Meadors, Erika Meadors, Kristina Phillips, and Brad Thor.

Brendan Miller, Josie Miller, and Patrick Miller provided many distractions and delays, for which I am grateful.

My wife Amy has mattered most. This book is hers as much as mine. It would not exist without her encouragement and love.

John J. Miller is a journalist who writes for
National Review,
the
Wall Street Journal
, and other publications. He is the author of several books of nonfiction, including
The Unmaking of Americans: How Multiculturalism Has Undermined America’s Assimilation Ethic
;
Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America’s Disastrous Relationship with France
; and
A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America
.
The First Assassin
is his debut novel. A native of Detroit, he lives with his family in Prince William County, Virginia. To learn more about John J. Miller and his work, visit his website at www.HeyMiller.com.