President Abraham Lincoln’s trusted friend and heavily armed bodyguard, who spent many a night on the floor outside the Lincoln bedroom, was not at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865 when the president was shot. Why wasn’t he?

Come to this free program on Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at O’Hurley’s General Store in Shepherdstown and find out why Ward Hill Lamon, who was President Lincoln’s former law partner and good friend, was in Richmond rather than at Ford’s Theater that evening. And find out much more about our former President and the relationship these two men had.

When he was elected, President Lincoln persuaded the physically imposing Lamon to accompany him to Washington, DC. He appointed Lamon the U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia and Lamon appointed himself the President’s bodyguard. The death of the president plagued Lamon the rest of his life as he believed his presence could have prevented the murder. Born in Summit Point, raised in Round Hill, he retired to Martinsburg and is buried in Gerrardstown. Author and actor Bob O’Connor brings Lamon to life in a first person, historically accurate portrayal. Both Mr. Lamon and Mr. O’Connor will answer questions.

O’Hurley’s General Store is at 205 East Washington Street, Shepherdstown.

This presentation, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the “History Alive!” program of the West Virginia Humanities Council and the Friends of the Shepherdstown Library (FOSL).

For more information, please contact FOSL publicity director Sandy Brown at 956-605-0802.

For more information on author and actor Bob O’Connor please see boboconnorbooks.com/about-the-author/.