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Truly fascinating stuff. Fate clearly intends to force some peoples together. Regardless of if they know when or for what.
Sometimes history can be bizarre and borderline unbelievable, and sometimes fate brings two families together by force. In 1864, at a train station in Jersey City, N.J., the Booth and Lincoln families would have a lesser-known encounter, a year before the infamous events at Ford's Theatre. Robert Todd Lincoln, the first child born to President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, and the President's only child to survive into adulthood, accidentally fell onto the train tracks at the station, in the path of an oncoming train. For most people, this would have been an unceremonious end, but just as the helpless Lincoln realized the extent of his perilous situation, a hand forcefully grabbed the young man's collar and yanked him back onto the platform. The man that hand belonged to was none other than Edwin Booth, the legendary Shakespearean actor and brother of the future assassin of Abraham Lincoln. In 1909, Robert Todd would later recount the event in a letter: > “The incident occurred while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name.” According to one Booth biographer, Robert's superior, Ulysses S. Grant, also wrote to Booth to congratulate him on his heroism. Grant not only praised Booth's quick actions but also said that if he could ever serve Edwin, he would gladly do so. Edwin reportedly replied that when Grant was in Richmond, the actor would perform for him there. Absolutely fascinating. What an incredible course of events: one Booth would save one Lincoln's life, and the other would take one.