Edward Askew Sothern the play that Abraham Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated. Sothern's role was Lord Dundreary, a caricature of a brainless English nobleman. At first, he was reluctant to accept the role; it was so small and unimportant that he felt it beneath him and feared it might damage his reputation. He mentioned his qualms to his friend, Joseph Jefferson, who had been cast in the leading role of Asa Trenchard in the play. Jefferson supposedly responded with the famous line: "There are no small parts, only small actors." On 15 October 1858, "Our American Cousin" premiered in New York.
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery covers in Elwood, Illinois. It is located approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois. When fully completed, it will provide 400,000 burial spaces. The cemetery was dedicated in 1999 by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. It was the 117th national cemetery dedicated under the administration. The cemetery is on the grounds of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant site, which was formerly known as the Joliet Arsenal. The cemetery is named after President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and founder of the National Cemetery