Edwin Booth was one of the most famous actors of the 19th century. Some historians consider Edwin Booth the greatest actor and the greatest Hamlet of the 19th century. Edwin’s father was also a famous actor- Junius Brutus Booth. The Booth’s were an acting family, kind of like the Manning’s in football or the Taft’s in politics.

In late 1864 or early 1865 Edwin Booth saved the life of POTUS Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert as Robert would tell it-

“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.”

Edwin was a Unionist. Sadly this great actor would not be remembered mainly for his acting but for being the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Edwin Booth died in 1893 at the age of 59.