Question 536: Blood is thicker than water? But there are other Links.

On the 14th of April, 1865 a certain president was shot at by a certain well known actor with the aim of continuing the Civil War which had by then lost all its fervour and was at its tail end.

Now you all know who they were, but that's not the question.

Moving on to the question:

A

Something to help you id A

B

__A__, was quite a well known figure in his time. Unfortunately for him, through no fault of his own, today he is generally remembered for a reason different than the one that made him famous. Though he's occasionally remembered for that as well.

__B__ was a lawyer and the Secretary of War. The only one of four brothers to live past his teenage years,(bet he wouldn't have been able to do that on his own) he lived to be 82.

Identify A and B.
Once you've done that, tell me what the story between them is.
Also, tie up any loose ends and throw in whatever else you believe is relevant.
 5 points for identifying and 5 for the story.




Answer:
A - The famous actor well known for his portrayal of Hamlet,  Edwin Booth

B - Robert Todd Lincoln (1st son of Abraham Lincoln)

The building which is supposed to help you id Booth is Booth's Theatre built by the actor.

The story:

Some time before Abraham Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth, Robert Lincoln was saved from injury/death on a train platform by Edwin Booth.

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.

Booth did not know the identity of the man whose life he had saved until some months later, when he received a letter from a friend, Colonel Adam Badeau, who was an officer on the staff of General Ulysses S Grant. Badeau had heard the story from Robert Lincoln, who had since joined the Union Army and was also serving on Grant's staff. In the letter, Badeau gave his compliments to Booth for the heroic deed. The fact that he had saved the life of Abraham Lincoln's son was said to have been of some comfort to Edwin Booth following his brother's assassination of the president.