 On March 17 , Booth learned that Lincoln would be attending a performance of the play Still Waters Run Deep at a hospital near the Soldier 's Home . Booth assembled his team on a stretch of road near the Soldier 's Home in the attempt to kidnap Lincoln en route to the hospital , but the president did not appear . Booth later learned that Lincoln had changed his plans at the last moment to attend a reception at the National Hotel in Washington where , coincidentally , Booth was then staying . 
