inauguration of Andrew Johnson as the 17th President of the United States was held on April 15 , 1865 at the Kirkwood House in Washington , D.C. , following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln . The inauguration marked the commencement of Andrew Johnson 's only term ( a partial term of ) as President . Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administered the Oath of office . After the ceremony , President Johnson gave an impromptu inaugural address , which began with him begging the cabinet to remain with him and then attacking the Confederacy with such venom , that one witness remarked " It would have been better had he been struck dumb . " As President Lincoln lay dying , Vice President Johnson visited the room where he lay , and when Mrs. Lincoln saw him , it was reported , she screamed and demanded he be removed . So he went back to his room at the Kirkwood House . According to newspaper reports , Johnson had gotten severely inebriated , and when aides to the now-dead Lincoln came to fetch the new President they were unable to wake him for several minutes . When he was finally awake , the accounts read , " he had puffy eyes and his hair was caked with mud from the street , " and that a barber and doctor were summoned to clean him up for the ten-o'clock ceremony , which most accounts agree went smoothly . However , there are other accounts , believed more reliable by some , which refute this claim
assassination
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Inauguration of Andrew Johnson