American Brutus
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———. The Elder and the Younger Booth. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin and Co., 1881.
———. Junius Brutus Booth. New York: Carleton & Co., 1865.
———. The Unlocked Book: A Memoir of John Wilkes Booth by His Sister Asia Booth Clarke. Edited by Eleanor Farjeon. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1938. A recent edition, edited by Terry L. Alford, is entitled John Wilkes Booth: A Sister’s Memoir ( Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1996).
Conrad, Thomas Nelson. A Confederate Spy. New York: J. S. Ogilvie, 1892.
———. The Rebel Scout. Washington: National Publications, 1904.
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Davis, William C. An Honorable Defeat: The Last Days of the Confederate Government. New York: Harcourt, 2001.
Dennett, Tyler, ed. Lincoln and the Civil War in the Diaries and Letters of John Hay. New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1939.
Doster, William E. Lincoln and Episodes of the Civil War. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1911.
Douglas, Henry Kyd. I Rode with Stonewall. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1940.
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Hanchett, William. The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983.
Harris, Thomas M. Assassination of Lincoln: A History of the Great Conspiracy and Trial of the Conspirators. Boston: American Citizen, 1892.
———. Rome’s Responsibility for the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Pittsburgh: Williams, 1897.
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———. Vindication of Hon. Joseph Holt, Judge Advocate General of the United States Army. Washington: Chronicle Publishing, 1873.
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———. Blood on the Moon. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 2001.
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FAMILY AND BACKGROUND
Long after his death in 1852, Junius Brutus Booth, Sr., exerted an influence on the career and politics of his son, John Wilkes. Library of Congress
Tudor Hall, home of the Booths, as it looked in 1865. Several of the men who built it later worked for John T. Ford, and were present when Lincoln was assassinated. Author’s collection
Handsome and captivating, John Wilkes Booth was hailed as one of America’s most popular actors. This recently discovered photograph is one of dozens taken of him during his career. Courtesy of Richard and Kellie Gutman
The Booth brothers appeared in Julius Caesar in November 1864. John Wilkes (as Mark Antony, left) remained on cordial terms with Junius (as Cassius, right), but his political sparring with Edwin (as Brutus, center) nearly split the family. Months after the assassination, three photos of Edwin were found among his younger brother’s personal effects. All had been torn in half. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
PLOT
David E. Herold had known Booth for years, and stayed with him throughout his flight from Washington. Library of Congress
Michael O’Laughlen and Samuel Bland Arnold were apparently the first to join Booth in his plot to capture the president. Library of Congress
Mary Surratt, widowed mother of conspirator John H. Surratt, Jr., was suspected of being the plot’s ringleader. This photograph, discovered by the author in 1988, is the only known wartime image of her. New York Public Library
George A. Atzerodt expected to be paid for his part in the plot, but on balance, he lost money when John Surratt borrowed from him. Library of Congress
Lewis Thornton Powell, shown in the hat and coat he had worn on the night of the assassination. Like much of the evidence, the clothes have since disappeared. Library of Congress
Rullman’s Hotel (second building from left, with long awning) was the scene of daily meetings between Booth and some of his conspirators. Author’s collection
This previously unpublished photograph shows the Herndon House (center) where Booth announced his plan of assassination at a meeting in Lewis Powell’s thirdfloor room. Atzerodt said that the gathering took place on the night of April 14, but according to hotel manager Martha Murray, Powell had already checked out that afternoon. Surratt House Museum
Naming names: Years after the assassination, Richard M. Smoot (top left) admitted his complicity in the plot, and implied that Joseph Eli Huntt (top right) and Frederick Stone (right) were involved as well. Stone actually worked his way into the trial as defense counsel to Dr. Mudd and David Herold. Smoot: courtesy of Barbara F. Plate; Huntt: courtesy of Elysebeth Huntt Mays and Laurie Verge; Stone: author’s collection
Booth’s note to Andrew Johnson helped create the impression of intimacy between the vice president and the man whose act had put him in charge of the government. By the same kind of deception, Booth framed many unsuspecting people. National Archives
ASSASSINATION
Ford’s Theatre, with Ferguson’s Greenback Saloon adjoining it to the north (left) and the Star Saloon on the right. Author’s collection
Ford’s interior as it looks today. It is an active theater once again, as well as a museum. Photograph by the author
Booth used this single-shot .44 caliber derringer to shoot the president. It was later found in the theater box and turned over to police. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Henry Rathbone (left) and Clara Harris (below) accompanied the Lincolns to Ford’s Theatre and were later married. Henry died in a German asylum after he murdered Clara and tried to kill himself. These photos are previously unpublished. Courtesy of Louise Randolph Hartley
William H. Seward, Secretary of State, never fully healed from the grievous wounds to his face. Courtesy of Dr. John K. Lattimer
Edman Spangler was the only theater employee to be prosecuted for conspiracy. Library of Congress
The Seward house on Lafayette Square was the scene of unimaginable horror. The house no longer stands. U.S. Naval Historical Center
FLIGHT AND PURSUIT
Booth escaped from Washington on a horse he rented from what was then Pumphrey’s Stable (shown here circa 1907). The conspirators’ habit of swapping horses with one another led to the identification of Booth’s inner circle within hours after the assassination. Courtesy of Jerry A. McCoy
Though Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton admired the slain president, twentieth-century writers would make the outlandish claim that Stanton had a hand in Lincoln’s assassination. National Archives
General Christopher Augur posted a reward of $10,000 within hours after the assassination. This flyer, discovered by the author, is the only known advertisement for that offer. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
Authorities ignored Booth’s own escape plan, which they found in his hotel room just after the president’s shooting. The assassin intended to flee toward Mexico. National Archives
Booth began his flight over the route he had laid out for the president’s abduction, but his broken leg forced him to make a costly detour for medical aid. Map by the author
Six hours after the assassination, Booth showed up at the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, thirty miles south of Washington. Though Mudd had not seen the actor since the previous winter, he was suspected of involvement in the conspiracy, and was later convicted. Library of Congress
The fugitives’ first attempt to cross the Potomac ended near Nanjemoy Creek, where they took refuge in a slave cabin on the farm of John J. Hughes. Nearly every building associated with Booth’s flight is still standing, and two (the Surratt Tavern and Dr. Mudd’s farmhouse) are now museums. Photograph by the author
First Lieutenant Edward P. Doherty (right) led the cavalry detachment that caught up to Booth at Garrett’s farm. Sgt. Boston Corbett (left) fired the shot that killed the fugitive. National Archives
Booth died on the front porch of Richard H. Garrett’s farmhouse, where some of Garrett’s children are shown in this previously unpublished photo. Courtesy of Annette Morriss
The Saugus and Montauk (second and third from left) are shown anchored off the Washington Navy Yard, where they were used as floating prisons for suspects in the assassination. Previously unpublished photo. U.S. Naval Historical Center
TRIAL
The star witness was Louis J. Weichmann, whom many suspected of being a conspirator himself. Courtesy of Floyd E. Risvold
Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt (center), with John A. Bingham (left) and Lt. Col. Henry L. Burnett, prosecuted the alleged conspirators. Library of Congress
SURRATT TRIAL
The Surratt trial grew so acrimonious that defense attorney Joseph H. Bradley, Sr., was disbarred for allegedly challenging the judge to a duel. Previously unpublished photograph. Courtesy of Thomas Bradley
After nineteen months on the run, John H. Surratt was captured in Egypt, then photographed before his return to the United States for trial. Lauinger Library, Georgetown University
FUNERAL
Photographer Jeremiah Gurney photographed the president’s corpse in New York’s City Hall. The plates were ordered destroyed, but one print survived. Illinois State Historical Library
PUNISHMENT
July 7, 1865: The trap was sprung on Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. Powell slowly strangled to death. Library of Congress
The convicted conspirators were imprisoned in a secondfloor cell (center) of Fort Jefferson, a military prison seventy miles west of the Florida Ke
ys. Michael O’Laughlen died here, and the others were pardoned in 1869. Key West Public Library
After being moved several times, Booth’s remains were ultimately buried in the family plot at Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery. Photograph by the author
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book was shaped by years of interaction with friends and researchers from across the country. The first among these was John C. Brennan, who never liked to be called a “researcher,” but who tirelessly gathered and disseminated information on this case for more than thirty years. John had an infectious passion for the subject, and anyone who knew him would agree that his daily bulletins were more informative, helpful, and entertaining than any book could ever be.
I am fortunate to have many friends who freely contributed research and ideas as well. Stephen M. Archer, Katherine Dhalle, Joseph George, Nancy Griffith, Richard and Kellie Gutman, James O. Hall, Dr. Blaine V. Houmes, Monsignor Robert L. Keesler, Dr. John K. Lattimer, Franklyn Lenthall, Arthur F. Loux, Stephen G. Miller, Dr. Richard D. Mudd, Michael Musick, Betty J. Ownsbey, Richard E. Sloan, and Laurie Verge have always kept me in mind when something new and interesting came to their attention.
I cannot possibly name all who have helped in this effort, but others who come immediately to mind are Helen Alderman, Terry L. Alford, Louise Mudd Arehart, Robert Cabot Bainbridge IV, Deirdre Barber, James L. Barbour, Sally Barley, Bill Barnett, Edmond Bastek, Ulrike K. Baumann, Margaret K. Bearden, Stephen W. Benjamin, Margery Boorde, Garth Bowling, Sharon Brahmstadt, Samuel Carter III, Michael Cavanaugh, Joan L. Chaconas, Frederick Chesson, Arthur Ben Chitty, Kenneth Clark, Michael Coccia, Peggy Colony, Robert W. Cook, Kathryn Coombs, Carita Curtis, Margaret Wilson Dean, Suzanne Dietrich, Garland W. Clarke, Everton E. Conger, Jeannine Clarke-Dodels, Bob Dodson, Carol Garrett Donohue, Donald P. Dow, Robert Eager, Vivian Edelen, Mary S. Elbert, Clark Evans, Dinah Faber, Rev. Ralph E. Fall, Jewell Powell Fillmon, Mrs. Edwin C. Fishel, Danny Fluhart, Howard and Dorothy Fox, Nancy Galbreath, Al Gambone, Carleton H. Garrett, Christopher Garrett, John A. Garrett, Hugh R. Gifford, Sherrie Gilbert, Leslie Goodier, Frank Gorman, Harold M. Gouldman, William Hanchett, John and Valerie Handy, Michael Harman, Gayle T. Harris, Louise Randolph Hartley, Frederick Hatch, Frank Hebblethwaite, Ann Hoover Holcombe, Michael F. Holt, Betty Houghton, Jeff and Joan Huffman, Erin Hulme, Roger D. Hunt, Rosemarie Hunter, George L. Kackley, Paul Kallina, Suzanne Kelley, Dorothy E. Kelly, Arthur Kincaid, Virginia Kline, Elizabeth Nuckols Lee, Judy Lewis, Rebecca Livingston, Walton Mahon, Michael Maione, Marcia Maloney, Jonathan Mann, Percy E. Martin, Charlotte Gurley Mattern, Elysabeth Huntt Mays, Jerry McCoy, John and Mary McHale, Courtney McKeldin, Ernest C. Miller, Ronald Moffat, Guy W. Moore, Annette Morriss, Tony O’Connor, Louise Oertley, Nicholas Payne, Angus Phillips, Barbara F. Plate, Pat Purcell, Carolyn Quadarella, John Quinnette, Emerson Reck, Markus Ring, Emily Mudd Rogerson, David E. Roth, Nicholas B. Scheetz, Lew Schmidt, Bert Sheldon, Ron and Helen Shireman, Gene Smith, Mike Snyder, John Ford Sollers, Dr. Allen G. Spiegel, John F. Stanton, Candida Ewing Steel, David M. Sullivan, Warren Taltavull, Bill Taylor, William Toffey, Lois Rathbun Trebisacci, Bob Wadsworth, John and Roberta Wearmouth, William Hallam Webber, Betsy Webster, Penny Weiner, David Whellams, Nancy Williams, Chris L. Witherspoon, James T. Wollon, Jr., Marie Worster, Steven J. Wright, and Mark S. Zaid. These people have all been a tremendous help to me, even though many would not agree with my approach to the case, or with my conclusions.