How did they capture Abraham Lincoln's killer?

Answer 1

Booth shot the President, in the State Box, jumped over the opening ledge of the state box, and was aimed to land upon the stage, below. As he was jumping out of the box and onto the stage, Booth caught the spur of his boot on one of the flags, which were hung underneath the opening of the box. When the spur of his boot was snagged, this caused him to miss his landing, and his jump, resulted into a fall onto the stage. He then proceeded to flee from the theater, where he had already arranged for a rented horse from the local stable, (a stagehand by the name of Edmund Spangler who Booth had befriended, had been waiting with a horse at around 9:30, at the back of the theater.)

Booth then rode out of Washington DC and met up with fellow conspirator David Herald, in Maryland. They stopped at Lloyd's tavern that was leased from Mary Surratt in Surrattsville, had a drink and headed to Dr. Samuel Mudd's home. Booth needed medical attention for his leg, and the two arrived at Dr. Mudd's home at around 4am.

Dr. Mudd determined that Booth's leg had been broken and made a splint for it, as well as, a pair of crutches for Booth. The two at Dr. Mudd's home for about a day, and then Booth hired a man to lead the two to Samuel Cox's house. Colonel Samuel Cox had harbored sympathies for the confederate cause. Cox led the two to a man named Thomas Jones who led Booth and Herald through the Zekiah Swamp, and eventually across the Potomac River, over approximately a 5-6 day period.

Herald and Booth were in Virginia, and made their way into Port Royal, Virginia. On April 26, 1865, the Union Calvary had followed leads that two men fitting Booth and Herald's description were seen near the Rappahannock River, in Port Royal, Virginia. At approximately 2am, the Calvary eventually made their way to a tobacco farm owned by a Richard Garrett. Herald and Booth were sleeping in the farmer's barn. A Lieutenant detective from the Calvary yelled out to the two to surrender. After a few moments, Booth said he'd never surrender, then a few minutes later, Booth yelled out "Oh, Captain, there's a man in here who wants to surrender awful bad.", and Herald's voice then could be heard saying that he wanted to surrender. Herald came out slowly, and was slammed to the ground by the Calvary, and subsequently tied to a tree.

Still Booth would not come out. Using straw and brush, the cavalry set the barn on fire. Booth was visible to the soldiers because the barn was full of cracks and knotholes.

Sergeant Boston Corbett fired at Booth, hitting him in the neck. Booth was not dead but had been paralyzed. He was then dragged from the burning barn, and the Calvary moved Booth a couple of times, finally placing him on the porch of the farmer's house. Booth died at about 7am, on the same morning, April 26, 1865.

The author that wrote the above did a very good job of presenting the North's version of the story. But, there is another version. John Wilkes Booth was not killed. People in Washington wanted this incident closed to calm the nation. When an look-a-like was killed, a cover-up occurred.

Some people consider John Wilkes Booth a hero. His story goes like this: President Jefferson Davis and General Stonewall Jackson summoned Secret Agent Lt. Colonel John Wilkes Booth. Their purpose was to give John Wilks Booth the Congressional Medal of Honor and to promote him to full Colonel. Booth served under General Jackson. Booth is credited with the confiscation of needed medical supplies from the North and successfully delivering wagon loads of foodstuffs and clothing into the hands of the South. He also supplied secret information from the North to General Jackson. On May 2, 1863, John Wilkes Booth would learn of his most important assignment. He was to capture or kill Abraham Lincoln. Booth was given $50,000 for expenses and another $50,000 to begin a new life.

The next time Jefferson Davis would hear from Booth was by letter. Booth wrote that he was well and living in Mexico. It was another man, fearing for his life because he resembled Booth, that also fled Washington. That man was later killed in a barn and identified as Booth.