The Death of John Wilkes Booth
On April 26, 1865 (147 years ago today) John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was tracked down and killed by a soldier known as Boston Corbett.
After his escape on horseback from Ford's Theatre, Booth crossed over the Navy Yard Bridge, leaving Washington D.C. and entering into Maryland where he rendezvosed with fellow conspirator David Herold. They picked up some weapons and supplies and went to the home of Samuel A. Mudd, a local doctor. Mudd assessed that Booth's leg had been broken and put it in a splint. Later, Mudd made a pair of crutches for Booth. After spending a day at Mudd's house, Booth and Herold hired a local man to guide them to the home of Samuel Cox, who took them to the home of Thomas Jones. Jones hid Booth and Herold in Zekiah Swamp near his house for five days until they could cross the Potomac River.
On the afternoon of April 24, Booth and Herold arrived at the farm of Richard H. Garrett, a tobacco farmer. Booth told Garrett he was a wounded Confederate soldier. Booth and Herold remained at Garrett's farm until April 26, when Union soldiers from the 16th New York Cavalry arrived at the farm. The soldiers surrounded the two men in the barn. Herold surrendered, but Booth refused to come out when the soldiers called for his surrender. He replied "I will not be taken alive!" Upon hearing this, the soldiers set fire to the barn.
Booth scrambled for the back door, brandishing a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other. A soldier named Boston Corbett crept up behind the barn and shot Booth in the neck, severing his spinal cord. Booth was carried out onto the steps of the barn where a soldier gave him some water. Booth told the soldier, "Tell my mother I die for my country." He asked a soldier to lift his hands before his face and whispered as he gazed at them, "Useless...Useless." These were his last words. Booth died on the porch of the Garrett farm two hours after Corbett had shot him
Coincidentally, this occurred on the same day that Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his army to General William Tecumseh Sherman at the Bennett Place near Durham, North Carolina, effectively ending the Civil War.
After his escape on horseback from Ford's Theatre, Booth crossed over the Navy Yard Bridge, leaving Washington D.C. and entering into Maryland where he rendezvosed with fellow conspirator David Herold. They picked up some weapons and supplies and went to the home of Samuel A. Mudd, a local doctor. Mudd assessed that Booth's leg had been broken and put it in a splint. Later, Mudd made a pair of crutches for Booth. After spending a day at Mudd's house, Booth and Herold hired a local man to guide them to the home of Samuel Cox, who took them to the home of Thomas Jones. Jones hid Booth and Herold in Zekiah Swamp near his house for five days until they could cross the Potomac River.
On the afternoon of April 24, Booth and Herold arrived at the farm of Richard H. Garrett, a tobacco farmer. Booth told Garrett he was a wounded Confederate soldier. Booth and Herold remained at Garrett's farm until April 26, when Union soldiers from the 16th New York Cavalry arrived at the farm. The soldiers surrounded the two men in the barn. Herold surrendered, but Booth refused to come out when the soldiers called for his surrender. He replied "I will not be taken alive!" Upon hearing this, the soldiers set fire to the barn.
Booth scrambled for the back door, brandishing a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other. A soldier named Boston Corbett crept up behind the barn and shot Booth in the neck, severing his spinal cord. Booth was carried out onto the steps of the barn where a soldier gave him some water. Booth told the soldier, "Tell my mother I die for my country." He asked a soldier to lift his hands before his face and whispered as he gazed at them, "Useless...Useless." These were his last words. Booth died on the porch of the Garrett farm two hours after Corbett had shot him
Coincidentally, this occurred on the same day that Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his army to General William Tecumseh Sherman at the Bennett Place near Durham, North Carolina, effectively ending the Civil War.