John Wilkes Booth was shot with a pistol! But where?

[LincolnMan]

Booth experienced what some would certainly label a "close call" by being accidently shot by a pistol. According to the book Lust for Fame:The Stage Career of John Wilkes Booth by Gordon Samples on pages 46-47, Booth had been shot by Matthew Canning (the theater manager of the Canning Dramatic Company). The incident occurred October 12, 1860 in Columbus, Georgia at the Cook's Hotel-maybe. Another report had the shooting taking place in the dressing room of the theater. It was an accidental discharge, by the way. The fact that Booth was shot is unquestioned. Where the history gets "fuzzy" is exactly where did Booth get shot-and on what part of his body? The Columbus Enquirer reported Booth was wounded in the "thigh" at the hotel. Another report had Booth as being shot in the "rear" (and it didn't mean "rear of the building!). The New York World had Booth shot in his dressing room at the theater in the "neck." Matthew Canning, himself, stated he shot Booth in the "side." In 1863, Booth had an operation on his neck to remove a tumor. Was it actually the bullet? The doctor had been asked to say that it was. The story from the book finally comments:

"Wherever the location of the scar, it postponed Booth's stage appearance for only eight days."

On a lighter note, as I typed this little story out, I remembered playing the game Clue as a kid. Remember? "Col. Mustard in the library with a candlestick!"

[RJNorton]

Bill, a great resource on this topic is Dave Taylor's wonderful blog. Go here.

[LincolnMan]

Thanks Roger. As I pondered this incident in Booth's life, I'm once again hit with the realization how at certain points in history things could have turned out so differently and had such a dramatic change in the course of thigs. If Booth had been accidently killed, then it may be fairly reasoned that Lincoln would not have been assassinated. How different would Reconstruction and the events following it afterward have turned out? As it was, Booth experienced what it was like to be shot by a weapon. I do wonder if the shooting had any impact at all in his eventual decision to kill Lincoln with a pistol.