Booth in Boston April 1865

[SSlater]

I am trying to research Booth's specific locations between April 1 1865 and April 13, in order to determine:
A. Whether or not he went to Montreal.
B. To show that Lucy Hale was with him in Boston.
C. That all the references to "Canada" were totally unfounded.
D. That Booth did not meet with L/C Gordon in April 1865.

I would appreciate any comments that you deem significant . My sources were "Come Retribution" (C.R. Pg. No. ) and "American Brutus" (A.B. Pg. No )

I have included mention of other significant events that occurred in this same time frame in an attempt to show how they all fit together.
_______________________________________________________

22 Feb 1865 Booth returned to D.C., sometime between this date and 7 April 1865, and MAY HAVE crossed paths with with L/C Gordon (C.R. Pg. 495)
8 Mar. 1865 L/C Gordon arrived in Montreal and signed in at the St. Lawrence Hall. (C.R. Pg. 403).
1 April 1865 Booth took the train to New York. He told Atzerodt that he was going to Canada. One source said the "Afternoon Train" and one said the "Evening Train." C.R. makes no mention that Lucy Hale traveled with him - as will be shown next.
2 April 1865 "Booth is in Newport, R. I. He and Lucy Hale checked in to the Aquidneck House. They went for a walk and when they
returned She was "dismal Spirits". They didn't wait for supper, but left for Boston on the next train.
(Aside) What could have happened - to cause her pass up on an evening with her "one and only"? It had to pertain to their relationship. Did she seek a marriage date - that Booth could meet? She must have known that she was about to go to Spain for a few years. Even though Booth continued to look forward to a life with her, their relationship changed drastically.
3 April 1865 In Boston, Lucy was dropped off with friends
5 April 1865 Still in Boston. (C.R. 414) "The purpose of the trip to Boston was murky, but it has the feel of an apparent meet with someone from Canada (C.R. 412) (That does not convince me!)
6 April 1865 Booth seen in Boston (C.R. 416)
7 April 1865 Booth returned to New York City and met with Samuel Chester (C.R. 408 and 414) and was in a Black Mood. He did tell Chester that he was to get married.(A.B. 225)
9 April 1865 Booth in D.C. Told Atzerodt about the plan to "Mime the White House." (C.R. 416) Harney is in Upperville with Mosby.
L/C Gordon arrived in Montreal (C.R. 467). He was quoted years later as saying "He worked on plans to capture Lincoln" and met John W. Booth.
(Aside) By April 8 1865 there were no longer any plans to Capture Lincoln. He had to be reminiscing about plans that were made in a much earlier time.
10 April 1865 Harney captured. That ended any effort to "mine the White House."
12 April 1865 Harney jailed in the Old Capitol Prison.
(Aside) There is no other mention of Lucy in Boston or about her return to D.C. with Booth. Does anyone know if they ever met again?

[Steve]

According to John Wilkes Booth: Day by Day by Arthur Loux:

April 1: Booth leaves Washington on afternoon train. According to one source cited by Loux, he briefly got off at Baltimore before continuing on to New York but Loux is unsure if that's correct.

April 2: Booth is in New York

April 3: Booth is in New York

April 4: At 4 P.M. Booth and a female companion board the steamer Empire State headed to Newport, RI

April 5: At 8 A.M. they arrived at Newport. Booth and his female companion then register as "J.W. Booth & Lady, Boston" at the Aquidneck House. Booth and the woman took the 3 P.M. train to Boston. Booth saw Edwin play Hamlet that night.

April 6: Booth is in Boston

April 7: Booth leaves Boston for New York

April 8: Booth heads to Washington. While waiting for a connecting train in Philadelphia, he writes a letter to Sam Chester. After arriving in Washington, Booth registers at the National Hotel. Booth remains in Washington until the 13th.

For brevity's sake I've left out some of the details Loux gave of Booth's actions in those cities. Booth never traveled to Montreal in April 1865. Loux never identifies the woman who left New York with Booth. But since the book is just a strict chronology, he may have not wanted to speculate if the sources did not specifically identify Hale as the woman.

[RJNorton]

(02-07-2017 12:15 AM)SSlater Wrote:  I am trying to research Booth's specific locations between April 1 1865 and April 13, in order to determine:
A. Whether or not he went to Montreal.

(02-07-2017 04:42 AM)Steve Wrote:  Booth never traveled to Montreal in April 1865.

I mentioned in another thread that Art Loux also includes an endnote for April 2. He writes, "Circumstantial and inconclusive evidence suggests that Booth may have taken a train to Montreal on April 2 and returned April 4."

What is the "circumstantial and inconclusive evidence? What is known about this? Jerry, is Hogan's recollection all there is - do you find it credible?

[Susan Higginbotham]

I would like to see some evidence that Lucy was the lady with Booth in Newport and Boston. Booth seems to have followed the convention that there were women one courted and women one slept with, and it seems far more probable that the lady he took to Boston fell into the latter category.

[L Verge]

I, too, have always questioned that automatic assumption that Lucy Hale was the one who registered with Booth in Newport. I know that Lucy was a liberal thinker and supposedly "ahead of her time," but given her station in life, her father's prominence, and the fact that Newport was likely an area where she was known, I find it very difficult to believe that she would be that promiscuous. I smell modern standards at work here.

[STS Lincolnite]

Maybe the woman was Martha Mills. Wasn't Ogarita "Booth" born in Rhode Island?

[RJNorton]

(02-07-2017 09:22 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  and it seems far more probable that the lady he took to Boston fell into the latter category.

I have been a little curious about the timing of his stay at the Aquidneck House in Newport, Rhode Island. Booth and his female companion checked in some time after 8 A.M., but they did not stay overnight. They departed at 3 P.M. headed for Boston. During their time at the Aquidneck House they went for a long walk, but I doubt it took almost 7 hours.

Actually, it seems like it was much less than 7 hours. According to the web page
here:

"These entries show that Booth "& Lady" were given "apartment" number 3 at "B" time (breakfast) but did not stay long, since at "L" time (luncheon) the same day their room was given to a Joseph Smith of Fort Adams."

Maybe there is another explanation (other than the one I am thinking of) for checking in and only being at the hotel for a pretty short period of time?

Did anyone see who the lady was when the couple was in Boston?

[John Fazio]

(02-07-2017 12:15 AM)SSlater Wrote:  I am trying to research Booth's specific locations between April 1 1865 and April 13, in order to determine:
A. Whether or not he went to Montreal.
B. To show that Lucy Hale was with him in Boston.
C. That all the references to "Canada" were totally unfounded.
D. That Booth did not meet with L/C Gordon in April 1865.

I would appreciate any comments that you deem significant . My sources were "Come Retribution" (C.R. Pg. No. ) and "American Brutus" (A.B. Pg. No )

I have included mention of other significant events that occurred in this same time frame in an attempt to show how they all fit together.
_______________________________________________________

22 Feb 1865 Booth returned to D.C., sometime between this date and 7 April 1865, and MAY HAVE crossed paths with with L/C Gordon (C.R. Pg. 495)
8 Mar. 1865 L/C Gordon arrived in Montreal and signed in at the St. Lawrence Hall. (C.R. Pg. 403).
1 April 1865 Booth took the train to New York. He told Atzerodt that he was going to Canada. One source said the "Afternoon Train" and one said the "Evening Train." C.R. makes no mention that Lucy Hale traveled with him - as will be shown next.
2 April 1865 "Booth is in Newport, R. I. He and Lucy Hale checked in to the Aquidneck House. They went for a walk and when they
returned She was "dismal Spirits". They didn't wait for supper, but left for Boston on the next train.
(Aside) What could have happened - to cause her pass up on an evening with her "one and only"? It had to pertain to their relationship. Did she seek a marriage date - that Booth could meet? She must have known that she was about to go to Spain for a few years. Even though Booth continued to look forward to a life with her, their relationship changed drastically.
3 April 1865 In Boston, Lucy was dropped off with friends
5 April 1865 Still in Boston. (C.R. 414) "The purpose of the trip to Boston was murky, but it has the feel of an apparent meet with someone from Canada (C.R. 412) (That does not convince me!)
6 April 1865 Booth seen in Boston (C.R. 416)
7 April 1865 Booth returned to New York City and met with Samuel Chester (C.R. 408 and 414) and was in a Black Mood. He did tell Chester that he was to get married.(A.B. 225)
9 April 1865 Booth in D.C. Told Atzerodt about the plan to "Mime the White House." (C.R. 416) Harney is in Upperville with Mosby.
L/C Gordon arrived in Montreal (C.R. 467). He was quoted years later as saying "He worked on plans to capture Lincoln" and met John W. Booth.
(Aside) By April 8 1865 there were no longer any plans to Capture Lincoln. He had to be reminiscing about plans that were made in a much earlier time.
10 April 1865 Harney captured. That ended any effort to "mine the White House."
12 April 1865 Harney jailed in the Old Capitol Prison.
(Aside) There is no other mention of Lucy in Boston or about her return to D.C. with Booth. Does anyone know if they ever met again?

John:

My information is that Harney was captured on April 9, not 10. See J. Marshall Crawford, Mosby and His Men, p. 359. It's important, because Booth communicated with Surratt in Montreal on April 10, advising him that their plans had changed and that he was to return to Washington forthwith. There is ample evidence for this. See, e.g. Trial of John H. Surratt, Vol. 1, pp. 471, 476.

John

[L Verge]

(02-07-2017 09:49 AM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  Maybe the woman was Martha Mills. Wasn't Ogarita "Booth" born in Rhode Island?

Good point, Scott. About 35 years ago, two Surratt Society members did an extensive study on the alleged "union" between Martha and JWB. Both of the members are from Rhode Island and searched hither, thither, and yon for proof of a marriage - to no avail. That's not to say that there wasn't a dalliance, but evidence just wasn't there to even confirm that. The name of the book is The Elusive Booths of Burrillville.

[Steve]

I missed that endnote about Montreal. Also, Loux states Booth is in New York on April 3 but doesn't list any events for him on that date. Although, if Booth had gone to Montreal, wouldn't he have gone directly to Boston instead of returning to New York? Maybe he was spending time with his female companion in New York and that's why we don't have any information on him for that day.

Also, to the comment about Martha Mills, being the woman, I don't see that as being particularly likely. She lived in Boston from 1860-1865 and none of her 3 children born between 1859-1863 match Booth's movements based on their conception windows. Not to mention, she was a lot older than Booth. Also in 1865, she was about to leave Boston for Brooklyn with her children and a married man named Arthur D'Arcy. She didn't begin to claim that Booth was Ogarita's father until around 1869 after she had left Brooklyn for Baltimore following her split with D'Arcy.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Another possibility is that the lady who accompanied Booth to Newport was not a lover, but someone doing business for the Confederacy. We do know from Atzerodt that Mrs. Slater traveled with Booth a great deal, so perhaps other female couriers did as well. The lady's "dismal spirits" might have been related to her mission and not to her relationship, whatever it was, with Booth.

[RJNorton]

(02-07-2017 01:28 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  The lady's "dismal spirits" might have been related to her mission and not to her relationship, whatever it was, with Booth.

This could be, Susan. Also, the news coming from Richmond could have made her this way if she were a courier.

Is it totally out of the question that the female companion was Sarah Slater? Art Loux says that Sarah Slater and John Surratt traveled to New York on April 4. Was there time for her to arrive in New York and then leave with JWB at 4 P.M. on the Empire State to travel to Newport?

[Gene C]

Who claims Booth was in Newport?
Is it the same source that claims Lucy was with him?

[RJNorton]

(02-07-2017 04:28 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Who claims Booth was in Newport?

Gene, I do not know all the evidence, but I do know there is this:

https://historical.ha.com/itm/autographs...14-61205.s

[JMadonna]

I think Booth went directly from Washington to Montreal based on two reports.

Henry Hogan's wrote that "John Wilkes Booth played a short engagement under the Buckland management, preliminary to the regular opening". This makes sense because Buckland owned the Theatre Royal in Montreal and Booth played for him the winter before. Hogan also said that
"He was here just a week or ten days before the assassination of Lincoln".

That puts Col. Gordon's recollection in a new light. He said "I grasped the hand in friendly farewell that would soon be stained with the blood of an assassinated President. Nor do I think he had such thought at that time. IN A FEW DAYS, I was shocked at the report of Lincoln’s death by the hand of John Wilkes Booth.”

Tidwell admits that the timing is not clear as to what date Gordon was talking about and made the assumption that it was his trip in March since there was no evidence of another.

However, Atzerodt said he went to Canada and if you put Hogan and Gordon's account side by side they seem to confirm each other. There is no other sighting of Booth (that I know of) until April 4 in Newport.