My first post: thoughts on Booth leg fracture

[wsanto]

Heath,

Welcome to the greatest board on earth concerning Lincoln and the most notorious assassination in our history. Thanks to Roger and all the other scholars and historians that contribute and keep this board fresh and thoughtful.

I too am new to the assassination. I am neither a scholar or a historian and often feel a bit overwhelmed to be allowed to participate in this forum. Everyone on the board has made me feel welcome and I spend a lot of my internet time here learning the different theories about the assassination and those involved.

Your post is very well thought and presented and I agree with all your points. I suppose you read through the thread started by Dave Taylor "Breaking a Leg". If not, it includes a links to Kauffman's rationale for his horse-fall theory. You should also keep up with Mr. Taylors website "Boothiesbarn.com. It is excellent.

There is also a link to Thomas Jone's book that you can read online in the thread about Booth going to the boarding house after the assassination to gather a new hat and other supplies for his escape out of Washington.

Jones discusses the broken leg in his book and presents it as a matter of fact that Booth's injury occurred at Ford's. He also discards the horse fall as a cover story presented to Mudd since, at that time, in the wee hours of the morning after the assassination, Mudd did not know of the assassination and Booth could not risk that he wouldn't provide treatment if Mudd learned of it prior to rendering his care.

I find Jone's recollection as very credible as he was as close to this thing as anyone and he had nothing to fear at the time he penned his work.