Second Innaugural Assassination attempt

[Laurie Verge]

I really don't remember ever discussing the Westfall/French situation with him, but the files might have something. I'll have Sandra check when she has time.

I wish we could find a definite money trail between Booth and at least the Canadian Cabinet. The late-Mike Maione (NPS Historian at Ford's) and the late-James O. Hall spent a considerable amount of time following the money trails of John Wilkes Booth through his acting income, his oil investments, land speculation, etc. They compiled this into a small booklet that we sell for $5 plus postage at Surratt House. Entitled To Make A Fortune: John Wilkes Booth Following the Money Trail, the ultimate conclusion in the book still does not tie Booth to the Confederate government with any certainty.

However, they do leave a tantalizing clue based on two things that occurred within the Confederate Congress in early 1864. The first was an act entitled "An Act to organize bodies of men for the capture and destruction of enemy property on land or sea, and to provide compensation for the same." The second bill added "...$5 million to the appropriation for secret service."

As the authors state, this is the type of information that intelligence officers love to use to connect dots -- capture, destruction, secret service money, compensation. The only problem is, if the secret service is effective, it leaves no paper trail.