A Wonderful Find ...

[John E.]

I always thought the term "Boothie" was a bit off. To be more specific, one of the only true "Boothies" I know is Terry Alford.

Laurie, our group still has a poor reputation with some folks who believe (in some twisted way) we are glad Lincoln was assassinated.

Even James Swanson (who has been compensated quite handsomely and profited more than most for Lincoln being assassinated) labeled some in our field as "misguided antiquarians" for wanting to handle the remains of Lewis Powell with dignity & respect. My guess is that he wanted to ingratiate himself to the much larger Lincoln fanatics. Perhaps 150 years is still too soon for some to look back at Lincoln's assassination objectively.

Personally, I find Lincoln's assassination a portal into one of our country's most fascinating and turbulent periods. It was an unprecedented tragedy in which some of our country's most interesting characters and personalities were linked. The joy in learning and researching has always been its own reward. If we uncover something new, that's icing on the cake.