An Interesting Tidbit

[L Verge]

I have another little tidbit that I'm chewing on now. As some of you know, I am one of those who thinks that the original abduction plan was sanctioned in Richmond and eventually assisted by the Canadian Cabinet. Over the past few weeks, I have been corresponding with a member of the "Southern gentry" (that's part of his email moniker) who believes that Booth escaped to Mississippi, lived out his life as a recluse in the home of a relative, and is buried in a family cemetery near Guntown, Mississippi.

That's not what interests me, however. The tidbit of the story that does interest me is a key person that Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy already mentioned in Come Retribution. Rick, Joe, and Wild Bill have assisted me in finding information on Col. James Gordon of Mississippi, whose ancestral home still exists not far from Guntown. According to what we know of Gordon, he was sent to Canada to make ties with Jacob Thompson and was aware of the abduction plot. He claimed that he met Booth and that Booth jumped the gun and assassinated Lincoln without approval of his handlers. Gordon was arrested after the assassination because of this info, but was not charged. See pages 405-408 in Come Retribution for a clearer description than what I just gave.

Keep the State of Mississippi in mind in order to see some ties. Home state to Jefferson Davis, Jacob Thompson, and James Gordon. Southern ties run deep, and old friends can usually be trusted (especially in previous centuries).

The Southern gentry who got in touch with me has been kind enough to give me information on an elderly gentleman who owns the Gordons' ancestral home -- and supposedly has the Colonel's papers and letters. Whether there is anything further to learn, we'll find out. My question would be when and how he met Booth. Joe quickly pointed out that Gordon registered into a hotel in Canada on March 8, 1865. We don't think that Booth was north of the border near that time. However, Gordon had to get to Canada. Could he have met Booth in Richmond, D.C., NYC, upstate New York? Inquiring minds want to know...

P.S. If you want to see the lovely old Gordon home (restored/reconstructed after a devastating tornado in 2001), google Lochinvar in Mississippi.