O'Beirne's diary of Booth manhunt

[Rhatkinson]

i came across this diary from James O'Beirne detailing his involvement in the events of the assassination and the hunt for Booth.

http://historical.ha.com/itm/political/-...ion-071515
What makes is especially interesting are the comments that later proved to be true about the hunt and it points out how close the Army was on Booth and Davy's trail. For instance, he makes comments about finding crutch tracks of Booth, Dr. Mudd's complicity, Samuel Cox cooking provisions for people in the woods, etc. Here are the quotes:

- "O'Beirne traveled to Port Tobacco with six detectives and twenty-five soldiers. While there, he noticed some "tracks" in the mud caused by Booth's crutch. These were followed, resulting in Booth's capture and death the next day. Some excerpts: "... Mudd near Bryantown... served more than two years in the Rebel Army is a black hearted man and possibly a conspirator see after him... Pope's creek has been a crossing. The conspirators are there if they have not crossed over to the Virginia side which examine into and follow up... Herold was coming backwards & forwards to visit the dissipated set at Port Royal even just after his father's death... Description of Azterodt. Medium height... looks like a German a smiling man ordinary... Herold visits frequently a Dr. Robinson between Woodville & Benedict... The people thru this country understand that Miller Pro Mar Mo will protect & otherwise screen all who come from the confederates... Send the men over to Mattox Creek & to work their way up and arrest Jones... Learned from Colored Man at White Point Va that about between 9 & 10 o'clock two men... landed in a boat & left it hastily then went across the field hastily without stopping at Golman's house... Saml Cox (at Scotia Swamp) his mill servant stated to another colored man that Cox has been cooking provisions lately & carrying it to persons down in the swamp... Judge Scott Gardiner's house should be searched. Booth is likely to be there as anywhere... [Gardiner is a ] monomaniac on the subject of secession & a virulent rebel. He should be looked into... Herold & Booth came out of a belt of cedars... on the morning of April 25th... spoke to a colored girl at Turner's House, asked for food the night before a fire was discovered in the woods... they asked if anyone was in the house & if they could get water... The visitation today shows that they have made a circuit from the belt of wood in which these were & are not 5 miles distant. The two men are Booth & Herold beyond doubt."