Boston Corbett

[L Verge]

Amen, Bill!

Despite the wild accusations made against Corbett over the years, good researchers have determined that (despite his definitely religious-oriented eccentricities), the man was a good soldier fighting for what he thought was God's cause. Sounds like millions of other good soldiers over the centuries. And during the 19th century, who was going to argue with a man who claimed that God had directed him to shoot?

One of the best researchers in the field, Mike Kauffman, used to narrate many of the Surratt bus tours over the Booth escape route, and I have heard him repeat many times the following scenario of how Booth came to die: The unit was stationed at certain intervals around the barn, and once the fire was lit, it was like putting a spotlight on the assassin. Soldiers in the darkness outside could easily see between the gaps in the barn's siding.

Booth had been taunting the soldiers to come in and get him, draw back and give him a chance to defend himself, etc. They could see his agitation as the flames came closer to him. It was reported that he looked around and decided to throw aside his crutch and position his carbine to "come out shooting." The scenario has Corbett recognizing what could happen and responding by taking a shot to bring him down. Mike used to say that Corbett aimed for Booth's shoulder in order to make him drop the rifle at the same time that Booth tried to walk without support. Booth limped down on his left side, and the bullet went through his neck instead of the shoulder. BTW: when the dying man was brought outside, identification began immediately with photographs of Booth that the unit had carried with them. No degrading of the body had occurred at that time except for the neck wound causing paralysis.

Bill mentioned the Henry Ford newspaper reports. They came about when Ford was debating the mummy theory and whether or not he should believe that it was Booth and acquire it for his museum in Dearborn. He had one of his best investigative correspondents, Fred Black, do thorough research on the Bates' claims. The result was that neither Ford nor Black gave credence to the mummy story.

As for the suicide theory, Bill and Rick's article really proves that Booth COULD have committed suicide, not that he DID. They were challenging the diagnosis of Dr. John K. Lattimer who had previously published a book in which he asserted that there was no way that Booth could have inflicted such a womb on his neck. It is still a contention among many others that that was a very awkward position in which to commit suicide...