Booth's Horse Fell....

[L Verge]

Thank you, John, for quoting complete statements made by Davis and Washington at the Mudd farm. It is human nature to only quote what one needs to prove a point, and many historians use that ability frequently and obscure some of the facts.

For fear of upsetting some people, I would like to clarify that Tim Good worked extensively with Michael Kauffman on his original Eyewitness thesis - for that is what his project started out as, a Master's thesis. Tim had heard Mike give a talk on the reliability of witnesses, and it meshed perfectly with Tim's work as an NPS ranger at Ford's. He approached Mike for guidance, and Mike was happy to help.

The thesis proved so successful that it led to a final book publication. Behind the scenes, however, there arose some dissension over whose research went into that publication. In the end, to me, the book has been a vital part of understanding the events at Ford's since it brought together, under one cover, statements that were otherwise floating around in sundry files.

DIFFERENT QUESTION: Shortly after "recovering" from a possible fall around Soper's Hill, the fugitives encountered Polk Gardiner and companion repairing a wagon near Jenkins Corner. I do not remember what the brief conversation was (other than asking directions?), but if anyone is privy to Gardiner's statement, does it mention injuries? Seems to me that they were the first to encounter Booth and Herold after the supposed fall.