Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination

[J. Beckert]

I don't see why it's such a stretch to think that Booth had both pistols with him at the theater. They really aren't that cumbersome. I have a hard time with the fact that he planned this to the letter and walked into a theater with armed soldiers in attendance and brought only a one shot pistol that he discarded. It makes no sense to me that he had to stop somewhere and pick them up. The Spencer carbine - that makes perfect sense. But it really wouldn't have been a burden to carry both pistols on his person.