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

[Art Loux]

I have been interested in the hat and guns issues for years and therefore was happy to see this thread.

I believe JWB visited Mrs. Surratt about 10:30 a.m. and learned she was going to the tavern. Previously that morning he had sent Herold to tell Atzerodt “I should go down to Surrattsville. He (Herold) said he Booth, had something there and wanted me to see after them. They were in Mrs. Surratt’s old house kept by Lloyd and I agreed to go.” (Atzerodt confession in Lincoln Assassination The Evidence hereafter LASE, pp. 63-64.) When Booth learned Mrs. Surratt was going to Surrattsville there was no need for Atzerodt to go. Booth returned to Mrs. Surratt’s before she and Weichmann left. Then I suspect Booth visited again after the meeting at the Herndon House.

I can’t add much to the hat discussion. I strongly doubt there were saddle bags. Pumphrey and Cobb gave detailed descriptions of the horse and rider and neither mentioned saddle bags. Booth was not much of a planner and so I doubt he carried an extra hat. His nonchalant hand -off of the horse at Ford’s indicates the lack of planning. His life depended on the horse being there later, yet he walked away as Spangler was protesting he had work to do. I strongly doubt Booth stopped at Mrs. Surratt’s after the deed; he needed to get across that bridge as soon as possible. So I have no solution to the hat mystery. Here are some additional odd notes about JWB’s hat:

Booth was hatless when he jumped. Hatless according to Taft. Devenay and Wray in LASE.

Booth had no hat on when he crossed the stage. (Bennett in LASE 131.)

He came out the door with no hat on. (Anderson in LASE 21.)

Hat and spur identified by Pumphrey in LASE.

Booth had his CAP pulled low. (Rollins in M619.)

Bainbridge quoted in This One Mad Act p. 275. Wore a soft, black hat.

I have a few comments about the revolvers which I will post separately.

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One of the only Surratt members that I know of to have gained entrance to the Surratt boardinghouse during the last century was Harold Wang, now of California. He got permission from then-owner, Dr. Lee -- who, I am sure, thought Harold was Chinese. Harold is a Scandinavian Wang, however.

That said, Mr. Wang wrote an article for the Surratt Courier in 1982 detailing his visit along with research that he had done. The ground floor of the boardinghouse was what is termed a daylight or English basement. There was a sitting room in the front, a dining room in the middle, and a kitchen in the rear. One could enter a hallway from an outside door under the stairs. The hallway had a door into the dining room and a flight of stairs to the right. No mention of servants' quarters, but one would assume that they were behind the kitchen? Bill, I don't remember there being any white servants? What is your source for that?

Mention was made of the bullet mold found in Mary's desk. There is a reference made in a diary by Philip Whitlock of being at Surratt Tavern when John, Jr. and others were having shooting contests. We also have a family story from then-neighbors to the rear of the boardinghouse of target practice going on in the alley that separated their house from the rear of 604 H Street. I wouldn't keep my son's bullet mold, etc. in my desk, but Mary might have.

Kate - I'm like you. I do not remember Lloyd testifying about Herold dashing over to the stable at Surrattsville. Art Loux - help! I swear that's the first time I have ever heard of this.

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Laurie, Bert Sheldon was driving by the Surratt Boardinghouse years ago and saw all the doors open. He walked in and found it was being renovated. He asked if he could take the old doorknobs if he replaced them with new ones. His offer was accepted. He went to a hardware store, bought new knobs, took them to the builder and took home four of the originals. I have a tape of his hilarious description of this.

For Herold going to the stable at the Surratt Tavern see Lloyd in Poore I:120.
Lloyd: I am not positive now whether Herold was present at the time he (Booth) said that (we have assassinated the President), or whether he was across the street towards the stable. . . . Herold, as soon as he rode back to where we were, got right between me and this other man (Booth), and rode off.