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

[Laurie Verge]

Lindsey just threw another chicken in the pot re: possible saddlebags: There is testimony to the effect that Herold requested an English saddle. She is familiar with English saddles and used them in riding. To the best of her recollection, English saddles of that era did not use saddlebags. What sayeth ye of the horse persuasions?

Jerry - My thought process on the guns being stashed at Mudd's is this: Booth heard Lincoln's speech on April 11 and was ignited to act quickly. By the afternoon of April 12, I'm betting that he had David Herold on the road into Southern Maryland to alert the Confederate line of support that something big was in the works and to be ready. Since Dr. Mudd and Dr. Queen had been the first contacts made by Booth in Southern Maryland in November of 1864, I would think it logical that he check in with one of them -- and Mudd was the closest.

I do not think that Herold told any of the Confederates that the plan had changed to assassination - just to be ready for something big. If Herold left D.C. in the early afternoon of April 12, riding at a normal pace, he would probably reach Mudd by 4-5 pm. He could have dropped off a package (didn't necessarily have to say what was in it) and then moved on to the next check point -- Burtles, Canter, Cox, Queen, whomever. He also had either family or friends in Patuxent City in the same general area where he could have spent the night and continued his duties on April 13. On the return trip, he reached T.B. and the Huntts in time for supper. During this time period, supper was generally served about 6-7 pm. He sleeps over at the Huntts' house and is gone by the time their baby demanded breakfast about 6 am. I believe that one of Davey's sisters said that he was home in time for breakfast.

Honestly, Jerry, I am just speculating based on my family's story and the quick action between the night of April 11 and the night of April 14. I do not believe that the fugitives retrieved anything from Surratt Tavern except whiskey, the field glasses, and one carbine. I think Bill Richter's idea of Davey only alighting long enough to awaken Lloyd and grab the whiskey bottle, re-mounting, and then having to control his skittish mare, who was probably raring to run again, makes a lot of sense in explaining Art's post about the stable.

There is a possibility of the weapons being stashed at the T.B. Hotel, but why wouldn't Davey spend the night there on the 13th instead of at Huntt's?

I think each plan (kidnap or assassination) was geared to Mudd's being the first layover. I have thought that for about forty years, so it will take dynamite to make this old mule change her mind on that one!