Identification of Booth's body

[L Verge]

These confusing postings are getting me confused, and I believe Mr. Griffith is confused also because he's now blaming me for what Jerry actually posted. However, I will take credit for stating that I believe you enjoy the spotlight of this forum and find it one good method of passing along your suppositions.

Now, Booth and Herold did not camp out in the Zekiah Swamp. Obviously, Mr. Griffith has not gone over the escape route. Despite asking for directions to Rev. Wilmer's place from Dr. Mudd and heading off down a farm road that could lead into the swamp, they ended up bypassing the swamp and avoiding Bryantown where the troops were massing. Upon reaching Cox's, they spent hours huddled in a ravine and then were taken to what is always termed the "pine thicket," a few miles further on. We make a stop near the pine thicket, but all semblance of that forested area is long gone since the railroad line was put through in the late-1800s. I tend to agree with Rick Smith and with the Owens statement that the fugitives moved around a bit in that area before Jones shoved them off across the Potomac.

I am a native of Southern Maryland and grew up about twenty miles north of the pine thicket. My daughter now lives about a half-mile from the thicket area. Mr. Griffith, where are you from? I can assure you that the night air and the ground temperatures are generally still quite cold in mid-April. That's one of the reasons why tobacco farmers of yore covered their tender young plants under pine boughs and a cheesecloth type material until transplanting them into the fields when the weather warmed up. That area is also within ten miles of the Potomac River, so there is always the chill of breezes coming off of the river. Between the pain of even standing up and the pain caused by the cold and damp conditions, Booth had to be miserable. Once they crossed into Virginia, they were in the Northern Neck of the state, not central Virginia, btw.

As far as Booth's meals during his 12-day adventure, we know that he had at least one meal at Dr. Mudd's. I seem to recall that he got some bread or something from William Burtles (who has been left out of these rantings), but I don't remember mention of food at Cox's house. We know that Jones supplied them with food, but I would bet that it was only once a day, if that, and likely consisted of some ham biscuits and not much more. There is also evidence (and we think we found the cabin) that some of the food was being cooked by a black lady who lived near the thicket. If Rick is correct, they may have also gotten food from the Adames in Newport before being moved to the river. I doubt that Jones could be generous with supplies because he had lost his wife and was raising a passel of kids (seven?).

Once in Virginia, we know that Mrs. Quesenberry would not take them in, but she did send some food to them. Dr. Stuart at first refused to feed them, but relented and let them into the kitchen to eat (we know not what) before sending them to the Lucas cabin. Since Booth kicked the elderly black couple out of the cabin, he and Herold may have raided the pantry there -- but again, a poor man's cabin at the end of a war that had seen Union troops raiding every available chicken coop, smokehouse, etc.

I don't remember that the Rollinses gave them anything but water at Port Conway, and Miss Peyton did not give them time to even get comfortable before sending them to the Garretts. That last stop was probably the most generous as far as victuals were concerned, but "feasting" there? I think not.

My point is that Mr. Griffith is starting to make Booth's escape sound like a joy ride with good nutrition along the way. I would be willing to bet that the assassin dropped at least ten pounds on his 12-day adventure -- and on a man who was slim to begin with, that weight loss would show. I recently spent two weeks in a comfortable hospital bed being fed for most of the time through tubes. I lost 27 pounds in the two weeks, with no exercise even.

One last swipe at Mr. Griffith's logic: Either Bainbridge or Ruggles did later make a statement about the seriousness of Booth's leg injury, making it sound like gangrene had set in and words to the effect that the injury might have soon killed him if the bullet had not. If that CSA soldier was correct, Booth had to be in agony.

What's next on the agenda?