Those Booth Horses Again -

[BettyO]

In reading Tom Bogar's Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination,
found some more interesting info regarding Booth's bay mare and her tack. These are in the LAS files (National Archives) -

Booth's mare was described by Peanuts John as:

"A light bay mare....small with a pretty, long wavy tail, hanging down to her hocks; down to her feet; mane long, but not plaited; a pretty, heavy forelock. Did not notice a star on her forehead. She had a small head; flat forehead with small nostrils. Had a very small, thin neck; rather arched. The mane was full on the left side. She had small ears and a sloping rump. Think she had one white foot behind; but not certain. Legs black; very spirited; very uneasy, but not stamping...."

I also found it interesting that Peanuts also stated Booth claimed on the night of the 14th that "as the soldiers were in the habit of looking at saddle blankets, he would put his shawl under the saddle to cover the blanket. He did so."

Apparently the saddle blanket on Booth's mare resembled a Federal military saddle blanket. Hence, Booth wanting to hide it.

One Margaret Roysea, a cleaning lady at Ford's, saw Booth come in that night and gave testimony to that effect. She stated that "the horse had a blue saddle cloth with yellow fringe on."

These statements are NA LAS MA599