Does anyone know...?

[L Verge]

How do you explain away the weapons and materiel stored at Surratt's tavern from March 17 until April 15? The Atzerodt statement about supplies sent to Mudd ahead of time? The details about the purchase of the boat as supplied years later by Smoot? The folklore (which you never should discount) that half of Southern Maryland knew about a planned kidnapping? The assistance of the Confederate underground in that area?

It may have been a hare-brained scheme from our perspective, but we were not in the center of things in the winter and spring of 1865. Booth was likely of the same mindset as our modern folks who think they can hop the White House fence and get to the President -- and some get pretty close.