Those Booth Horses Again -

[L Verge]

Needless to say, I agree with wsanto on this. So far as I know, there was no such thing as an odometer on Booth's horse nor a precise way of measuring distances such as we do today; therefore, we are incorrect to positively state that Booth was exaggerating. From the D.C. line to Soper's Hill, I can guesstimate that the distance for Booth was about two miles longer than it is for us today with the relocation of what is now Route 5/Branch Avenue (then New Cut or T.B. Road) -- and that's just a small portion of the trek. Once again, don't try to judge 1865 history by 2014 standards!

For the first five or so years of the Booth tours, we had to use a school bus because we couldn't afford the coach liners. Trust me, every mile bouncing along on those school buses felt like sixty! And, I'm sure that school bus was a lot more comfortable than Maggie the Mare or her sidekick.

"Tearing at the flesh" does not have to refer to the outer flesh of the leg either. My arthritis makes walking feel like my inner flesh is being torn, so I can empathize with Mr. Booth's thoughts on pain.