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

[J. Beckert]

You're not over thinking, Peter. We're in the minority here, but I'd bet a paycheck that Booth had at least one of those revolvers on him. Some folks describe them as too bulky (2 pounds?), but going into Yankee Central with a single shot pistol and a knife to kill the President seems ludicrous to me. I think Booth was smarter than that.

As someone who used to carry a gun for a living, the idea Booth was worried about "carrying an arsenal" as it's been described, is ridiculous to me. I was 20# heavier in uniform with the very constrictive vest on and all the equipment belted around my waist and I jumped over guard rails and chased the bad guys many times. Booth was young, athletic and that two pound pistol may have meant the difference between success and failure (death). I'm not buying it.