Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
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11-14-2012, 08:07 PM
Post: #166
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
You did, Laurie. I was edumacated by Nuns for 8 years and never got an eraser thrown at me. I'm going to be on my best behavior here from now on. Ma'am.
"There are few subjects that ignite more casual, uninformed bigotry and condescension from elites in this nation more than Dixie - Jonah Goldberg" |
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11-15-2012, 05:24 AM
Post: #167
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
(11-14-2012 05:05 PM)Laurie Verge Wrote: He did time his deed with a line causing laughter from the audience to give him an advantage. It seems for the better part of my life I have frequently read that Booth knew the play so well that he timed his shot to coincide with the greatest laughter in the play. He apparently knew this would come in the c. 10:00-10:30 P.M. time frame. My question is - what is the original source that says Booth thought this way? Or is this similar to the "was Herold at Seward's?" question in which some early authors included this in their books and subsequent authors assumed it was fact and included it as such. As far as I know this "timing of loudest laughter plan" of Booth's is not in his diary, not in any letter he wrote, not in any of the conspirators' statements, etc. Where does it originate? Was the timing of the shot really a pre-planned thing, or was it more of a random thing that took place when Booth was good and ready to do it? |
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11-15-2012, 09:33 AM
Post: #168
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
Good point, Roger and I've never seen that either. Didn't Stanton come up with that the weekend after the assassination after having the play performed for himself and several other Gov't officials?
Booth once played in "Our American Cousin" for 9 consecutive days, but I've never seen a reference to what part he played. He obviously knew it well. "There are few subjects that ignite more casual, uninformed bigotry and condescension from elites in this nation more than Dixie - Jonah Goldberg" |
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11-15-2012, 10:58 AM
Post: #169
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
IMO the shot occurring when it did not pre planned. It was one of those moments when time was frozen and remembered.
As I said in a previous post - Booth could not have known Lincoln was unguarded. If he had been he could have expected a quick pat down before meeting the president at an appropriate break in the play. Which is another argument against your hidden gun theory Joe. Sorry about that. Parker's absence gave Booth the opportunity to shoot when he wanted - but it could not have been pre-planned |
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11-15-2012, 11:06 AM
Post: #170
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
That's an interesting question, I've never really thought about it. On the one hand, it makes sense that Booth, knowing the play so well, would fire the shot when the theater was the noisiest. But I think his ace in the hole was the surprise factor. I'm not sure that timing the shot during a laugh would add much benefit. He was planning on doing the deed and being out the door in 30 seconds, so what difference would it make if the audience heard the gun? I would imagine it would be more important for Booth to go about his business smoothly and efficiently, which for the most part he did. The audience would still have been largely confused, many people thinking the gun shot was part of the play, or some special tribute to Lincoln and the Union, or simply not knowing what was going on. Of course, timing the shot during a big laugh certainly couldn't hurt….So who knows, maybe all of these things or none of them crossed Booth's mind.
"The interment of John Booth was without trickery or stealth, but no barriers of evidence, no limits of reason ever halted the Great American Myth." - George S. Bryan, The Great American Myth |
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11-15-2012, 12:03 PM
Post: #171
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
I agree that there is no definite evidence that I have ever heard as to Booth timing the shot to coincide with the audience's laughter. However, I do feel that the attacks on Lincoln, Seward, and Johnson were coordinated to occur at much the same time.
There is one other thing that I researched about thirty years ago that lends credence to his shooting Lincoln at that precise line in the play: "Sockdologizing" is not a term that you hear nowadays except in explaining the assassination, but it is not a made-up word by Tom Taylor, who wrote Our American Cousin. It was a genuine word in the good old days of the English language. Given Booth's proclivity for theatrical symbolism (his belief in Shakespearean principles linked to republicanism, etc.), the definition of sockdologizing makes sense as to why he might time the shot at that exact moment. If I remember correctly, the word was used to describe final, knockout blows that quelled one's enemy or opponent. I think it was used a great deal in pugilistic terms. Anyhow, it seems very appropriate that Booth would deliver a sockdologizing blow to Lincoln at the moment the word was uttered, especially since he was so familiar with the play. |
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11-15-2012, 12:26 PM
Post: #172
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
Wow, that's very interesting, and actually seems to be much more in line with Booth's personality. I wonder if Booth had hoped to time the gun shot with this particular line, for either or both reasons, but realized he had to just play it out and hope for the best.
"The interment of John Booth was without trickery or stealth, but no barriers of evidence, no limits of reason ever halted the Great American Myth." - George S. Bryan, The Great American Myth |
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11-15-2012, 04:47 PM
Post: #173
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
While the specific line said before Booth's shot could easily have been coincidental, I believe that he knowingly and deliberately waited until the stage was essentially empty before shooting. His escape could have been interferred by too many people on stage.
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02-12-2013, 05:57 PM
Post: #174
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
Herold's role in the conspiracy seems to have been more of an outdoorsmen or guide, he was a good hunter and tracker, familiar with the Lower Maryland/ Virginia country. His role was to get Booth out of the city and into the South. If Herold's main purpose was to aid those involved after the assassinations, wouldn't it be plausable for him to have been the one equipped? Possibly carrying the guns? Personally I would have had someone waiting at Soper's Hill with a bag of supplies, or possibly have just stashed supplies there. To me it's one of the most important aspects of having a rendezvous point. I would also plan out additional checkpoints, like it seems they did, Surratsville Tavern and Mudd's House seem to both be planned stops. Obviously Herold was important to Booth, he waited for Herold at Soper's Hill. Once Herold joined Booth I don't recall them waiting around too long for Powell or Atzerodt. I think it is likely that Herold had the guns on him. I do not think it is likely that Booth stopped at the boarding house while fleeing Ford's. I know I wouldn't take any chances of word spreading and getting bottled up inside the city. I also think Booth could have easily tucked another hat inside his riding boots if needed.
All of the theories I have read have been fun and do make sense. All are possibilities and it's fun to get my mind spinning. Booth could have stopped at Surratt's, Booth could have been carrying guns on him and only used the Derringer because it was a gentleman's weapon, there could have been saddlebags or the guns stashed enroute. I just believe it to be simpler. " Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford |
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02-13-2013, 09:55 AM
Post: #175
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
A lot of people mention Booth losing his hat upon leaping to the stage. Is that a fact or a supposition? Is that based on statements of the witnesses? Wouldn't his hat have his name inside? Wouldn't it have been recovered as evidence or as a souvenier if left on stage? Where is it?
Perhaps he picked up his hat or held it in his hand as he leapt to the stage and put it back on his head after he mounted his horse. |
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02-13-2013, 09:58 AM
Post: #176
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
His hat was recovered from the theater, but has since vanished. I know Lincoln's hat was exibited as evidence at the trial, but I'm not sure about Booth's. It may have been. Here's (a since colored) engraving from Frank Leslie's paper shortly after the assassination.
"There are few subjects that ignite more casual, uninformed bigotry and condescension from elites in this nation more than Dixie - Jonah Goldberg" |
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02-13-2013, 06:27 PM
Post: #177
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
(02-13-2013 09:58 AM)J. Beckert Wrote: His hat was recovered from the theater, but has since vanished. I know Lincoln's hat was exibited as evidence at the trial, but I'm not sure about Booth's. It may have been. Here's (a since colored) engraving from Frank Leslie's paper shortly after the assassination. Thanks Joe. That's excellent. I always wondered.. What happened to that hat? |
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02-13-2013, 06:37 PM
Post: #178
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
Does anyone know how Booth dodged the draft? Did he buy a substitute?
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02-13-2013, 06:54 PM
Post: #179
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
I suspect that he was traveling the theater circuit so much that they couldn't catch up with him.
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02-14-2013, 02:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2013 02:07 PM by MaddieM.)
Post: #180
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RE: Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination
(10-22-2012 02:15 PM)william l. richter Wrote: Gene, I am with Kauffman on the broken leg coming on the road near Soper's Hill. I think JWB threw out his back in the jump from the box in the theater. Since I went with these suppositions, he can mount his flighty horse (it was quite a rodeo, as they say out thisaway), enter the street-level English basement at the Townhouse. As far as I know, Mostly black house servants lived in the basement, possibly one or more of the white girls, depending on the weather. The top floor was kind of stuffy, i my understanding. I read that the kitchen and dining room occupied the ground floor space. (10-23-2012 10:28 AM)Art Loux Wrote:(10-22-2012 01:48 PM)Laurie Verge Wrote: Joe, I had forgotten about Hazelton's description of Booth's attire. That makes sense that he came prepared to ride hard and fast. I have never worn a slouch hat, but I have always been of the opinion that it was pulled down more towards the ears and more secure on the head. 11 inches is a 10.5 shoes in UK Size and a 10 in US. That's a quite a big really. How tall was Booth? ‘I’ve danced at Abraham Lincoln’s birthday bash... I’ve peaked.’ Leigh Boswell - The Open Doorway. http://earthkandi.blogspot.co.uk/ |
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