Rev. James G. Armstrong of Atlanta, GA was thought by many local citizens to have been assassin John Wilkes Booth.

The prevailing thought was that JWB escaped from authorities and lived out his remaining years using his new identity as a man of the cloth.

Rev. Armstrong was charismatic, bore a striking resemblance to J. Wilkes and had a fondness for plays and works by William Shakespearere.

Adding to the confusion was his friendship with Edwin Booth who visited him on at least one occasion.

In my opinion, he looked more like Edwin than John Wilkes.

Agreed, John. Armstrong does look more like Edwin than Wilkes.....

They are even posing the same.

Fascinating, John. Your post made me think of the people who were arrested or detained because they resembled Booth. One was Andrew Jackson Rogers, a New Jersey member of the House of Representatives. He was arrested on a train near Wilmington, Delaware, and released when he proved he was a Congressman.


Source: Mike Kauffman's article in the April 1990 Blue & Gray magazine.

(02-27-2014 08:35 PM)John E. Wrote:  Rev. James G. Armstrong of Atlanta, GA was thought by many local citizens to have been assassin John Wilkes Booth.

The prevailing thought was that JWB escaped from authorities and lived out his remaining years using his new identity as a man of the cloth.

Rev. Armstrong was charismatic, bore a striking resemblance to J. Wilkes and had a fondness for plays and works by William Shakespearere.

Adding to the confusion was his friendship with Edwin Booth who visited him on at least one occasion.

In my opinion, he looked more like Edwin than John Wilkes.

Neither Armstrong's nor Rogers's ears match up with JWB or Edwin Booth's. Forensic ID experts often use the ear for determining identity, claiming they're almost as good as fingerprints.

Jacob Haas is close.

Don't laugh (and he's going to kill me!), but I think Mr. Armstrong looks like our modern Mr. Barry Cauchon...

In April of 1865, if I had been a man of average height with dark hair, dark eyes, and a mustache, I would not have gone out in public.

Never a connection shall they make!

Jacob Haas looks more like Hartranft to me.

Yes, he does.

Agreed!