Bartlett Yancey Malone

[L Verge]

Paige,

I forgot to respond to your wishing a happy birthday to JWB. I join you in doing that. As evil as many people think his deed to be, he still gave us a fascinating (albeit tragic) topic in history to discuss and learn from -- and he was an intelligent and talented individual until the Civil War did a number on him, like it did on so many millions of Americans.

My daughter was born three weeks early in 1973. I started into labor on the morning of May 7, and it lasted until noon on May 9 when she finally decided to make an appearance. After awhile - by the morning of May 9 - I was kinda hoping that she would wait until May 10 to be born because it was Booth's birthday. She is eternally grateful that I did not wait until that date. I started working at Surratt House when she was two years old, and she has always felt a little jealous of the attention I have paid to Mr. Booth! If she had to share a birthday with him, I don't know what the repercussions might have been...