Life, Crime and Capture of John Wilkes Booth

[L Verge]

This chapter is certainly one of the most descriptive of the funeral proceedings that you will ever read, and it is interesting to see the lay-out of the East Room and those in attendance described in detail. I did feel a little uncomfortable with seeing the word "celebration" used in the very first paragraph - even though I know it is now a word frequently used to replace "funeral" (i.e. "celebration of a life").

I also suspect a bit of Democratic politician in Townsend when he wrote, "Rarely has a Republican assemblage been so orderly." Was that a wise-crack on his part? What was Townsend's political persuasion?

Reference was made to Gen. Grant having the eagles on his right shoulder hidden. What is the military significance of this?

Finally, I'm enjoying learning some new words while reading this. I knew that Dearborn was a city in Michigan and the birthplace of Henry Ford, but I did not know that, with a little "d," it is a light, four-wheeled wagon. I also learned that the word "serried" refers to being crowded and pressed together, and that "badinage" refers to playful repartee.