Booth and the U.S. Navy

[John Fazio]

A much talked about subject I know——but the memo mentions that Booth was hurt from a fall from his horse. How would Welles know that? Why would he assume that when it would have been more plausible that Booth was injured from the stage jump (that the theatergoers witnessed). No one saw him fall from his horse that could have informed Welles of that, right? Or no?

Bill:

My view is that Booth decided early in his escape that he would use the fall from the horse as a cover story for his broken leg, which, of course, he counselled Herold to use too, though it is, of course, possible, that he really did fall from his horse and thereby aggravated the injury he received on stage. After all, he could not very well tell all the people he would have contact with during his and Herold's escape that he had broken it when he fell to the stage after assassinating the President of the United States. We know that Herold gave the cover story to John Lloyd. Inasmuch as Welles's letter is dated a week after Booth and Herold met with Lloyd, it seems quite probable and reasonable that the cover story came to Welles, indirectly, from Lloyd. Most assassination historians agree with this. Only two major ones dissent. The subject is covered in great detail in Chapter 22 of Decapitating the Union.


John