Booth's field glass

[JMadonna]

(07-10-2012 09:41 AM)Lindsey Wrote:  

(07-09-2012 02:33 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  The field glass was described as distinctive in that they had settings for field, marine and theater use. Twenty-nine years later, Richard Baynham Garrett described the glasses as follows:
“When Mr. Boyd retired we assisted him to undress. My childish curiosity was attracted to a belt containing two big pistols and a pearl handled revolver, which he hung on the bedpost. A pair of pearl opera glasses were also laid on a chair.”

Jerry,

Why go charging into enemy terriory, the North, when in the South he was expecting to be welcomed with open arms? Obviously such was not the case but even though trains would be faster I would think he would be a sitting duck. They could and did shut down all the trains and I would suspect, search them, photo in hand to identify him with.

Lindsey,
Had he done the deed a year earlier maybe, but there was nowhere to go southward and he knew it. Even Stringfellow made his escape northward the month before, Booth had to be aware of it, he was a spy with access to the South's coded messages.

The idea that he would be welcome with open arms in the South is just a myth perpetuated by authors who theorized that his actual route was what was planned all along. These same authors don't believe that Mudd's house was his original destination but at the same time have no clue as to where he actually intended to go that night.

It's a product of the fanciful writing at the time. It's like the entire South suddenly agreed with General Joe Johnston who said that it was "the worst thing that could have happened to the South", and the 'open arms' quickly shut tight. The South suddenly got religion!

As an actor Booth could easily disguise himself and by the time photos could have been hand delivered to all stations he'd have been long gone. Baltimore was also one of the busiest port cities in North America. He'd have had a much better chance of getting on a ship there than anywhere in the South. He had to get out of the country asap and going southward was not the way to do it.