Those Booth Horses Again -

[L Verge]

Another argument that I use in thinking the break came at Ford's is the chronological order that he used in the diary. He has "in jumping..." immediately after the dastardly deed -- not ten miles down the road.

One of these days, it would be interesting to do a topographical tour of the escape route. On crossing into Maryland, the old road is still there, albeit hidden by the modern Route 5/Branch Avenue high speed raceway. I know exactly where to look for its remains, however. I also know where most of the marshes, streams, and ice ponds were/are that Booth would have ridden through. We go through them on the bus, but we never think to look out the bus windows and see what is on either side of the asphalt. Since the road was leveled off and paved in the early-1900s, we also don't realize the hills that Booth had to climb. Right now, I can think of three spots between Surrattsville and T.B. where, if I had been one of the horses, I would have turned around and headed back to the warm stables of D.C.!

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I also realize that you are challenging us with a bit of sarcasm regarding the written word, Jerry, but please remember that our ancestors prided themselves in keeping journals of their daily activities, earthly phenomenons, and explanations for world happenings. Their written words were sacred to them for posterity. Booth's diary can't compare to the journals of Washington, Jefferson, et al, but for him, it was a chronicling of his beliefs and how he acted on those beliefs. Yes, I think he would have been more accurate in his writings than in his verbal dealings with others.

And, who's to say that Mudd told the truth? Self-preservation is paramount, so lie your way out of a bad situation at all costs.