Booth's Words

[L Verge]

Bill Richter and I were recently emailing about the possibility put forth by John Fazio that Booth never intended to kidnap Lincoln - that his so-called plot was a sham. Bill sent me the following points, and I think they are worth sharing here:

"I thought maybe what Booth said on the subject might be of some value. This is from the version of the Booth letter that John McCullough said he saw and burned.

"From letter to the editor of the National Intelligencer in Rhodehammel and Taper, Right or wrong, God Judge Me: The Writings of John Wilkes Booth (Urbana: U of Ills Press, 1997), 147.

'For years I have devoted my time, my energies, and every dollar to the furtherance of an object. I have been baffled and disappointed.The hour has come when I must change my plan. Many, I know—the vulgar herd—will blame me of what I am about to do, but posterity, I am sure, will justify me. Right or wrong, God judge me, not man.'

"What plan did Booth have to change? The capture of Lincoln, of course. What new plan did he have? The assassination, of course. Rhodehammel and Taper thought this important enough to entitle their book with it."