Life, Crime and Capture of John Wilkes Booth

[Jenny]

(12-16-2015 05:41 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Do to the overwhelming response this week , I saved this little detail for last

Gath is a bit light on the details, but guess who JWB had breakfast with the day of the assassination? (page 27)
No, it wasn't Lucy. I've never heard of this young lady, and according to one of our resident experts, Gath may have made an error here.

If you know anything about this, more about who she is, photos, what ever happened to her, please give us the juicy details.
Inquiring minds want to know.

And don't forget Roger's question. Would you lend Booth a $100?

I am hardly an expert, Gene! You are too kind. I do have some information on her though.

"On the morning of the murder, Booth breakfasted with Miss Carrie Bean, the daughter of a merchant, and a very respectable young lady, at the National Hall. He arose from the table at, say eleven o'clock. During the breakfast, those who watched him say that he was lively, piquant and self-possessed as ever in his life."

This is something that apparently got "lost in translation" as so many things do.

First, though, here's a few details on Carrie: Carrie Bean was born as Carrie Copeland in 1831. She married a William Bean but was widowed with three kids by 1856. After the war, she married a Navy veteran with the last name of Russell. Carrie passed away in 1909.

It's rather misleading to call Carrie "a young lady" as she is in The Life, Crime, and Capture of John Wilkes Booth as she was in her mid 30's with three children in 1865.

In the National Daily Intelligencer, April 29, 1865, John T. Ford mentioned her in an interview:
"On the morning of April 14, 1865, it was fully 11 A.M. when John Wilkes Booth came from his chamber and entered the breakfast-room at the National Hotel, Washington. He was the last man at breakfast that day; one lady only (Miss Carrie Bean) was in the room, finishing her morning meal. She knew him and responded to his bow of recognition."

Basically it looks like Booth showed up late to breakfast while Carrie was finishing her meal, and he saw her and politely bowed to her. She probably nodded at him or said hello and then finished her breakfast. They weren't actually having breakfast together. This would also explain why Carrie was not called upon in the investigation by Stanton.

I did find some illustrations and pictures on Find A Grave for Carrie Bean as well.

She was depicted on the cover of the March 23, 1861 "Leslie's Illustrated" attending Lincoln's Inaugural Ball. (Apologies for the GIGANTIC pictures - I need to use a host where I can post thumbnails.)

Close-up:


Full image:


A tin-type of Carrie Bean Russell in her later years: