Was there an abortive attempt made by Booth to kidnap Lincoln in Jan. 1865?

[RJNorton]

(01-31-2016 10:36 PM)SSlater Wrote:  Booth had been hired by the New York Crowd, to get the job done, but everything he proposed had to be approved by them. I imagine there were many plans suggested, but either failed or were withdrawn for lack of approval. Trying to abduct a President, and run him south without rumpling his shirt collar (an exaggeration) needs some special considerations.

I think the plan to blow up the White House came from an entirely different source, in the South. Booth dutifully reported the plan to the New York Crowd. I can't guess at their "Take". Maybe they said OK, but that plan failed when Harney was captured.

Now, Booth took full charge of his crew and his own plan. He had his own planning, his own disregard of "Safety", of the Ransom and all else. He would kill Lincoln according to his own satisfaction.

Although I have not read Dixie Reckoning I believe the late Rick Stelnick's theory was that Booth was not assigned to kill Lincoln. Rather Lincoln was to be kidnapped by Booth on Easter Sunday. The New York crowd was shocked and angered that Booth acted on his own and killed Lincoln two days before the kidnap was to take place. If memory serves me I think Mr. Stelnick felt Booth was escaping Washington as much from fear of what the New York crowd would do to him as what the federal government would do.