Booth's Diary

[SSlater]

Does the Diary Still exist? Can we read all that is left? Are copies available?

If we can find something written in Booth's Diary, that could have been known only to the real Booth, it would prove - for once and for all - that the body on the Garrett Farm porch was JOHN WILKES BOOTH, and all other claims that say he lived on in Texas or Oklahoma, or wherever ! Are wrong.

I have pondered this at many times and have arrived at some weird answers. For example. Maybe Booth tore the page out. Those pages may have bee a "record" of some memorable "Hotel Pass-time", that he had to hide from a later partner. Or maybe her father read it. For example, the Senator whose daughter that was engaged to Booth.

Laurie, Are there copies- of what is left of the Diary,- in the Surratt collection?

[L Verge]

(01-13-2018 03:31 PM)SSlater Wrote:  Does the Diary Still exist? Can we read all that is left? Are copies available?

If we can find something written in Booth's Diary, that could have been known only to the real Booth, it would prove - for once and for all - that the body on the Garrett Farm porch was JOHN WILKES BOOTH, and all other claims that say he lived on in Texas or Oklahoma, or wherever ! Are wrong.

I have pondered this at many times and have arrived at some weird answers. For example. Maybe Booth tore the page out. Those pages may have bee a "record" of some memorable "Hotel Pass-time", that he had to hide from a later partner. Or maybe her father read it. For example, the Senator whose daughter that was engaged to Booth.

Laurie, Are there copies- of what is left of the Diary,- in the Surratt collection?

There are copies of the remaining text in our collection, but also published in many books on the assassination and elsewhere. What you have probably read dozens of times is the extent of the text in that little memorandum/appointment book.

James O. Hall also did a page-by-page description of the lay-out, etc. years ago when VP Walter Mondale worked with him, the NPS, and the FBI lab to do an extensive examination of the diary, which was/is owned by the NPS and on display in Ford's Theatre. The FBI report may be online somewhere, I have never looked. There are currently some wonderful ($$) reproductions being made of the diary - one of which is on display at Surratt House.

Personally, unless there is a secret code or encryption that we are not aware of, I don't think there is anything left to determine from its pages. With the work of Mr. Hall and Steve Miller, the expert on the 16th NY Cavalry and the events of April 26, 1865, we have detailed investigations, citations, primary source info, you name it to refute the claims of Mr. Orlowek and the theorists that have preceded him. The Surratt House even published a booklet years ago (and still for sale in our gift shop) on the theory - allowing Orlowek and his then-partner, Arthur Ben Chitty, to supply their stories as well as the factual material that "our side" presented. Believe me, it is very hard to refute the facts. The booklet is entitled The Body in the Barn.

We also carried several articles in the Surratt Courier on what the facts tell us about Booth and the mummy. One or two were the reports presented to Henry Ford by one of his chief investigators (Black?) when determining whether or not Ford should buy the mummy for his museum. P.S. The mummy is not in the museum...

My hope is that I live long enough to see society turn to true facts to learn something except blindly accepting spurious theories, conspiracy angles, etc. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening - especially now with Mysteries at the Museum, the now-disappointing History Channel, and so many far-fetched things online to be taken as the gospel by the masses.

[JMadonna]

Any knowledge on how long Booth had the notebook in his possession (months?) before his death?

[LincolnMan]

For one good source (and there are many)- read ‘Kennedy And Lincoln: Medical & Ballistic Comparisons Of Their Assassinations’ by Dr. John K. Lattimer. The body was that of JWB.

[RJNorton]

(01-13-2018 09:28 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  Any knowledge on how long Booth had the notebook in his possession (months?) before his death?

Jerry, here is what the late Dr. William Hanchett wrote:

"It should be remembered, first of all, that the little book (it measures six inches high by three and one-half inches across and is one inch thick) was published by James M. Crawford of St. Louis as a pocket diary for the year 1864, and was thus not the sort of volume that a true diarist would carry in 1865. Booth had a niece in St. Louis, Blanche De Bar (Booth), and played an engagement there January 12-16, 1864, when he probably obtained the book."

http://www.heritech.com/pridger/lincoln/..._diary.pdf

[JMadonna]

(01-14-2018 09:33 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-13-2018 09:28 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  Any knowledge on how long Booth had the notebook in his possession (months?) before his death?

Jerry, here is what the late Dr. William Hanchett wrote:

"It should be remembered, first of all, that the little book (it measures six inches high by three and one-half inches across and is one inch thick) was published by James M. Crawford of St. Louis as a pocket diary for the year 1864, and was thus not the sort of volume that a true diarist would carry in 1865. Booth had a niece in St. Louis, Blanche De Bar (Booth), and played an engagement there January 12-16, 1864, when he probably obtained the book."

http://www.heritech.com/pridger/lincoln/..._diary.pdf

Thanks Roger

[Gene C]

New Entry from Booth's diary uncovered by FBI.

Dear Diary,
I'd have made a clean escape if that clumsy Mrs. Lincoln hadn't backed into me just as I was going over the balcony rail. She knocked me off balance and I landed hard. I think I have broken my leg. How come nothing ever goes quite the way I plan?
I can't wait to read all the great things the newspapers will have to say about me tomorrow. It almost makes this painful agony I am enduring for the sake of the south, worth it all. My only regret is that I have but one life with which to honor my country. That has a good cadence to it, I must remember that line. Was that from MacBeth?
Stopped a Surratt Tavern and obtained some whiskey. When did they increase the deposit tax on the bottles? This country is going to ruin.

[L Verge]

(01-14-2018 09:33 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-13-2018 09:28 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  Any knowledge on how long Booth had the notebook in his possession (months?) before his death?

Jerry, here is what the late Dr. William Hanchett wrote:

"It should be remembered, first of all, that the little book (it measures six inches high by three and one-half inches across and is one inch thick) was published by James M. Crawford of St. Louis as a pocket diary for the year 1864, and was thus not the sort of volume that a true diarist would carry in 1865. Booth had a niece in St. Louis, Blanche De Bar (Booth), and played an engagement there January 12-16, 1864, when he probably obtained the book."

http://www.heritech.com/pridger/lincoln/..._diary.pdf

Roger - Thank you for posting this information as to where the so-called diary originated. As Mr. Hall and Mike Kauffman pointed out hundreds of times when narrating our Booth tours (and other assassination experts have pointed out), this book was not designed as a diary - it only ended up that way in the final days. It was something that Booth - and many men of the day - carried with them as an APPOINTMENT book in the days before electronics led us to our multi-purpose phones.

That Booth likely purchased this at the beginning of the 1864 year only reinforces this fact to me. The "missing pages" that have caused so much concern over the years were likely torn out by Booth as he completed engagements and the pages became full of useless information. Years ago, a patron on one of our tours even proposed the possibility that Booth himself used some of the papers for hygiene "when nature called!" Actually, we laughed, but then realized that there might be some truth to that.

I would have very serious doubts that those pages ever contained material relevant to the "true masterminds" behind Booth's plot. Secretly, I wish they did and that Judah Benjamin would be exposed -- but that ain't gonna happen! If the FBI did not uncover secrets or invisible ink notations in the remaining book, we're going to have to continue searching trunks in attics or secret vaults in D.C. (or England, if I want to expose Judah).

As for the link that Roger posted here: If you have not read the article, please do so and make sure to read the footnotes. One thing you will find with the writings of many of the real experts in the assassination field is that their footnotes and endnotes are often history lessons in their own right.

One final thought that I will never prove: Everyone seems to want to invent further conspiracy in the fact that the book was not presented at the time of the 1865 Conspiracy Trial. Is it possible to consider that Booth was already dead and, therefore, not on trial during May and June. Thus, the "diary" was perused by Stanton and others and found to contain nothing that would be useful in hanging those on trial or in proving the Confederacy guilty. In fact, to me, Booth's writings (though perhaps skillfully crafted) seem more to exonerate the Confederacy and place the final blame on him alone. If the book did not contain evidence that they could use, shove it back in a drawer.

[Gene C]

Dear Diary,

It's time I list all the names of the Yankee business men and politicians involved in Lincoln's assassination. They have their own money grubbing capitolist reasons. Which is probably why they have failed, and my pure intentions of saving the south has prevailed. Their meddling has made this mission impossible.

Here they are in code and invisible ink. Should this diary fall into the wrong hands the NY crowd will disavow any knowledge of our mission. The government will probably just tear out these pages naming names and places, and give some kind of lame excuse for the missing pages. The truth can not be denied, even if it takes 150 years or more.

Strangely, I have this tune in my head that won't go away.
I must find a way to write it down. Until tomorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGSUjuSBt1A

[SSlater]

(01-13-2018 03:31 PM)SSlater Wrote:  Does the Diary Still exist? Can we read all that is left? Are copies available?

If we can find something written in Booth's Diary, that could have been known only to the real Booth, it would prove - for once and for all - that the body on the Garrett Farm porch was JOHN WILKES BOOTH, and all other claims that say he lived on in Texas or Oklahoma, or wherever ! Are wrong.

I have pondered this at many times and have arrived at some weird answers. For example. Maybe Booth tore the page out. Those pages may have bee a "record" of some memorable "Hotel Pass-time", that he had to hide from a later partner. Or maybe her father read it. For example, the Senator whose daughter that was engaged to Booth.

Laurie, Are there copies- of what is left of the Diary,- in the Surratt collection?

Thanks RJ for the copy. If I have seen it before, I can't remember it.
I am guessing that Booth kept the Diary, to PROVE that he is the one who shot Lincoln. (Maybe he was going to write a book and wanted details). Well he got details and the guy on the Garrett Farm porch, resting on the folded mattress, is the guilty party, there can be no other. Thus the dummy, or any other claimant is disqualified.

[RJNorton]

(01-15-2018 04:41 PM)SSlater Wrote:  I am guessing that Booth kept the Diary, to PROVE that he is the one who shot Lincoln.

John, the biggest mystery of the diary to me has always been what Booth meant by writing, "Though I have a greater desire and almost a mind to return to Washington, and in a measure clear my name - which I feel I can do."

[SSlater]

(01-15-2018 05:12 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-15-2018 04:41 PM)SSlater Wrote:  I am guessing that Booth kept the Diary, to PROVE that he is the one who shot Lincoln.

John, the biggest mystery of the diary to me has always been what Booth meant by writing, "Though I have a greater desire and almost a mind to return to Washington, and in a measure clear my name - which I feel I can do."

The war was falling apart in early April. Just think, Richmond fell, Lee surrendered, Harney was sent to Washington to kill Lincoln, Harney was captured, Booth was still involved in the plan, so he picked up where they left off - all in one week.
I think he wanted the world to know that he was under orders from his President, and those orders were not rescinded.
If he could bring this scenario to light, he would be spared a hanging. "His name would be cleared to some measure'

[JMadonna]

Since the plot supposedly unfolded when Booth heard Lincoln would be at the theater - it seems logical to me that Booth would use one page to jot down all the things he had to do on that day. Since there is no page it begs the question was it removed by Booth or the authorities.

[wpbinzel]

(01-13-2018 03:31 PM)SSlater Wrote:  If we can find something written in Booth's Diary, that could have been known only to the real Booth, it would prove - for once and for all - that the body on the Garrett Farm porch was JOHN WILKES BOOTH, and all other claims that say he lived on in Texas or Oklahoma, or wherever ! Are wrong.

One such clue may be the very first entry in the "diary," which is generally completely overlooked or unexplained. Booth wrote: "Ti Amo." "Ti amo" is Italian for "I love you." Say what?? I think it likely that it was intended for Booth's financee, Lucy Hale. Lucy's father, Sen. John P. Hale, was not reappointed to the Senate by the New Hampshire legislature, and as of March 4, 1865, was out of a job. He asked his friend, President Lincoln, for a position and was appointed Minister (now called Ambassador) to Spain. Lucy planned to spend a year with her family in Spain, and then return to the US and marry Booth.

Headed for Spain, it is logical that Lucy endeavored to learn some Spanish, and she may have been helped by Booth or practiced with him. "Te amo" is Spanish for "I love you." Mistaking a verbal "te" for "ti"" seems to me to be a very simple error on Booth's part, and likely that it was a message intended for Lucy.

It is speculation (and my apologies to whomever, as I do not recall when or where I first came across it, or I would give you credit), but it does explain the unexplained, AND, if true, would only have been known "to the real Booth."