Identification of Booth's body

[mikegriffith1]

(12-08-2018 08:21 PM)L Verge Wrote:  You have hit every nail squarely on its head - but I suspect that our correspondent will just claim that all your statements are "silly." Despite coming full circle and ending up back at his first assertions, it appears that our efforts to explain away his claims will never suffice. Like many folks, he thinks he's in the spotlight and loves it. See the postings about Eisenschiml that I made yesterday. It's all about attention and fame -- historical fact be d---ed.

I appreciate the free psychoanalysis of why I'm posting here. Heck, I had no idea I was participating in this forum because "he thinks he's in the spotlight and loves it." Nor was I aware that "it's all about attention and fame"! Wow! Who knew?!

Anyway, no, she did not hit "every nail on the head." She ignored most of the facts I presented, claimed that there are no leaves on trees in Virginia and Maryland in late April, claimed that Booth's limited exposure to sunlight during his flight caused the freckles and the appearance of aging, and seemed unaware of the relevant sources on Booth's flight.

I see some folks are still worked up over the duration of Booth's flight. It's very simple: If you want to include his alleged stay with the Garretts, then you need to consider the impact this has on the claim that Booth's flight was so harsh and taxing that it changed his appearance to the point that his corpse "bore no resemblance" to how he looked in life.

It's a bit silly to claim that the "half-starved," "sunken-faced," and "haggard" body on the Montauk was Booth if you're gonna claim that the Boyd at the Garrett farm was Booth, given the fact that that man received several meals there, slept under a roof both nights, and spent most of his waking hours socializing and relaxing with the Garretts. You also need to explain why none of the Garretts described the man as appearing half-starved, sunken-faced, etc.

Personally, I can't see how the visit at the Garrett farm can constitute "flight" or "being on the run." If he went to the Garrett farm, his "flight" ended when he arrived, since, per the official version, he never left there but was killed there, and since he was well fed, slept indoors, and spent many hours relaxing and socializing while he was with the Garretts.

[JMadonna]

(12-10-2018 05:17 PM)mikegriffith1 Wrote:  

(12-08-2018 05:16 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  MG - This does not address the points I made on this issue. Booth had extra blankets, thanks to Cox. He slept under the cover of trees when he was outdoors. He spent at least three nights of his flight indoors. By all accounts, he was never even close to being "half-starved." He ate at Mudd's house. Cox fed him. Jones brought him food every day when he was hiding near Cox's house, and Jones also bought him a meal before he helped him cross the river. The Rollins fed him.

*** No dispute that he received food from Mudd, and Cox - Who fed him after he left Cox on the 20th? How many meals did he get from the 20th until the 26th? Did he stop at a McDonalds?

[quote='JMadonna' pid='74268' dateline='1544303777']Most freckles are produced by exposure to ultraviolet sunlight (feel free to look it up). Booth was described as a man with 'porcelain' skin. Freckling is common for individuals with less-pigmented skin. So 10 days of exposure would easily cause this in Booth's case.

MG- Sorry, but this dog won't even get out of the yard. As I've mentioned before, I spent 21 years in the Army and did two training tours in the Mojave Desert in California, where my fellow soldiers and I were truly "exposed" to intense sunlight for weeks at a time, and I never once saw anyone sprout freckles. I didn't sprout freckles either, and I have baby-white skin.

Yes, sunlight can cause a type of burn freckling if the exposure is intense and prolonged. Nothing of the kind could have happened to Booth in late April in Maryland and Virginia. And, I would again note that for most of the time when Booth had to stay outdoors, he was staying among a thick forest near Cox's house. So the sunlight-caused-freckles dog just won't hunt.

*** HE WAS LiVING IN THE Zekiah swamp!! Do you know what a swamp is? Most of it is underwater and in the spring what happens? Rivers overflow making it even less hospitable. Even today its regarded as a wild area by people who live in the surrounding the area. Just because it was 'wooded' doesn't mean the trees were in full bloom or even that they rose out of solid ground. You make it sound as if he was in a picnic area. Look at pictures of it.

(12-08-2018 05:16 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  Secondly: Your description of his flight makes it sound like is was a walk in the park. He was forced to stay outdoors and walk with a broken leg for 10 days and be exposed to the elements for 24 hrs/day. If you had to endure this treatment, I'll bet it would age you at least 2 years too.

MG - You are again simply ignoring the facts I cited in my reply. He was not "exposed to the elements for 24 hrs/day." That is demonstrably false. Go read Thomas Jones' long account of his time helping Booth for four days. Booth was in the shade among a thick forest. Jones brought him food every day. He was not even remotely exposed to sunlight long enough to cause freckling.



**** By your own estimates Booth slept indoors 3 times for a max of 8 hrs per day. Take Laurie's 233 hours on the run, subtract 24 hrs he slept indoors and that leaves 209 hours of exposure outdoors. When you did your two training tours in the Mojave Desert, were you prepared and in shape for your tour? Did you do it with a broken leg to prove you were the toughest guy in the outfit? Did the Army give you 3 squares a day? sunscreen? hats that shaded your face? tents to shield you from the sun? Or were you outside as long as Booth was?



MG- No, the ground would not have been "frozen" beneath Booth in late April. That is erroneous. My church does campouts in April and May because the weather is mild, not too hot and not too cold.

**** You do know that there is a big difference between weather in April and May don't you? Good of you to keep the moth vague to make your point. Does your church use sleeping bags? tents? RVs or other devices to keep the campers off the ground? Do they camp in a swamp? Are they're giving them penance before Easter?

MG - And I would again point out that Cox gave Booth extra blankets. You keep ignoring this fact.

**** Not ignoring it, its just a worthless point. If you were really in the desert you know it gets very cold at night because the ground doesn't retain heat. A blanket on the ground just ain't going to stop the cold coming up from the ground. I don't care if he had a dozen blankets. Do you think that a man with a broken leg, loosing body heat could be comfortable laying on the cold ground with a blanket. A blanket that was probably wet from the rain and because he was LIVING IN A SWAMP!



MG - More erroneous and baseless speculation. It was not that cold. It does not get that cold in April in southern Maryland and central Virginia.

**** Again I'm not talking about air temperature. I'm talking about cold coming up from the ground.

(12-08-2018 05:16 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  You also claimed: "Contrary to later mythology, Booth was not “half-starved” and “haggered” during his flight."

I know of nobody who actually witnessed Booth during his flight ever make an assertion like this. Feel free to correct me if wrong - I don't know how he couldn't be haggered and half starved.

MG - You are yet again just ignoring evidence that I've presented. When Conger showed Rollins pics of Booth less than 48 hours before the barn shooting, Rollins had no problem identifying Booth as the man he had seen on crutches. The only difference Rollins noted was that the man on crutches had no mustache.

How about you quote me one person who saw Booth during this period who said he looked "half-starved"? None of the CSA soldiers who saw Booth 48 hours before he was allegedly shot said anything about him looking "half-starved" or that his face looked "sunken," etc., etc. Jett didn't. Ruggles didn't. The Rollins didn't.

**** Did it occur to you that Booth's physical condition was of no value to the soldiers at that time? They wanted to know where he was,period. Even if Rollins said he looked half-dead do you really think Conger would include that in his report? I asked you to correct me if I was wrong - You haven't. Unfortunately your absence of evidence argument does not make your assertion true- its laughable that you're even forced to resort to it.

[Rob Wick]

I've always believed that stopping at the Garrett farm was the worst thing ever to happen to Booth, because it did cause him to finally let his guard down after however many days (and what a nonsensical argument) on the run. Booth had been so roundly condemned by those whom he thought would celebrate his act, that once he came upon people who didn't know what he had done and who treated him with dignity (all because Richard Garrett thought Booth was a Confederate soldier much like his own sons) he was as good as captured. But it wasn't the Bowling Green Hilton he was staying at. He knew he had to eventually keep running. Once the troops rode by, he spent at least one or two hours in the woods outside the Garrett farm. Someone who had not shot the president days before would not have done that, but there I go again, using that silly logic.

I've mentioned this before, and while I'm sure Mr. Griffith can explain it away with little trouble, those who are seriously interested in real evidence might find this letter found in Ida Tarbell's papers (among other Lincoln biographers and writers) of interest.

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/29091

Best
Rob

[AussieMick]

Mike, more use of crafty terms and phrasing, I see.
such as
"On the run" has become 'flight'

Now you use 'late April' ... that implies April 23 - April 30
Nupe, mate. The killer of Lincoln was on the run from 10pm April 14 to April 26th (or April 24 according to you) ... and that means mid April. Not 'Late April'.

The internet tells me that La Plata Maryland has an average low of 43 F (6.1C) and an aver. high of 68 F (20C).

I was in a trench on Salisbury Plain South England in April for just one weekend. I think it was the worst 2 days of my life.

[GustD45]

(12-10-2018 10:23 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  I've always believed that stopping at the Garrett farm was the worst thing ever to happen to Booth, because it did cause him to finally let his guard down after however many days (and what a nonsensical argument) on the run. Booth had been so roundly condemned by those whom he thought would celebrate his act, that once he came upon people who didn't know what he had done and who treated him with dignity (all because Richard Garrett thought Booth was a Confederate soldier much like his own sons) he was as good as captured. But it wasn't the Bowling Green Hilton he was staying at. He knew he had to eventually keep running. Once the troops rode by, he spent at least one or two hours in the woods outside the Garrett farm. Someone who had not shot the president days before would not have done that, but there I go again, using that silly logic.

I've mentioned this before, and while I'm sure Mr. Griffith can explain it away with little trouble, those who are seriously interested in real evidence might find this letter found in Ida Tarbell's papers (among other Lincoln biographers and writers) of interest.

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/29091

Best
Rob

Rob,
I just love that line in Rev. Garrett's letter "Do you think us such fools?"

[L Verge]

These confusing postings are getting me confused, and I believe Mr. Griffith is confused also because he's now blaming me for what Jerry actually posted. However, I will take credit for stating that I believe you enjoy the spotlight of this forum and find it one good method of passing along your suppositions.

Now, Booth and Herold did not camp out in the Zekiah Swamp. Obviously, Mr. Griffith has not gone over the escape route. Despite asking for directions to Rev. Wilmer's place from Dr. Mudd and heading off down a farm road that could lead into the swamp, they ended up bypassing the swamp and avoiding Bryantown where the troops were massing. Upon reaching Cox's, they spent hours huddled in a ravine and then were taken to what is always termed the "pine thicket," a few miles further on. We make a stop near the pine thicket, but all semblance of that forested area is long gone since the railroad line was put through in the late-1800s. I tend to agree with Rick Smith and with the Owens statement that the fugitives moved around a bit in that area before Jones shoved them off across the Potomac.

I am a native of Southern Maryland and grew up about twenty miles north of the pine thicket. My daughter now lives about a half-mile from the thicket area. Mr. Griffith, where are you from? I can assure you that the night air and the ground temperatures are generally still quite cold in mid-April. That's one of the reasons why tobacco farmers of yore covered their tender young plants under pine boughs and a cheesecloth type material until transplanting them into the fields when the weather warmed up. That area is also within ten miles of the Potomac River, so there is always the chill of breezes coming off of the river. Between the pain of even standing up and the pain caused by the cold and damp conditions, Booth had to be miserable. Once they crossed into Virginia, they were in the Northern Neck of the state, not central Virginia, btw.

As far as Booth's meals during his 12-day adventure, we know that he had at least one meal at Dr. Mudd's. I seem to recall that he got some bread or something from William Burtles (who has been left out of these rantings), but I don't remember mention of food at Cox's house. We know that Jones supplied them with food, but I would bet that it was only once a day, if that, and likely consisted of some ham biscuits and not much more. There is also evidence (and we think we found the cabin) that some of the food was being cooked by a black lady who lived near the thicket. If Rick is correct, they may have also gotten food from the Adames in Newport before being moved to the river. I doubt that Jones could be generous with supplies because he had lost his wife and was raising a passel of kids (seven?).

Once in Virginia, we know that Mrs. Quesenberry would not take them in, but she did send some food to them. Dr. Stuart at first refused to feed them, but relented and let them into the kitchen to eat (we know not what) before sending them to the Lucas cabin. Since Booth kicked the elderly black couple out of the cabin, he and Herold may have raided the pantry there -- but again, a poor man's cabin at the end of a war that had seen Union troops raiding every available chicken coop, smokehouse, etc.

I don't remember that the Rollinses gave them anything but water at Port Conway, and Miss Peyton did not give them time to even get comfortable before sending them to the Garretts. That last stop was probably the most generous as far as victuals were concerned, but "feasting" there? I think not.

My point is that Mr. Griffith is starting to make Booth's escape sound like a joy ride with good nutrition along the way. I would be willing to bet that the assassin dropped at least ten pounds on his 12-day adventure -- and on a man who was slim to begin with, that weight loss would show. I recently spent two weeks in a comfortable hospital bed being fed for most of the time through tubes. I lost 27 pounds in the two weeks, with no exercise even.

One last swipe at Mr. Griffith's logic: Either Bainbridge or Ruggles did later make a statement about the seriousness of Booth's leg injury, making it sound like gangrene had set in and words to the effect that the injury might have soon killed him if the bullet had not. If that CSA soldier was correct, Booth had to be in agony.

What's next on the agenda?

[JMadonna]

(12-11-2018 11:25 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Now, Booth and Herold did not camp out in the Zekiah Swamp. Obviously, Mr. Griffith has not gone over the escape route. Despite asking for directions to Rev. Wilmer's place from Dr. Mudd and heading off down a farm road that could lead into the swamp, they ended up bypassing the swamp and avoiding Bryantown where the troops were massing. Upon reaching Cox's, they spent hours huddled in a ravine and then were taken to what is always termed the "pine thicket," a few miles further on. We make a stop near the pine thicket, but all semblance of that forested area is long gone since the railroad line was put through in the late-1800s. I tend to agree with Rick Smith and with the Owens statement that the fugitives moved around a bit in that area before Jones shoved them off across the Potomac.

Thank you Laurie - I stand corrected on that point.

[Warren]

AussieMick wrote: "I was in a trench on Salisbury Plain South England in April for just one weekend. I think it was the worst 2 days of my life."

I spent a night at Stonehinge on the Summer Solstace in 1972 - June 22, I recall. I froze, even with a tent and sleeping bag.


FWIW - April 14-15 1865 Washington, DC., low of 47 degrees F. (From US Naval Observatory records). To a Yankee, that may not be cold; to a Southern like me, it is cold. And I don't see what sleeping under trees has to do with anything.

[L Verge]

Jerry - Many people make the mistake of thinking that the fugitives camped out in the swamp. The story wasn't helped any when we have had to contend with a local "archaeologist" who swears that he found some of Booth's garbage in there (too bad that the cans were manufactured in the mid-20th century).

There is a description somewhere, given by one of the troopers, that talks about seeing footprints leading into the swamp and then turning around and coming back out. It was easy to spot because the four footprints were interspersed with pokes from the crutches. Not too long after that, Herold shows up at Oak Hill, the nearby home of Dr. Mudd's father.

I grew up seeing certain portions of the Zekiah Swamp as we passed over bridges. Mike Kauffman used to make light of how dismal and dangerous the swamp was, but it would have taken a lot of money to get me to venture into it.

[RJNorton]

(12-11-2018 11:25 AM)L Verge Wrote:  My point is that Mr. Griffith is starting to make Booth's escape sound like a joy ride

IMO, Dave Taylor's reenactment gives a strong sense that it was not a pleasurable experience in the woods. And Dave didn't have the actual pain of a broken fibula.

(12-11-2018 11:25 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Either Bainbridge or Ruggles did later make a statement about the seriousness of Booth's leg injury, making it sound like gangrene had set in and words to the effect that the injury might have soon killed him if the bullet had not. If that CSA soldier was correct, Booth had to be in agony.

Here are Ruggles' words describing the appearance of the leg:

"I noticed that his wounded leg was greatly swollen, inflamed, and dark, as from bruised blood, while it seemed to have been wretchedly dressed, the splints being simply pasteboard rudely tied about it. That he suffered intense pain all the time there was no doubt, though he tried to conceal his agony, both physical and mental."

[GustD45]

(12-11-2018 04:02 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Jerry - Many people make the mistake of thinking that the fugitives camped out in the swamp. The story wasn't helped any when we have had to contend with a local "archaeologist" who swears that he found some of Booth's garbage in there (too bad that the cans were manufactured in the mid-20th century).

There is a description somewhere, given by one of the troopers, that talks about seeing footprints leading into the swamp and then turning around and coming back out. It was easy to spot because the four footprints were interspersed with pokes from the crutches. Not too long after that, Herold shows up at Oak Hill, the nearby home of Dr. Mudd's father.

I grew up seeing certain portions of the Zekiah Swamp as we passed over bridges. Mike Kauffman used to make light of how dismal and dangerous the swamp was, but it would have taken a lot of money to get me to venture into it.

I agree with Mike Kauffman, there isn't enough money in the world. I watched Dave Taylor's re-enactment and Dave certainly didn't make it seem like a joy ride. Herold tried to help Booth as much as possible, but Booth had to be in agony both physical and mental.

[mikegriffith1]

Ok, let us put to rest the myth that Booth’s flight was done under “harsh, brutal” conditions, that he was “half-starved,” etc., etc. In the process, we will also debunk the theory that Booth sprouted freckles because of too much exposure to sunlight.

I came across a valuable source on the issue of the conditions in which Booth fled. It is Robert Krick’s book Civil War Weather in Virginia (University of Alabama Press, 2007). Krick informs us of the following facts about the weather in April 1865 in Virginia:

* On April 1, 1865, a diarist in Richmond wrote, “It is beautiful weather” (p. 155). Port Royal is about 50 miles north of Richmond.

* On April 2, a soldier in Lee’s army stationed outside Richmond said, “The weather is fine” (p. 155).

* There was a lot of rain in the area between April 3 and April 14, and the temperatures dropped somewhat (pp. 155-156). However, Krick notes that there was no rainfall from April 16 through April 28, and he documents that the temperatures during that time were mild and comfortable (p. 156).

* Confirming Krick’s data about the lack of rain from April 16-28, Thomas Jones reported that it never rained during the six days he was helping Booth while Booth was hiding in the woods near Cox’s house (John Wilkes Booth: By A Man Who Helped Him Escape, Kindle edition, loc. 423). By the way, Jones also said that Booth’s appearance was “respectable”:

He was dressed in dark—I think black—clothes; and though they were travel-stained, his appearance was respectable. (loc. 319)

Humm, so no “half-starved” and/or “sunken-faced” appearance yet.

* For his temperature ranges, Krick relied on temperature readings taken in Washington, which was 55 miles north of Port Royal (where the Garretts lived) and 40 miles north of Bel Alton, Maryland (where Samuel Cox lived). With this in mind, here are the temperatures from April 14 through April 26 at 7:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 9:00 PM respectively:

-- April 14: 47 degrees, 67 degrees, 54 degrees
-- April 15: 50 degrees, 57 degrees, 58 degrees
-- April 16: 60 degrees, 68 degrees, 47 degrees
-- April 17: 41 degrees, 57 degrees, 49 degrees
-- April 18: 52 degrees, [no record], 61 degrees
-- April 19: 58 degrees, [no record], 59 degrees
-- April 20: 54 degrees, 58 degrees, 54 degrees
-- April 21: 52 degrees, 65 degrees, 61 degrees
-- April 22: 67 degrees, 70 degrees, 59 degrees
-- April 23: 48 degrees, 53 degrees, 43 degrees
-- April 24: 48 degrees, 68 degrees, 50 degrees
-- April 25: 50 degrees, 80 degrees, 60 degrees
-- April 26: 54 degrees, 85 degrees, 65 degrees (p. 156)

The temperatures in Port Royal were probably 2-3 degrees higher than those in Washington in many cases. But, even assuming they were the same, we see that the temperatures were hardly harsh.

Krick’s book (most of it) is available on Google Books.

I could not find any data on the average lowest/nighttime temperatures for April 1865 in the greater Richmond-Fredericksburg area, but I did find these kinds of data for that area dating back to 1930 (http://www.virginiaplaces.org/climate/). According to this website, the average minimum temperate in April 1930 in the Fredericksburg area was 41.7 degrees, hardly “freezing” conditions. Also, the average maximum temperature for that area was 69 degrees, a very comfortable temperature.

A few points about the fact that Booth enjoyed a steady supply of food and spent most of his time either indoors or in the shade:

* Booth ate at Mudd’s house.

* Booth ate at Cox’s house.

* After eating at Cox’s house, Booth hid in the woods near Cox’s house.

* At Cox’s request, Jones brought Booth food every day of the six days that Booth was hiding in the woods. This food included ham, bread with butter, and coffee (Jones, loc. 527).

* Jones fed Booth a meal outside his house just before he led him to a boat to cross the river.

* Dr. Richard Stuart fed Booth after he crossed the river. He also let him sleep in his barn.

* William Rollins let Booth rest in his house while Booth was waiting to cross the Rappahannock River (Winkler, Lincoln and Booth, p. 177).

* If the James Boyd who arrived at the Garretts’ farm on April 24 was really Booth, then Booth spent his first night there in the house, ate several meals, and spent hours relaxing and socializing with the Garretts during most of two days there.

Given the above facts, and assuming for the sake of argument that Booth’s body was the body viewed on the Montauk, there is no science-based or discernible reason that Booth’s appearance should have changed so drastically that the people on the Montauk were “shocked” by the body’s lack of resemblance to Booth. Nor is there any science-based reason that Booth would have sprouted freckles and appeared to have aged to the point of looking “much older” than he did less than two years earlier.

Nobody who saw Booth before he allegedly went to Garrett’s farm said that he had freckles, that he looked “half-starved,” that he looked “much older” than 26, or that they did not recognize him because his appearance had changed so drastically. When Conger showed Rollins a picture of Booth, less than 48 hours before Booth's alleged death, Rollins had no trouble recognizing him as the man he’d seen on crutches, and the only difference that Rollins noted was that the man on crutches had no mustache.

As for the claim that Booth could have sprouted freckles because of exposure to sunlight, there are two facts that refute this claim:

One, Booth was not exposed to sunlight long enough to cause the kinds of freckles that result from overexposure to sunlight.

Two, freckles caused by solar overexposure are different from regular freckles:

There are two categories of freckles: ephelides and solar lentigines. Ephelides are the common type most people think of as freckles. Solar lentigines are dark patches of skin that develop during adulthood. This includes freckles, aging spots, and sunspots. The two types of freckles can look similar but differ in other ways such as their development. (https://www.healthline.com/health/what-are-freckles)

Finally, I think it bears repeating that the James W. Boyd whom researchers have identified as the man shot in the barn was not the same James W. Boyd that Steers and Chaconas claim died before Booth supposedly died (https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/3873). The James W. Boyd under discussion never returned to his family and his family never saw him again, even though he was known to have been anxious to return to his family.

[L Verge]

(12-10-2018 10:23 PM)Rob Wick Wrote:  I've always believed that stopping at the Garrett farm was the worst thing ever to happen to Booth, because it did cause him to finally let his guard down after however many days (and what a nonsensical argument) on the run. Booth had been so roundly condemned by those whom he thought would celebrate his act, that once he came upon people who didn't know what he had done and who treated him with dignity (all because Richard Garrett thought Booth was a Confederate soldier much like his own sons) he was as good as captured. But it wasn't the Bowling Green Hilton he was staying at. He knew he had to eventually keep running. Once the troops rode by, he spent at least one or two hours in the woods outside the Garrett farm. Someone who had not shot the president days before would not have done that, but there I go again, using that silly logic.

I've mentioned this before, and while I'm sure Mr. Griffith can explain it away with little trouble, those who are seriously interested in real evidence might find this letter found in Ida Tarbell's papers (among other Lincoln biographers and writers) of interest.

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/29091

Best
Rob

Excellent and succinct post, Rob, and it's good to have you back sharing your knowledge on the assassination and the events at the Garrett farm.

---

Mr. Griffith - I thought we were concentrating on the period of time when Booth and Herold were sheltered only outdoors - basically their time in the thicket. You don't have to have rain in order to have damp ground; despite wool clothes and blankets, they get damp and stay damp (and feel miserable!) and aggravate any stiff, sore muscles and joints. When I got home this afternoon, the temperature outdoors was 43 degrees. I did not want to stay outside. When the temperatures hit 60, then the outside beckons. Bet that JWB felt much the same and longed for a feather bed (which most homes kept on their beds until at least May).

William Burtles claimed that the fugitives went into the Cox home, but he was the only one. The Cox family denied it and were backed up by a house servant.

You also keep referring to areas in Virginia that are not that close to where Booth was traveling, especially if you were a citizen of 1865 dealing with rural roads.

You obviously did not read my post about where meals were secured - or you copied them... If you copied, you got a few things wrong, such as Dr. Stuart allowing Booth to sleep in a barn. Wrong, he sent him to the Lucas cabin in hopes that the Lucases' son would transport him off the property. Booth went into the cabin and ended up threatening the elderly couple with a knife (a black man dared to tell Booth he shouldn't stay in the cabin). The couple exited their home and spent the night outside (bet they were cold also). I

I need to check what went on at the ferry at Port Conway because I don't recall that Booth and Herold went into the Rollinses' home. I thought they got water and "chatted" with Jett, Ruggles, and Bainbridge while waiting for the ferryman to return. Note: Don't rely heavily on some of the material from Don Winkler.

Finally, if you bring up the subject of freckles again, I may throw my computers through the window. At the very beginning of your sojourn on this forum, I posted that, as a child (and really up to middle age), it only took me about 20 minutes to have freckles pop out over my cheeks and the bridge of my nose when out in the sun - even when the temperatures were less than balmy. My dark hair also took on tinges of red when exposed to the sun. Can we outlaw the word "freckles" on this forum?

[Rob Wick]

Thanks Laurie. However, the more time I spend with this bugle oil, the less time I spend with Tarbell, who also found herself dealing with those who believed Booth had escaped.

I would also agree with Laurie to be careful in using Donald Winkler's book. Speaking only for myself, it is nothing but a poorly-done regurgitation of Eisenschiml. Mr. Winkler and I got into a bit of a tiff over his work at one point. It's worse than worthless.

There is no question that Robert Krick is a very respected Civil War historian. There's also no question that many of the points you seem to anchor your argument to are merely subjective interpretations of things. "Booth’s appearance was 'respectable'" What does that even mean? Respectable has nothing to do with whether or not Booth was exhausted from being on the run. You keep going back to this "drastic" change as described by May, but if you read May's comments, not once did he say the body wasn't Booth's. In fact, he went out of his way to say it was. Of course, I'm sure he was part of the conspiracy, either by being forced into it or on his own volition. Yeah, right.

I'm going back to Ida Tarbell. At least there I can deal with solid, factual evidence and not lies emanating from some phantom mists.

Best
Rob

[L Verge]

Some of us have decided that the escape/conspiracy theories will never stop (despite our so-called Age of Information) because of the dumbing down of our American culture and the drastic cuts to history programs in schools and museums. Non-descript websites don't help either.