The Surratt Courier

[wpbinzel]

(08-03-2025 08:56 PM)Steve Wrote:  Thanks for posting, Bill! Great read!

In regards to the David E. George (Booth mummy) article, some of George's movements in Texas prior to his moving to Oklahoma (going back to 1889, if memory serves me right) have been found since the article was originally published in 1992. I'd be willing to write a short follow-up article for the Courier if you'd be interested.

Steve - Thanks. Sorry for the delay in responding. It has been a busy summer (family weddings, vacations, life stuff...). YES, please, whatever you write as a comments/follow-up article on DE George/Booth "mummy" would be of great interest and gladly be accepted!! Bill

[wpbinzel]

The September/October 2025 issue of The Surratt Courier has been posted on the Surratt Society website, https://www.surrattmuseum.org/surratt-courier . The issue features an article on how and when Booth broke his leg; a history of 19th century medical diagnosis; an excellent article by Joe Barry on Ford's Theatre witness Joseph Stewart; and odd facts collected by Roger Norton in the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination. It is open to all, and again, thank you to our editor, Louise Oertly, I think you will enjoy it.

[jbarry]

Bill,
I enjoyed your piece on how Booth broke his leg. I think the strongest evidence is the injuries to the horse, combined with the fact Booth and Herold switched horses prior to arriving at the Surratt Tavern. I do want to add a couple of thoughts to this debate to put some more pieces out there: First, in James Hall's "Peanuts" research folder, he includes Peanuts's Apr 15th deposition to Justice Olin, where he makes the statement: "When he [Booth] hoped (sic) out he left the door open." Hopped is an interesting verb and this text is highlighted, presumably by Hall. I've studied the comments related to whether Booth left the backdoor open or shut, and Peanuts himself makes contradictory statements in this regard. So, I don't think this is conclusive of an injury at Ford's, but it is an interesting description of Booth's movements.

Secondly, because Booth made conflicting statements, and there's reasons for him to embellish or minimize his actions depending on his particular situation while on the run, it's difficult to pick one statement over the other in terms of his leg. I do want to comment on one detail: his claim of killing Lincoln with a "colonel by his side.” Even if Booth saw the newspapers describing Major Rathbone, colonel was a reasonably common rank in the capital, and especially in proximity to the president. Also, although we’re not sure if Rathbone was wearing his uniform at Ford's, if he was, his major rank (gold oak leaf) would have been difficult to distinguish from lieutenant colonel (silver oak leaf) in the dark. Remember that Booth did not have military experience. Colonel is also an honorific, and I’m wondering if Booth used it in the generic sense (similar to “lieutenant” being both a rank and a description). I bring this up only to say it appears to be less of an exaggeration on Booth’s part—not to deny he was a braggart. I still lean the direction of his horse breaking his leg.

Speaking of military ranks and uniforms, happy Veteran’s Day, and for the veterans on this forum, thank you for your service!

[J. Beckert]

I've always thought that Booth complaining at Mudd's that his back hurt him terribly was due more to the jump from the box than his horse rolling on his leg. Landing off kilter from a 10'-12' jump could very easily produce a nagging back injury.