Laura Redden - Booth's Misidentified Friend

[Dave Taylor]

Today, I published an article on my site regarding one of the images found on John Wilkes Booth when he was killed. As I previewed in a recent post in the "Who is this person?" thread, I do not believe the woman historically identified as Helen Western to be correct. Two years ago, I shared my concerns with Michael Kauffman, Tom Bogar, Steve Miller, and Scott Schroeder, and all four agreed that the veiled woman image found on Booth's body does not match known images of Western.

In my new post, I discuss how the photographs were originally identified, explain my doubts about the Helen Western identification, and finally delve into the life of the woman I believe this photograph actually shows: Laura Redden Searing.

Laura Redden was a deaf poet, journalist, and author. She lived quite an amazing life, especially during the Civil War years. She was friendly with the Lincolns, General Grant, countless Congressmen, and also John Wilkes Booth. I believe that I have built a strong and convincing case that Redden presented her photograph to John Wilkes Booth in February of 1865, two months before he assassinated Lincoln.

The piece is long (unsurprising when it comes to me), but I hope you will give it a read if you have a chance:

Under the Veil: Revealing the True Identity of John Wilkes Booth's Photograph

[Anita]

(07-08-2026 06:32 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  Today, I published an article on my site regarding one of the images found on John Wilkes Booth when he was killed. As I previewed in a recent post in the "Who is this person?" thread, I do not believe the woman historically identified as Helen Western to be correct. Two years ago, I shared my concerns with Michael Kauffman, Tom Bogar, Steve Miller, and Scott Schroeder, and all four agreed that the veiled woman image found on Booth's body does not match known images of Western.

In my new post, I discuss how the photographs were originally identified, explain my doubts about the Helen Western identification, and finally delve into the life of the woman I believe this photograph actually shows: Laura Redden Searing.

Laura Redden was a deaf poet, journalist, and author. She lived quite an amazing life, especially during the Civil War years. She was friendly with the Lincolns, General Grant, countless Congressmen, and also John Wilkes Booth. I believe that I have built a strong and convincing case that Redden presented her photograph to John Wilkes Booth in February of 1865, two months before he assassinated Lincoln.

The piece is long (unsurprising when it comes to me), but I hope you will give it a read if you have a chance:

Under the Veil: Revealing the True Identity of John Wilkes Booth's Photograph

Dave,
Fascinating update to your search for the identity of the lady under the veil. I too agree you have solved the mystery. The three comparison photos along with how you came by them, are key to the unraveling. The bio of Laura Redden Searing, her relationship to Booth and her lifetime of achievements woven into the story, adds a new dimension to Booth and his women.
For anyone interested in this subject, it's a must read. I didn't find it too long. To the contrary, it's refreshing to read new detailed research with primary and secondary sources identified! Thank you.

[STS Lincolnite]

Great work Dave. A great example of your research skills and your persistence. And how sometimes luck (you somewhat randomly coming across a photo of Laura Redden) plays a role. But that luck only mattered when your skills were able to connect that photo to the photo of one of "Booth's ladies."

And another great example of how there are no absolutes in history. There is always value in revisiting things that are in the historical record – even when they are almost universally accepted. Taking a new look is sometimes quite revealing as in this case. And when solid, new evidence like this can be presented I hope the record can be updated.

[Dave Taylor]

Thank you, Anita and Scott, for your kind comments. I'll admit that I'm pretty proud of this one. While the identity of a woman in Booth's pocket isn't much in the grand scheme of things, it feels good to find a piece of the historical puzzle yourself. And I agree with Scott: history is most often done when we look at universally accepted truths and see what holds them up. It's usually far less than what we expect.