been
halted, all boats on the Potomac were prevented from touching shore south of Alexandria and all other members of the cabinet were under the watchful eyes of armed guards.
Ford’s Theatre had been closed down and hundreds of statements taken from eyewitnesses, all of whom claimed to have recognized the man who jumped from the presidential box as John Wilkes
Booth. The weight of evidence seemed beyond doubt. Stanton now turned the full focus of his attention to catching the killer.
After Lincoln had died his body was removed to the White House and preparations were made to swear in Vice President Johnson, thus releasing Stanton from his temporary presidential duties, to
concentrate on Booth. He released a cable at 3 a.m., naming Booth as the assassin and effectively put all authorities on alert.
The opportunity to catch Booth within an hour of the attack had come and gone. Booth had ridden his horse hard towards the Navy Yard Bridge arriving at around 10.45 p.m. The bridge had normally
operated a curfew which prevented anyone crossing after 9 p.m. but with the war over this rule had been relaxed. When Booth reached the bridge he slowed to a stop, allowing the sentries to question
him. Amazingly Booth gave his correct name and even told the two sentries that he was heading towards south Maryland. Not knowing the events that had unfolded in Washington they allowed Booth to
continue on his way. A short time afterward the sentries allowed David Herold to cross the bridge, having enquired of him only briefly.
Ten minutes after Herold crossed the Navy Yard Bridge he caught up with Booth whose lower leg was causing him severe pain. The pair swapped horses as Herold’s had an easier gate and they
rode on towards Surrattsville and the tavern owned by Mary Surratt. Here they collected the guns they had shipped out earlier with Mrs Surratt, drank some whiskey and set off again heading
south-east. Before they departed they told John Lloyd, the operator of the tavern, that they were pretty sure they had killed the President and Secretary Seward.
With Booth’s leg causing him severe pain the pair headed to Bryan town and the home of Dr Samuel Mudd, where Booth had previously spent a night. At 4 a.m. Mudd was awakened by the sound of
approaching horses and opened his door to find two men standing there, later testifying that he did not recognize Booth from his previous encounter, although many years later he changed his story
to say he did recognize Booth but was not aware that he was a fugitive.
Dr Mudd prepared a splint for Booth’s leg, put him to bed for the evening and retired once more for the night himself. Mudd did not sleep well and rose early the following morning
preparing breakfast for Booth and Herold, most of which Booth could not face because of the searing pain he was still experiencing in his lower leg. As soon as the pair were up they enquired with
Mudd as to the fastest route to the Potomac River. Mudd pointed out an old cart track which led directly into the Zekiah Swamp, a forbidding wilderness of bog land and dense undergrowth, swarming
with flies, lizards and bugs.
That afternoon the two men set off into the swamp and were soon miserably lost. At 9 p.m., tired and disorientated, they came across the log cabin of black tobacco farmer, Oswell Swann, to whom
they offered $12 if he would guide them out of the swamp and to the home of Samuel Cox, a wealthy farmer and known Confederate sympathizer. Oswell accepted the offer and they set off through the
wilderness, often ending up in thick undergrowth with no apparent way out, but finally they emerged and were thankfully just across the fields from Cox’s farmhouse; it was late but they hoped
for a warm welcome.
Booth identified himself as Lincoln’s assassin and requested that Cox help him across the Potomac and away to the South. Cox, Confederate though he was, decided that he could not provide a
comfortable bed for the night and instead
halted, all boats on the Potomac were prevented from touching shore south of Alexandria and all other members of the cabinet were under the watchful eyes of armed guards.
Ford’s Theatre had been closed down and hundreds of statements taken from eyewitnesses, all of whom claimed to have recognized the man who jumped from the presidential box as John Wilkes
Booth. The weight of evidence seemed beyond doubt. Stanton now turned the full focus of his attention to catching the killer.
After Lincoln had died his body was removed to the White House and preparations were made to swear in Vice President Johnson, thus releasing Stanton from his temporary presidential duties, to
concentrate on Booth. He released a cable at 3 a.m., naming Booth as the assassin and effectively put all authorities on alert.
The opportunity to catch Booth within an hour of the attack had come and gone. Booth had ridden his horse hard towards the Navy Yard Bridge arriving at around 10.45 p.m. The bridge had normally
operated a curfew which prevented anyone crossing after 9 p.m. but with the war over this rule had been relaxed. When Booth reached the bridge he slowed to a stop, allowing the sentries to question
him. Amazingly Booth gave his correct name and even told the two sentries that he was heading towards south Maryland. Not knowing the events that had unfolded in Washington they allowed Booth to
continue on his way. A short time afterward the sentries allowed David Herold to cross the bridge, having enquired of him only briefly.
Ten minutes after Herold crossed the Navy Yard Bridge he caught up with Booth whose lower leg was causing him severe pain. The pair swapped horses as Herold’s had an easier gate and they
rode on towards Surrattsville and the tavern owned by Mary Surratt. Here they collected the guns they had shipped out earlier with Mrs Surratt, drank some whiskey and set off again heading
south-east. Before they departed they told John Lloyd, the operator of the tavern, that they were pretty sure they had killed the President and Secretary Seward.
With Booth’s leg causing him severe pain the pair headed to Bryan town and the home of Dr Samuel Mudd, where Booth had previously spent a night. At 4 a.m. Mudd was awakened by the sound of
approaching horses and opened his door to find two men standing there, later testifying that he did not recognize Booth from his previous encounter, although many years later he changed his story
to say he did recognize Booth but was not aware that he was a fugitive.
Dr Mudd prepared a splint for Booth’s leg, put him to bed for the evening and retired once more for the night himself. Mudd did not sleep well and rose early the following morning
preparing breakfast for Booth and Herold, most of which Booth could not face because of the searing pain he was still experiencing in his lower leg. As soon as the pair were up they enquired with
Mudd as to the fastest route to the Potomac River. Mudd pointed out an old cart track which led directly into the Zekiah Swamp, a forbidding wilderness of bog land and dense undergrowth, swarming
with flies, lizards and bugs.
That afternoon the two men set off into the swamp and were soon miserably lost. At 9 p.m., tired and disorientated, they came across the log cabin of black tobacco farmer, Oswell Swann, to whom
they offered $12 if he would guide them out of the swamp and to the home of Samuel Cox, a wealthy farmer and known Confederate sympathizer. Oswell accepted the offer and they set off through the
wilderness, often ending up in thick undergrowth with no apparent way out, but finally they emerged and were thankfully just across the fields from Cox’s farmhouse; it was late but they hoped
for a warm welcome.
Booth identified himself as Lincoln’s assassin and requested that Cox help him across the Potomac and away to the South. Cox, Confederate though he was, decided that he could not provide a
comfortable bed for the night and instead
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