April 26, 1865: Federal troops track down and kill John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln



(For the events of the Lincoln Assassination, please see the entry for April 14)

John Wilkes Booth rode into the cold Virginia mist as the capitol closed in around him. Crossing the bridge into Maryland, he met up with his accomplice David Herold. Booth and Herold then rode to the Surratt Tavern, to pick up guns and equipment. Booth had to stay on horseback as his leg was severely injured in his fall from the President’s box that night. Herold knew that they would need to fix Booth’s leg before they journeyed farther south. They rode to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who quickly splinted Booth’s leg and allowed the two men to stay the night. The following morning, they headed to the home of Confederate spy, Samuel Cox in hopes to that he would help transport them into the Confederacy. As Booth and Herold arrived at Cox’s house, a unit of federal cavalry was dispatched from Washington to hunt for the two fugitives. Cox informed the two men that federal troops were combing the area and that they should hide in the woods until a ferry could be held for them to cross the Potomac into Virginia. On April 22, a boat was finally found for the two men and they began the long crossing over the river. The following morning, they successfully made it across the river. Now in Virginia, Booth and Herold stopped at the farm of Richard Garrett; little did the two know that federal cavalry was close at hand. The two fugitives posed as former Confederate soldiers embarking on the long journey home. The Garretts skeptically accepted them as guests for the evening. After dinner, Booth asked Garrett where they could sleep for the night, and he said that they could sleep in the tobacco barn in back. The two weary travelers happily accepted. Soon after dawn, the federal cavalry arrived at the Garrett’s home after a tip off from a local Confederate. Garrett, who now suspected that his guest was the famous assassin, pointed to his barn as their location. The cavalry commander ordered the two men out of the barn. Herold surrender without a fight. However, Booth remained in barn, yelling that they would not take him alive. The soldiers proceeded the set fire to the barn, to smoke Booth out. Booth paced around the burning barn, shouting expletives at the officers. As Booth paced, a calvary sergeant named Boston Corbin snuck up to the back of the barn. He peeped through a small hole in the barn wall, and he could see the silhouette of the beleaguered fugitive. The cavalry was ordered not the fire on the fugitives no matter what, but Corbin saw his opportunity. He aimed his rifle through crack in the wall and fired. The bullet went through Booth, shattering his spine. He collapsed in a heap. The other soldiers hearing the commotion, ran into the burning barn and grabbed Booth’s limp body. The soldiers deposited Booth onto the front porch. Paralyzed from the neck down, the dying assassin began to breathe his last. He asked the soldiers to show him his hands. Upon seeing his lifeless hands, he uttered, “useless, useless,” and passed away.

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