About the Blog:
The story is a well known one: On April 14th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. His death the next morning was viewed as the great sacrifice of the leader who had pulled the nation through a bloody civil war. Instantly, and appropriately, Lincoln became an American saint. He gave his last, full measure for the country and was struck down just after completing his goal. Abraham Lincoln’s actions and resolve have earned him the title of our country’s greatest president. His story is told all over this country and he is the most written about figure after Jesus Christ.
But, there is another part of this story. It is the story of a young actor driven to extremes. It is the story of that man and his conspirators who were determined to strike back against a government that destroyed the United States they had known and loved. It is the stories and facts about these individuals that this blog hopes to share. Not because we agree with their actions or because we share their values. We learn about them because the darker parts of history can shed the most light on the past. While the actions they took were abhorrent, the sentiments that motivated those actions were shared by many.
Many of us who study the Lincoln assassination refer to ourselves as “Boothies”. This does not mean we condone the actions of the assassin. Rather, our moniker states our commitment to studying, analyzing, and interpreting the actions of John Wilkes Booth and others involved in the great American drama that is the Lincoln assassination. Ignoring and dismissing the lives and actions of the men and women involved in the conspiracy does a great disservice to history and to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. We cannot truly honor and appreciate the man without understanding the complexity of his death.
As a Boothie, I hope that this blog will be a source of education as well as levity every once and awhile. It is my first time starting a blog, so who knows how it will turn out. Regardless, I invite you all to come back from time to time to see the man, and the conspiracy, in the barn.
About the Author:
My name is Dave Taylor and I am an elemetary school teacher. For many years, I have been fascinated by the events of April, 1865. As a child growing up in Illinois, I never understood how anyone could kill Abraham Lincoln, our greatest President. I started doing more serious reading and research on the matter in high school when I was introduced to the Stephen Sondheim musical, Assassins. Ever since then, I have found that the rabbit hole that is the Lincoln assassination is infinitely deep. There are countless branches to the story which all provide fascinating insights into the minds of those involved.
If you have something you’d like to share about any part of Lincoln’s assassination, no matter how minor it may seem, feel free to comment on a post or here on the About page. You can also e-mail me at boothiebarn (at) gmail (dot) com.
I’d like to thank all of you that have been so supportive of my efforts here at BoothieBarn. I will strive to provide thought provoking and interesting posts about John Wilkes Booth and his plot.
Very interesting. I am a multi generational admirer of Congressional Cemetery….have grandparents, gr.grandparents and number relative interred there, right by the beautiful chapel. I look forward to your emails. We have driving the Booth route several times… it is all so haunting.
Just discovered you. I am a docent at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, in Springfield, IL. The place in the museum where I’m usually stationed is the Ford’s Theater section of Journey II. I’ve had a life-long interest in Lincoln in general, the Civil War, and the Assassination. I, too, will look forward to your e-mails.
Thanks for commenting, Dave. I’ve only been to the ALPL&M once but I was very impressed with how family friendly and interactively the museum was able to portray Lincoln and his life. I did get a strange look from one of the docents when I asked if he would mind taking my picture with Booth. He asked, “You sure you want a picture with the bad guy?” which made me chuckle.
Thanks for reading!
Dave Taylor
my great great great grandfather was in Ford’s when that happened. do u give any credit to the booth mummy story?
Thanks for commenting Tom and congrats on your ancestor’s run in with history.
While I find the mummy story fascinating and entertaining, there really is no factual basis behind it being John Wilkes Booth. There are countless pieces of evidence that prove John Wilkes Booth was killed at Garrett’s farm. At his autopsy they went through a detailed identification process noting the same details we use to identify John Does today. They used dental records (Booth’s gold plug) and distinguishing markings (his JWB tattoo) which alone would be enough today to identify a body. Not to mention the number of people, from the soldiers at Garrett’s to those present at his burial, who identified the deceased as Booth. There is no doubt in my mind, Booth died on April 26th, 1865.
The 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition: http://lincolnfuneraltrain.org/2015_event.php
While I’m not very well versed on the Lincoln funeral train as many others in the community (Roger) are, I’m going to recount what could be a factoid that I can’t seem to find a source for. I don’t know where I read it and I’m not sure it’s even true, but it’s something that I find fascinating if it is. I recall reading some source that stated that, before the advent of the television, more people witnessed the passing of Lincoln’s funeral train than any other event in American history. That’s to say that the sight of Lincoln’s funeral train as it passed through and by town and cities, was the most observed object and event in our history. It would not be until images began being transmitted on the television that more people saw one identical thing. To me, this fact, if true, is amazing. It perfectly shows how vital Lincoln was to our country.
I’m interested in the USS Montauk connection. My hometown is Montauk, NY. Many years ago, the US Navy department told my father that there were no artifacts left from the Montauk, save the log book which is in the National Archives. I just saw the steeering wheel from the Montauk!!
Lincoln and Mary visited the Washington Naval Yard on the day of the assasination; supposedly the went on board the Montauk. Anyone know for sure? That info could also be recorded in the log book.
Thank you, Tim.
Timgilmartin@msn.com
Tim,
My knee jerk reaction is for you to contact Barry Cauchon and John Elliott through Barry’s blog: http://awesometalks.wordpress.com/
These two men are working on a book about the imprisonment of the conspirators, and have done a lot if research on the monitors. Leave a comment on Barry’s blog and I’m sure they’ll be able to help you.
Thanks for reading!
Dave
Update to your entry on John M. Lloyd’s headstone at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Took photos of it today. Amazing his proximity (100 yards south) of Mrs. Surratt’s grave, which is visible from the site.
Great exclusive interview with John Wilkes Booth: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-hayman/post_4423_b_2717712.html
Good Morning Dave
My name is Kieran McAuliffe and I am the creator of the John Wilkes Booth Escape Route map. You possibly have a copy of it. I would like to announce that I have re-issued the map and it is now available on Amazon, as well as some historic sites such as Ford’s Theatre and the Surratt House Museum.
The map is thoroughly reworked, more detailed with new information learned in the ten years since the first printing. It was great fun to create but a lot of work.
I would like to mail you a free copy. Can you give me an address to send it to?
Kieran
Kieran,
I know your name quite well and I do indeed have one of your wonderfully done escape route maps. I, of course, would never pass up a complementary copy of your new edition, which I expect will be as equally well done as the first. I’ll email you shortly.
Dave