Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Swanson returns to the scene at Ford’s Theater. Booth escaped, but an Army surgeon, Joseph Stewart, nearly managed to catch him as he fled. Unfortunately, Booth reached his horse and maneuvered away from Stewart. Booth took quiet streets on his escape route. At the Navy Yard bridge leading into Maryland, Booth was confronted by an officer, Silas T. Cobb. Although curfew prohibited anyone crossing the bridge this late at night, Cobb allowed Booth to pass. This bridge was the only route out of the city.

Back at the scenes of Booth’s and Powell’s attacks, doctors were working to try to save the victims. Another Army surgeon in attendance at the play, Charles Leale, leapt into the box. Rathbone requested aid for his wounded arm, but Leale pushed past him to aid Lincoln. Leale found the wound and a clot of blood; to relieve pressure on the brain, he removed the clot and allowed the blood to gush. He massaged the president’s heart, and determined that Lincoln was still alive. Nevertheless, he announced to those around him the wound was fatal.

Swanson then shifts the narrative to George Atzerodt. Armed with a revolver and knife, Atzerodt awaited the appointed time in Vice President Johnson’s hotel. However, despite the ease of his task, Atzerodt balked at the killing and fled.

Meanwhile, during the commotion at Seward’s house, David Herold fled without waiting for Powell. Like Booth, he crossed the bridge guarded by Sergeant Cobb. Without Herold, Powell was lost. He found himself forced to hide in a tree.

At the theater, Leale decided that he had to move Lincoln. Meanwhile, an actress, Laura Keene, entered the box and asked to cradle Lincoln’s head. The dress she wore, which became soaked with Lincoln’s blood, partially survived in the form of a few bloodstained pieces. Swanson notes that her proximity to Lincoln after his shooting immortalized her, while many superior actresses faded completely from our knowledge.

Booth, once across into Maryland, waited on his accomplices. Fortunately, before long Herold joined him.

Leale had Lincoln carried into the street, where they were swarmed by a crowd. In plain view, Leale removed another clot from Lincoln’s skull. They then took Lincoln into a boardinghouse, after someone in the house shouted for the confused group to enter. 

Still ahead of the news of the assassination, Booth and Herold had no trouble reaching their safe house. Nevertheless, the news was spreading rapidly. One byproduct of this was confusion, as there were conflicting reports as to whether Lincoln or Seward had been killed. Meanwhile, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was alerted of the crimes. To sort through the confusion, Stanton rode to Seward’s home to ascertain his status. Despite the carnage, he realized that he could be of no assistance and proceeded on to the boardinghouse where Lincoln lay dying.

Meanwhile, Booth and Herold awoke John Lloyd at Mary Surratt’s tavern. Quickly, Lloyd provided them with binoculars and weapons. Before long, the two were on their way again. As they left, Booth surprised Lloyd by stating that he had probably assassinated the President that night.

At the Petersen boardinghouse, doctors worked on Lincoln while gawkers managed to enter the house to look on. Fortunately, Stanton arrived, and took command of the situation. For Stanton, this was seen as more than the behavior of a lunatic. He believed this was part of a Confederate plot, and that the enemy army was likely to follow up with more strikes. He called General Ulysses S. Grant back to Washington, and sent messages to nearby cities to engage in an intensive search. He also ordered Army Major General Halleck to prepare prison facilities for the assassins; after all, it was likely that the assassins, once caught, would draw irate and violent mobs. The plan on Halleck’s part was to place the prisoners on a warship docked in the Navy Yard.

At the same time that Stanton took charge and sent detectives in search of the killers, Booth and Herold fled toward Bryantown. They arrived at the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, a Confederate sympathizer. Part of a loose network of agents and spies, Mudd in fact introduced Booth to the Surratts. Mudd knew of Booth’s previous attempt to kidnap Lincoln, but had no idea about the assassination attempt. When Booth arrived at Mudd’s farm, he did not immediately reveal his deed. Mudd set about examining Booth’s leg, and diagnosed a broken fibula.