Book Review: Lincoln's Last Days

Lincoln’s Last Days: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever, Bill O’Reilly and Dwight Jon Zimmerman, Henry Hold and Company, New York, 2012.

 

This book is very interesting.  It focused more on Lincoln, the end of the war and his activities until his assassination.  It also focuses on the planning and the coordination it took to carry out this attack on our government and Abraham Lincoln.  There were three attacks planned, one which was not carried out.  However John Wilkes Booth was successful in killing the president.  Lewis Powell failed in his murder attempt again Secretary of State William Seward.  However he did injure several household members with his knife.  The third attack intended against the vice president did not materialize.  George Atzerodt was too drunk, and did not take kindly to the idea of murdering, and so wondered into the night rather than make the attempt. 

The capture of Booth ended rather quickly, with only a cursory review of his capture.  This book has left me interested enough to get the adult version; “Killing Lincoln.”

Documentary Review: The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth (2007)

John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln April 14, 1965 as part of a plot to kill three prominent men, the President, The Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Vice-President Andrew Johnson.  In the case of Johnson, his attacker, George Atzerodt chickened out.  Lewis Powell was to kill Seward, and he invaded his home and, after his gun failed, made a vicious attempt by stabbing him repeatedly around the face and upper body.  Only a device he was wearing for a previously broken jaw prevented his jugular from being cut.  (Both these men would later be hung for their involvement.)  A third involved party (who was also later hung) was David Herold, who would travel with Booth in his escape, and assist Booth in his efforts.
Booth would not be caught for 12 days.  During this time he would keep a journal (although many pages are missing) as he avoided detection. 
Booth broke the fibula in his leg while when he jumped form the presidential booth to the stage after killing Lincoln.  He needed medical attention, and received this from Dr. Mudd.  They mostly stayed in the swamps, but had days of staying in houses.  Their goal was to cross the Potomac into Virginia.  Most of the search would take place in Booth's are of origin, Maryland, to the north. 
They tried to cross the river by night.  However they were disoriented, and ended up back on the Maryland side.  They were successful with the second crossing, and stayed with the the home of Richard H. Garrett, threatening him by gun point, and saying they were soldiers returning home.  The second night they were suspicious as they avoided the soldiers, so were asked to stay in the barn.  Garret's son locked them in, worrying they might steal their horses. 
Igt was here where the pursuers would find them early in the morning.  Herold would surrender, but Booth wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.  The federals set fire to the barn, and as Booth prepared to fire his weapon, he was shot in the neck by Sergeant Boston Corbett.  He was paralyzed, and would die about three hours later.
Booth had hoped to make himself a hero.  Instead he felt the wrath of the country as he followed the papers and heard form others.  He also learned of the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston, the last remaining Confederate force.  He was on the wrong side of the war.

The above mentioned people where hanged July 7, 1865 along with Mary Surratt, who provided a place at her boarding house for the men to plan their deed.  Others were convicted of conspiracy, including Dr. Mudd, and were sent to prison, but later pardoned by President Johnson in 1869.
Mysteries left of this event, did the get everyone involved?  They could not find evidence to charge President Jefferson Davis with conspiracy.  Did the missing pages of Booth's diary implicate others?

Documentary Movie Review: The Hunt for Lincoln's Assassin

"The Hunt for Lincoln's Assassin" is a made-for-TV movie by National Geographic reenacted documentary for the hunt for John Wilkes Booth.  The methods used our interview with historians and authors, including one who wrote the biography of John Wilkes Booth.  It also employs a few pictures, but for the most part it employs historical reenactment with narration.  Booth was not captured until a couple of weeks after the assassination.  He likely would have gotten away, but his ability to travel quickly was hampered by his broken leg which he suffered when he jump from Lincoln's booth to the stage of Ford's theater. They escaped from Washington D.C. into Maryland, before authorities could seal off the city.  Booth's escape then took him to the home of Dr. Mudd, who determined his leg was broken and put it in a splint and also provided crutches.  He traveled with David Herald.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton lead the search for Booth.  He offered 100,000 reward to those helping in his capture.  He also appointed detective Colonel to Lafayette Baker to the lead the pursuit.  Everton Conger lead a party of 25 men who headed the investigation and pursuit. 
This documentary points out the mood of the country as a result of the assassination was one of revenge against southerners.  Many were killed or persecuted in the pursuit, and as well as a result of a general feeling of animosity.
Booth was able to finally make it into Virginia.  This was on their second attempt.  The first attempt the became confused in the fog and ended up landing again in Maryland.
A report in error of Booth and Herald crossing the Potomac, but Conger and his men on the right track.  The report was actually a witness of someone other than Booth crossing the river, but even so, as Booth had in facgt crossed, it put them within three miles of Booth.
Booth and Herald were lead by returning Confederate soldiers to the Garrett farm.   They hid out there for several days, but when federal soldiers went by, and Booth hid in the forest the family determined something as not right.  They insisted they leave, but granted them one for night, insisting the sleep in the tobacco barn.  Conger heard of these soldiers, and was determined to interview on of them, Willie Jett.  Jett was able to guide them to the Garrett farm.  It was in this barn that Conger and his men found Booth.  Booth's traveling companion was allowed to come out and was captured.  Booth refused to leave the barn.  They set fire to his barn, and being able to see Booth in the flames, Sergeant Boston Corbett shot through the cracks between the barn plank, hitting Booth in the neck.  His spinal cord was severed, and he was paralyzed.  The soldiers brought him out of the barn, and he succumbed a couple hours later.