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The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
by James L. Swanson
Book Reviewed by:This article relates to Manhunt
Booth's father, Junius Brutus Booth, emigrated from England in 1821 and
quickly established himself as one of the great actors of the day. Most of
his children were born out of wedlock, and most followed him onto the stage.
John Wilkes Booth started his career in 1855 in Baltimore, and then in
Philadelphia. Initially, he didn't show promise but in 1858 he moved to
Richmond, Virginia where he became more confident as an actor and grew popular with audiences.
He temporarily enlisted in the Confederate army in 1959 in order to witness the
hanging of abolitionist John Brown - afterwards he returned to Richmond and was
discharged. He did not fight in the Civil War (apparently having promised
his mother that he would not join the Confederate army). However, according to
some reports he was actively engaged in smuggling medical supplies to
Confederate forces.
He left the stage in 1864 to concentrate on his oil investments (bought from his
earnings as an actor, at the height of his career he earned $20,000 a year) but
turned over his interests to his brother and a friend the same year, having
grown impatient with his lack of immediate success.
He then traveled to Montreal to meet with various men associated with the
Confederacy. He began planning an operation to capture the President in
order to force the release of Confederate prisoners of war confined in Union
prisons. The attempted kidnapping took place in March 1865, but was foiled
because the President changed his plans and attended a luncheon rather than
visiting a hospital outside Washington, as scheduled.
Two weeks later, in April 1865, General Grant surrendered. Five days later,
Booth assassinated Lincoln inside Ford's Theatre.
Filed under People, Eras & Events
This "beyond the book article" relates to Manhunt. It originally ran in March 2006 and has been updated for the
February 2007 paperback edition.
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