New Gallery – David Herold

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Dave Taylor

David Edgar Herold had a unique role among John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators.  Beyond the failed abduction plot and the assassination itself, Davy was the only individual who accompanied John Wilkes Booth throughout his escape.  Though given ample opportunities to leave Booth behind and make his own, swifter escape, Davy Herold stayed by Booth’s side.  While many authors have tried to downplay Davy’s intelligence and character (Gore Vidal personified this when he described inventing, “a low life for him,” in his book, Lincoln), with the devotion he demonstrated, Davy Herold may very well be the most complex of all of Booth’s associates.

Our newest Picture Gallery here on BoothieBarn consists of images relating to the life of David Herold.  The images show snapshots of his life before Booth, his involvement in Booth’s plot and their shared escape south, his capture at the Garrett’s farm, the trial of the conspirators, and his eventual execution on July 7th, 1865.  Click here to see the new David Herold Picture Gallery!

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New Gallery – Horsehead Tavern

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Dave Taylor

Horsehead Tavern in Baden, MD, is an extremely minor place in the story of the Lincoln assassination.  After leaving John Lloyd at the Surratt Tavern in Clinton, we know that John Wilkes Booth and Davy Herold rode their way through the small neighborhood of T.B.  After this, the next stop the pair made was at Dr. Mudd’s house.  A modern-day highway marker on the side of Route 301/5, states the following:

Entering Charles County

Those individuals who have taken the Surratt Society’s Booth Escape Route Tours will not recognize this sign, as the tour does not pass it. This is due to the fact that, despite the assertion by this sign, we are not exactly sure where Booth and Herold crossed over into Charles County. While the sign provides a possible route, many “old timers” in the field have long-held that the more probable route the assassins took between T.B. and Dr. Mudd’s is one that goes by the Horsehead Tavern.

Route from TB to Mudd's via Horsehead

Horsehead Tavern was similar to the Surratt Tavern. Both served as the local post offices with the communities around them bearing their names (Surrattsville/Horsehead). Both were on the stagecoach lines and often had visitors making their way north or south. The two served as taverns and rented rooms to those who needed a place to stay. And lastly, both had run ins with John Wilkes Booth.

The only known time of John Wilkes Booth going to the Surratt Tavern was his escape after shooting President Lincoln. Rumor has it though that John Wilkes Booth visited and slept at Horsehead Tavern in the fall of 1864 while scouting his future abduction/escape route. An image from 1903 marks the bedroom where Booth is said to have slept.

Old Horse Head 1903

If the story is true, then we know that John Wilkes Booth was at least familiar with the roads around Horsehead, making it a possible route for him to take on his way to Dr. Mudd’s.  In truth, Horsehead Tavern is little more than a possible waypoint on the escape route.  Nevertheless, it is still standing today and the newest Picture Gallery here on BoothieBarn.

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New Gallery – Seward Assassination Attempt

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Dave Taylor

“Crashing into a wall, Powell sought to disengage [Frederick’s] iron hold.  Together they maneuvered toward the secretary’s room, and Powell crashed against the heavy door with his shoulder.  His own weight, combined with that of his clinging adversary, burst the door wide open, and together they stumbled across the threshold…The enraged intruder now drew his knife, and, stumbling into Robinson, sent the man reeling across the floor with a quick slash on his forehead…Powell frantically thrust Fanny Seward aside and bounded upon the old gentleman’s bed.  Placing his left hand on Seward’s chest, he struck repeatedly with the knife.  As the secretary was supported by a framework backrest, the weapon glanced off the metal in a shower of sparks…” -Betty Ownsbey in “Alias Paine”

The newest Picture Gallery here on BoothieBarn highlights illustrations and images relating to the other attack on an elected offical that occurred on April 14th, 1865: the attempted assassination of Secretary of State William Henry Seward by Lewis Thornton Powell.  Click here to see the new Seward Assassination Attempt Picture Gallery!

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Update – Replica Booth Diaries for Sale

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Dave Taylor

Mr. Marsella graciously sent me some more images of one of his completed Booth diaries to share.  I think you’ll agree that his work is extremely detailed and the very best reproduction available.

As I stated before, you can purchase your own, hand-made, replica John Wilkes Booth diary from Mr. Marsella for the low price of $400 plus $25 shipping paid through PayPal.  I’ve already helped facilitate the sale of seven of Mr. Marsella’s creations.  If you would like to order one please email me at: boothiebarn (at) gmail (dot) com and I’ll send you instructions on how to send payment. Update: Pasquale has no more John Wilkes Booth diaries for sale and will not be making any more. Thank you all for supporting his wonderful creations.

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New Gallery – Samuel Arnold

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Dave Taylor

One of the eight individuals tried for conspiracy in Lincoln’s assassination, Samuel Bland Arnold received a sentence of life imprisonment for his involvement in John Wilkes Booth’s initial abduction plot.  Arnold was one of Booth’s boyhood friends from his school days in Baltimore, and had served in the service of the Confederacy early in the war.  When Booth introduced Arnold to another boyhood friend of his, Michael O’Laughlen, the two joined Booth’s conspiracy to capture Abraham Lincoln and ferry him south.  Arnold later became disenfranchised with Booth and his grandiose scheme, and left Washington to take a job in Virginia a few weeks before the assassination.  He was found out and arrested when investigators found an incriminating letter in Booth’s papers addressed from “Sam”.  He served almost four years imprisonment at Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas before being pardoned by Andrew Johnson.  From then on he lived the quiet life of a hermit.  In 1902, he finally allowed his version of the story to be told.

I hope you enjoy this new Picture Gallery of images relating to Samuel Arnold.

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Replica Booth Diaries for Sale

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Dave Taylor

A month ago, I noticed an eBay auction selling, “John Wilkes Booth’s Diary National Treasure 2 Prop Replica“. I decided to contact the seller to ask about it. I learned that the piece was a handmade creation by an Italian replica prop maker. The creator’s name is Pasquale Marsella and he has an entire website showing his self-created prop replicas for his favorite move series, Indiana Jones. His cinematic interests are multifaceted and he also very much enjoys the National Treasure movies. Due to this he meticulously replicated items from that movie series such as the President’s Book of Secrets and Booth’s diary. After e-mailing for a bit, I inquired with him how many diaries he had for sale. Mr. Marsella told me he still had about 10 -15 completed leather covers in his possession, the interiors of which still needed to be completed. Up until now he was just selling them to other prop collectors for their National Treasure collections. However, the detail is so fine and the craftsmanship is so good, I told him he was missing out on a whole other market: Lincoln assassination researchers and collectors.

Over the past month, Mr. Marsella and I have been working together to tweak and adjust his original design. As stated, his original product was a replica of a replica. It was very good at a glance, but details like the interior pages themselves were not the same as the original Booth diary. Using John Wilkes Booth’s FBI file and images of the diary the Secret Service took of it in the 1970’s, Mr. Marsella and I have been able to duplicate the interior of the diary exactly. The written pages are now in Booth’s handwriting, and the diary has the exact number of present and missing pages as the original. I know that Mr. Marsella is very proud of his new design and is happy to offer his hand-made diaries to readers of this blog at a generously discounted rate.

Diary collage

Remember, these diaries are all hand-made by Mr. Marsella, with hand tooled leather and printed pages to match the interior of Booth’s diary exactly. The diaries will be aged to replicate the original diary housed at Ford’s Theatre.

In addition to a remarkable replica of Booth’s diary, Mr. Marsella is also throwing in copies of the CDVs of Booth’s ladies found inside the diary and a replica map that was used at the trial of the conspirators.

Mr. Marsella is offering all of these replicas; the diary, CDVs, and map, for the cost of $400 plus $25 shipping. I truly believe the workmanship is worth every penny and the rarity of a good replica makes it a great deal. For comparison, it would cost you $2,500 to purchase a replica diary from the original propmaster on National Treasure 2 and this pricey version would not be as exact as the one Mr. Marsella has created.

For those of you out there who are interested in buying your own replica John Wilkes Booth diary please email me at: boothiebarn (at) gmail (dot) com. Update: Pasquale has no more John Wilkes Booth diaries for sale and will not be making any more. Thank you all for supporting his wonderful creations. From there I’ll send you instructions on how to send Mr. Marsella payment. Please note that Mr. Marsella needs 25 days after payment is received to age and assemble the diary properly.

If it helps convince you, I have an order in for a diary as does the Surratt House Museum which will be putting the replica on display.

If you have any questions for me, or questions I can pass along to Mr. Marsella, please feel free to ask them in the comments below.

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A Busy Conference Weekend

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Dave Taylor

Well the 2013 Surratt Conference has come and gone and what a tremendous event it was!  I’m happily exhausted after such a wonderful weekend socializing and listening to the most knowledgable group of people in the field of the Lincoln assassination.

This was a very special conference for me as I had the honor of presenting about the Garrett family in front of my friends and colleagues.  My speech was graciously received and I was overwhelmed by the kind words extended to me regarding it.  I feel so fortunate to be part of such a supportive and collaborative field of scholars.

What really made the whole weekend special for me was that a descendant of the Garrett family, with whom I’ve been in contact with and visited a few months back, was able to attend the conference.  Today, I took him into Virginia to visit the site of the Garrett house and the church where the Garretts attended.  It really was the most fitting way to end one of the best weekends of my life.  Attached are a few pictures of this weekend, and I only wish I took more.

The title slide of my presenation about the Garrett family

The title slide of my presentation about the Garrett family

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Judges Richard Hughes and I at our author's hour table to discuss the Garrett family

Judges Richard Hughes, the great great-grandson of Richard Henry Garrett, and I at our author’s hour table to discuss the Garrett family

Judge Richard Hughes, far right, at the Garrett site with his mother and brothers in 1957

Judge Richard Hughes, far right, at the Garrett site with his mother and brothers in 1957

Judge Richard Hughes, great great-grandson of Richard Henry Garrett, at the Garrett site in 2013

Judge Richard Hughes, great great-grandson of Richard Henry Garrett, at the Garrett site in 2013

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My Article in “Knife World”

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Dave Taylor

I am shamelessly pleased to announce, that I have an article published in the April edition of “Knife World” magazine.   The article entitled, “Cloak and Daggers: Cutting through the Confusion of the Lincoln Assassination Knives”, contains my research into the the knives used by Booth and his conspirators.

Cloak and Daggers Knife World April 2013

This article in Knife World is a rewrite of the one published in March of 2012 by the Surratt Courier.  The core of the article explains my belief that Ford’s Theatre currently has an incorrect knife identified and displayed as “Booth’s knife”.  After the original article was published, a wonderful colleague and supporter of mine, Jim Garrett, took it over to Ford’s Theatre where he volunteers.  He raised some heck over there, putting copies of my article into the hands of anyone he could find.  With his help, I was able to visit the NPS’ storage facility in Landover, MD.  It was there that I was able to see and hold the knife I believe was taken from Booth’s body upon his death at Garrett’s farm.  A few months later, Ford’s Theatre was contacted by the editor of Knife World who was looking for some information about their knives.  Remembering the heck he raised, Ford’s passed the editor’s request onto Jim, who then forwarded it to me.  After I sent the editor a copy of my article for the Courier, he asked me if I would revise it for his audience and publication.  I was more than happy to do so. I provided them with photographs and illustrations and they arranged the whole thing beautifully.

If you are interested, you can order a copy of the April 2013 edition of “Knife World” with my article inside.  The price for the one issue is $6.00 and that includes shipping.  You can order by emailing them your request at knifepub@knifeworld.com or by calling (865) 397-1955.

I’m very proud of this article because it is reaching a different group of people than would usually read about the assassination.  What’s more, this is the first piece of work that I’ve ever been paid for.  In my eyes this makes me an author and that is a very good feeling.

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