The trail of an assassin

lakota · 08-04-2009, 05:09 PM

On the way home from my trip to Alaska in June I stopped at three National Historic Sites related to the life of Abraham Lincoln. This sort of whetted my appetite for things Lincoln so I decided to follow up on him. My idea was to follow the events that grew out of his assassination on April 14, 1865. This ride is the “Trail of the Assassin”.

The original plot was one to kidnap the president. It was hatched at the Surratt Boarding House(photo of a photo).

Now the site of a Chinese restaurant.

Lincoln was attending the Ford’s Theater performance or “ Our American Cousin” when, at 1030 PM, John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head.

He jumped down on the stage, ran out the back, and rode down this alley

(probably didn’t look like this then) and headed out of town. [History says that Booth broke his leg in the jump to the stage. Some modern historians think the break occurred later when his horse rolled on him {modern equivalent of dropping your bike}. My friend Jack says that the pain of riding a horse a long distance would have been virtually unbearable, having had to ride six miles in Chile with his leg broken]. Lincoln was taken across the street to the Peterson House, where he died on April 15th.

Booth rode across the Navy Yard Bridge, now replaced by the 11^th Street Bridge, a part of I-295.

The first stop on the escape route was the Surattsville Tavern, today in Clinton MD. Here he picked up guns, ammunition, and field glasses.

The next stop was at the farm of Doctor Samuel Mudd to have his leg treated. (house was closed when we were there)

Mudd would later claim that he did not know Booth, but it is known that they had met in November, 1864, at St Mary’s Church near Bryantown MD.

Booth stayed at Mudd’s for about 13 hours and then went south. He wanted to go to Bryantown but the Union troops in pursuit have set up headquarters in the Bryantown Tavern.

Booth (and companion David Herold) decide to go to the home of Samuel Cox.

Cox has his plantation overseer hide them in a pine thicket near Bel Alton MD, where they remain for five days. Cox provides them with food and newspapers. Booth learns that he is reviled both in the North and South.

On the night of April 20 Thomas Jones leads Booth to his home on the Potomac.

He puts them in a boat near Dent’s Meadow, where they start the long row across the river.

They are almost discovered by a Union patrol boat and end up spending going ashore near Indiantown MD, where they spend another day and night. On the night of the 22^nd they cross the river, landing south of Dahlgren VA early on the 23^rd. They go to the home of Mrs Quesenberry,

who arranges for them to go to Richard Stuart.

Stuart refuses to help them and sends them to a neighbor. On the 24^th they continue south and cross the Rappahannock River in the company of three Confederate soldiers. One of the soldiers goes to Peyton House in Port Royal VA

looking for shelter for Booth but is turned away. Later that afternoon they arrive at Garrett’s Farm. Union troops catch up with Booth and Herold early on April 26^th Herold surrenders and Booth is shot and killed.

His body is taken to the Washington Navy Yard.
The other conspirators are tried at the Washington Arsenal, now Fort McNair. Mary Surratt and three other co-conspirators are hanged there.

A nice ride that took all day. It was a lot of fun and very interesting.

badcherrys · 08-04-2009, 06:13 PM

this was very intresting,thanks for posting it.

captodport · 08-04-2009, 06:28 PM

Very good RR, I just love reading the history rides. I also like the way you get current photos of old historic sites.

gatling · 08-04-2009, 07:50 PM

Very interesting, and very nicely done.

Thanks.

GB · 08-04-2009, 07:58 PM

Thank you for the historic narrative and tour! Most interesting indeed

..

AirDrive · 08-04-2009, 08:03 PM

Super interesting. Did you have to plot your course to follow the trail in the proper sequence? Or is there a guide book that leads you to each site?

Cloud9 · 08-04-2009, 08:08 PM

Thanks for the ride!

the darth peach · 08-04-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Thank you for the historic narrative and tour! Most interesting indeed

..

Couldn't have said it better.

WaywardSon · 08-04-2009, 08:19 PM

Most interesting...and pretty neat that while some of those places are not in the best of shape, they are still standing to remind us of those times. Thanks for taking the time to take us along.

idea man · 08-04-2009, 10:11 PM

Very interesting. Thanks for taking us there. Enjoyed the Alaska trip too.

DRZFZ1 · 08-04-2009, 10:54 PM

Dr Mudd got to spend some quality time at a prison fort on an island off the end of the Florida Keys for his involvement.

Hughlysses · 08-05-2009, 02:33 AM

Very interesting report. Thanks for taking us along.

lakota · 08-05-2009, 03:50 AM

Thanks to everyone for the nice comments

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirDrive

Super interesting. Did you have to plot your course to follow the trail in the proper sequence? Or is there a guide book that leads you to each site?

Google is a marvelous tool. Just kept looking for stuff till i got it all together. Too cheap to buy a book where the heavy lifting would have been done for me.

Did buy a map at Surratt's Tavern that showed the route and helped when the directions I had put together proved to be a little sketchy.

JaxObsessed · 08-05-2009, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hughlysses

Very interesting report. Thanks for taking us along.

+1
Thanks Lakota!

If you haven't already....Read his Alaska report... Truly a Geezer on a mission.

jkspecht · 08-05-2009, 07:40 AM

Great history lesson, enjoyed it!

08-04-2009, 05:09 PM	#1
lakota ^OP Geeser Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Annapolis MD Oddometer: 2,169	The trail of an assassin On the way home from my trip to Alaska in June I stopped at three National Historic Sites related to the life of Abraham Lincoln. This sort of whetted my appetite for things Lincoln so I decided to follow up on him. My idea was to follow the events that grew out of his assassination on April 14, 1865. This ride is the “Trail of the Assassin”. The original plot was one to kidnap the president. It was hatched at the Surratt Boarding House(photo of a photo). Now the site of a Chinese restaurant. Lincoln was attending the Ford’s Theater performance or “ Our American Cousin” when, at 1030 PM, John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head. He jumped down on the stage, ran out the back, and rode down this alley (probably didn’t look like this then) and headed out of town. [History says that Booth broke his leg in the jump to the stage. Some modern historians think the break occurred later when his horse rolled on him {modern equivalent of dropping your bike}. My friend Jack says that the pain of riding a horse a long distance would have been virtually unbearable, having had to ride six miles in Chile with his leg broken]. Lincoln was taken across the street to the Peterson House, where he died on April 15th. Booth rode across the Navy Yard Bridge, now replaced by the 11^th Street Bridge, a part of I-295. The first stop on the escape route was the Surattsville Tavern, today in Clinton MD. Here he picked up guns, ammunition, and field glasses. The next stop was at the farm of Doctor Samuel Mudd to have his leg treated. (house was closed when we were there) Mudd would later claim that he did not know Booth, but it is known that they had met in November, 1864, at St Mary’s Church near Bryantown MD. Booth stayed at Mudd’s for about 13 hours and then went south. He wanted to go to Bryantown but the Union troops in pursuit have set up headquarters in the Bryantown Tavern. Booth (and companion David Herold) decide to go to the home of Samuel Cox. Cox has his plantation overseer hide them in a pine thicket near Bel Alton MD, where they remain for five days. Cox provides them with food and newspapers. Booth learns that he is reviled both in the North and South. On the night of April 20 Thomas Jones leads Booth to his home on the Potomac. He puts them in a boat near Dent’s Meadow, where they start the long row across the river. They are almost discovered by a Union patrol boat and end up spending going ashore near Indiantown MD, where they spend another day and night. On the night of the 22^nd they cross the river, landing south of Dahlgren VA early on the 23^rd. They go to the home of Mrs Quesenberry, who arranges for them to go to Richard Stuart. Stuart refuses to help them and sends them to a neighbor. On the 24^th they continue south and cross the Rappahannock River in the company of three Confederate soldiers. One of the soldiers goes to Peyton House in Port Royal VA looking for shelter for Booth but is turned away. Later that afternoon they arrive at Garrett’s Farm. Union troops catch up with Booth and Herold early on April 26^th Herold surrenders and Booth is shot and killed. His body is taken to the Washington Navy Yard. The other conspirators are tried at the Washington Arsenal, now Fort McNair. Mary Surratt and three other co-conspirators are hanged there. A nice ride that took all day. It was a lot of fun and very interesting. __________________ IBA #42016 CDR 2012 Nova Scotia 2011 Taking Molly to Atlantis Labador Newfoundland Nova Scotia 2010 Trail of an Assassin Alaska 2009 follow the ride on spot

08-04-2009, 06:28 PM	#3
captodport Adventurer Joined: Feb 2009 Location: Looosyana, USA Oddometer: 81	Thanks Very good RR, I just love reading the history rides. I also like the way you get current photos of old historic sites. __________________ I started with nothin', and still have most of it.

08-04-2009, 07:50 PM	#4
gatling Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2006 Oddometer: 1,961	Very interesting, and very nicely done. Thanks. __________________ www.motofoto.cc www.CaliforniaScooterCo.com/blog/ '06 KLR 650 (Red...the fast one...) '10 California Scooter (my Baja Blaster!)

08-04-2009, 07:58 PM	#5
GB Mod Squad Joined: Aug 2002 Location: Toronto, ON Oddometer: 53,462	Thank you for the historic narrative and tour! Most interesting indeed .. __________________ ADV decals, patches & flag? Here

08-04-2009, 08:19 PM	#9
WaywardSon Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Paducah, Kentucky Oddometer: 1,139	Most interesting...and pretty neat that while some of those places are not in the best of shape, they are still standing to remind us of those times. Thanks for taking the time to take us along. __________________ '99 K1200 LT '96 R1100 RT- Gone '95 K1100 LT- Gone '83 Yamaha Venture- Gone '78 Suzuki GS 750- Gone

08-04-2009, 06:13 PM	#2
badcherrys is????? Joined: Dec 2008 Location: Essex in the U.K Oddometer: 89	this was very intresting,thanks for posting it.

08-04-2009, 08:03 PM	#6
AirDrive Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2009 Location: Central California Oddometer: 198	Super interesting. Did you have to plot your course to follow the trail in the proper sequence? Or is there a guide book that leads you to each site?

08-04-2009, 08:08 PM	#7
Cloud9 I was HERE? Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Grand Junction, CO., USA Oddometer: 1,876	Thanks for the ride!

08-04-2009, 10:11 PM	#10
idea man Plate Spinner Joined: Jun 2006 Location: 101 and 246, CA Oddometer: 2,510	Very interesting. Thanks for taking us there. Enjoyed the Alaska trip too. __________________ "You know sir, there is a fine line between Badass and Dumbass." Medical Records Lady []'06 1150 GSA Thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=375824[]'06 1150 GSA SE Registry: http://www.ericsyn.com/2006bmwr1150gsadv.html[*]Great Ride North, Alaska/Yukon '09 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=494846[/LIST]

08-04-2009, 10:54 PM	#11
DRZFZ1 Adventurer Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Reno, NV Oddometer: 16	Dr Mudd got to spend some quality time at a prison fort on an island off the end of the Florida Keys for his involvement.

08-05-2009, 02:33 AM	#12
Hughlysses Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Summerville, SC Oddometer: 2,644	Very interesting report. Thanks for taking us along. __________________ 2007 Buell XB12X Ulysses 1983 Honda VT500FT Ascot

08-05-2009, 07:40 AM	#15
jkspecht JKSpecht Joined: Jun 2008 Location: Moneta, VA Oddometer: 86	Great history lesson, enjoyed it! __________________ http://www.jasonspecht.com 2003 BMW F650GS 2001 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4

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