Existing comment:
On The Run:
After escaping Washington, Booth and Herold hid out in dense woods on the Maryland side of the Potomac River before crossing into Virginia. Cold, wet, and exhausted, the conspirators welcomes assistance from a former Confederate soldier named Willie Jett. On April 24, Jett guided them to the farm of Richard Garrett, near Port Royal in Caroline County, Virginia. Using the false name of James W. Boyd, Booth told the Garretts he was a wounded Confederate soldier making his way home. The family welcomed the travelers.
The Snare Tightens:
On April 24, tipped off by a report of two men seen crossing the Potomac, 25 soldiers from the 16th New York Cavalry regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Edward P. Doherty, were ordered to join the search for Lincoln's assassin. The 16th regiment was stationed in Washington when the War Department selected them to pursue Booth. |