Tessera

Lincoln Assassination Tours

@assassinationtours.bsky.social

Join the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln's assassin in a chartered bus tour through Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. LincolnAssassinationTours.com

65 Posts47 Follower 33 Folgt

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · last wk.

Time is running out for you to buy your tickets for our upcoming tours over the escape route of John Wilkes Booth. Join the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin on our all-day narrated excursions through D.C., Maryland, and Virginia: lincolnassassinationtours.com

A comic book depiction of John Wilkes Booth escaping on a horse at the back door of Ford’s Theatre.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · last mo.

Experience the escape and search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. Tickets for our narrated tours through D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, on Sept. 5, 12, and Oct. 17 are on sale now: lincolnassassinationtours.com/register/

Dave Taylor @linconspirators.bsky.social · last mo.

Since 1865, one of the photographs found on the body of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin has been misidentified. After two years of searching, I’ve found the true identity of the veiled woman. Her name is Laura Redden, and she led a remarkable life: #skystorians 🗃️ lincolnconspirators.com/2026/07/08/u...

Under the Veil: Revealing the True Identity of John Wilkes Booth’s Photograph

The Assassin’s Collection of Photographs In the early morning hours of April 26, 1865, Sgt. Boston Corbett ended the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin by firing the shot that fatally wounded J…

lincolnconspirators.com

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · last mo.

To assist in the search for Abraham Lincoln’s murderer, special envelopes were produced bearing the assassin's image so that his likeness could be spread far and wide. Join the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth with tours on Sept. 5, Sept. 12, and Oct 17, 2026: lincolnassassinationtours.com/register/

An envelope cover featuring the likeness of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Under the woodcut image of Booth’s face are the words: “Hunt the villain down. Scatter this likeness in every section of the country; scan every face, particularly if it shuns you; observe closely the features which cannot change; make due allowance for the beard to grow, the mustache shaved off, and the hair cut. It may be by your means that a benignant Government shall mete out justice to one for whom there should be no mercy.”

Police Gazette @policegazette.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#OTD in @PoliceGazette 1865: Lincoln assassination continuing coverage. John Wilkes Booth is found and killed during confrontation with federal troops.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

On April 30, 1865, Mary Surratt was transferred from the Old Capitol Prison, where she had been held since April 17, to the Arsenal Penitentiary. Originally detained as a witness, this transfer demonstrated the government’s belief that Surratt had taken an active role in John Wilkes Booth’s plot.

A photograph of Mary Surratt with the caption: “Mrs. Mary E. Surratt. Executed July 7, 1865.”

An illustrated page from Harper’s Weekly showing the Arsenal Penitentiary where Mrs. Surratt and the rest of the conspirators were held during their trial.

Police Gazette @policegazette.bsky.social · 4mo ago

#OTD in @PoliceGazette 1865: Continuing coverage of the Lincoln assassination: At left, John Wilkes Booth escapes from Ford's Theater; at right, the president is brought to a room across the street.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

After 12 days on the run, John Wilkes Booth's flight from justice came to an end in the early hours of April 26, 1865. Detectives set fire to the tobacco barn where he was hiding. A gunshot was heard, & the assassin fell, shot in the neck. The coward’s final words were, "Useless, useless."

An illustration of John Wilkes Booth being pulled from the burning Garrett tobacco barn after being shot. The assassin lingered for three hours after being shot in the neck.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Two more successful tours down! Thanks to @regchilton.bsky.social, @cwbc.bsky.social, @joebarry.bsky.social, @iknuppel.bsky.social, and @mpugliese.bsky.social for making the weekend so memorable for our participants. Stay tuned for your chance to join us on a future Lincoln Assassination Tour!

Joe Barry addresses the crowd in Baptist Alley about his research on Joseph Stewart.

The bus group slowly gathers around Rich Hill

The authors and special guests of our April 18 tour: Bill Binzel, Frank Gorman, Joe Barry, Dr. Diane Putney, Jim Garrett, Darin Weeks, Mary Fincher, Dave Taylor, and Ilka Knüppel. Photo courtesy of Mike Pugliese

Author Reignette Chilton posing with Dave Taylor

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A memorial graphic for the death of Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

In 1956, a Maryland resident named Samuel J. Seymour appeared on the TV game show, I've Got a Secret. He was questioned by a panel of celebrities, who quickly determined that Mr. Seymour had witnessed a truly momentous event in our history that occurred 161 years ago today. youtu.be/bJz07pQv1dA

The Last Witness to Abraham Lincoln's Assassination

YouTube video by Lincoln Assassination Tours

youtu.be

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

On April 12, 1865, Richard Smoot visited Mary Surratt's boardinghouse on H St. in D.C. Smoot wanted final payment for his boat that John Surratt had purchased for John Wilkes Booth's plot against Lincoln. Mrs. Surratt told Smoot that the boat would be used soon and was anxious for him to leave.

The Mary Surratt Boardinghouse on H Street in Washington, D.C. as it appeared in 1895

The cover of Richard Smoot's pamphlet, "The Unwritten History of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln."

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 4mo ago

On April 11, 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave his last public address. In the crowd at the White House was Dr. Charles Leale and, it has been claimed, John Wilkes Booth. After hearing Lincoln speak in favor of Black suffrage, Booth is alleged to have said, "That is the last speech he will ever make."

A painting depicting Abraham Lincoln's final public address from the White House on April 11, 1865. Lincoln spoke in favor of readmitting Louisiana to the Union under a new state constitution, though he did not like the fact that the new constitution did not give voting rights to Black citizens. Lincoln's expression in support of Black suffrage caused one of the observers of the speech, John Wilkes Booth (shown on the bottom left), to vow, "That is the last speech he will ever make."

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Our first Lincoln Assassination Tour was a success! We had a great time taking a bus load of folks on the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. We have two more tours scheduled for April and more to be announced for the fall. LincolnAssassinationTours.com

The Surratt Historic Site and Museum in Clinton, Maryland.

The Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House museum in Clinton, MD.

Dent’s Meadow, the spot where Booth set across the Potomac River.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Bettie Rollins in Port Conway, Virginia, gave the vital piece of information that led to John Wilkes Booth’s capture. Read more about her actions in the ALT text. #WomensHistoryMonth

Thousands of soldiers, detectives, and civilians were on the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, and yet John Wilkes Booth still managed to evade capture for 12 days. In the end, it was a stroke of luck that a detachment of the 16th New York Cavalry happened to stumble upon Booth’s trail while in Port Conway, Virginia. While resting there on the banks of the Rappahannock River, the troopers talked with residents William and Bettie Rollins. They mentioned having seen a man with a broken leg matching Booth’s description cross the river just a day before. They also noted that the fugitive was joined by three Confederate soldiers who had crossed the river with him. One of the soldiers was Private Willie Jett. William Rollins couldn’t help the Union troopers further, but Bettie Rollins knew some important information. She knew that Willie Jett had been courting a girl named Izora Gouldman, whose father owned a hotel in the town of Bowling Green. That gave the troopers a destination to head to, and sure enough, they found Jett at the Star Hotel in Bowling Green just as Bettie Rollins predicted. When questioned, Jett immediately told the troopers that Booth could be found at the Garrett farm, and he led the soldiers back there. In the end, it was Bettie Rollins who provided the essential information needed to capture Lincoln’s assassin. #WomensHistoryMonth

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We had such a blast joining Mary and Darin on @cwbc.bsky.social to talk about Lincoln Assassination Tours! In addition the podcast version, you can watch a video of the discussion here: youtu.be/yQ13Oy4LBXc?...

Civil War Breakfast Club Episode 164 - Lincoln Assassination Tour with guest Dave Taylor!

YouTube video by Civil War Breakfast Club

youtu.be

Civil War Breakfast Club Podcast @cwbc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Boop! Our next episode is here and this time we are joined by the Lincoln assassination and John Wilkes Booth historian Dave Taylor to discuss his upcoming Lincoln Assassination Tours that follow Booth’s steps from Ford’s Theater to the Garrett Farm! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Civil War Breakfast Club Podcast @cwbc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

This 1921 photograph shows the former site of the pine thicket in Charles County, Maryland, where John Wilkes Booth and David Herold hid for days following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Check out the ALT text for a full description.

It's hard to imagine, but John Wilkes Booth and David Herold spent the longest part of their flight from justice in the location of this photograph. In 1865, this was the site of a pine thicket, not far from Historic Rich Hill in Charles County, Maryland. For four and a half days, the fugitives hid among the pine brush, evading the Union patrols and waiting for a chance to try and get to the Potomac River. Lincoln's assassins were aided during this time by a Confederate mail agent named Thomas Jones, who regularly brought food and newspapers to the men. This hiding location had been selected as it had earlier been used as a forested "dead drop" where Confederate mail bound for the north was secreted. Booth and Herold hid out near a hollowed-out stump for the purpose. The pine thicket in the area did not last much past 1865. As shown by this #throwback photograph from Ms. Bessie Burns' 1921 album of the escape route of the assassins, the land was cleared for tobacco farms, and railroad tracks were eventually placed not far from the fugitives' hiding place. On a Lincoln Assassination Tour, we'll point out the site of the former Pine Thicket, which now has a house standing on the spot where Booth and Herold waited for days.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

This is Rich Hill circa 1921. After leaving Dr. Mudd’s farm, J W Booth & Herold arrived at Rich Hill seeking help from its owner, Samuel Cox. The fugitives were fed a meal before directed to hide in a nearby pine thicket. Rich Hill will open as a new museum in Charles County, MD, a couple of months.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In 1865, Mary Swann lived at Rich Hill, the home of her former enslaver, Samuel Cox. She was present when John Wilkes Booth & David Herold were led to her home after they had left Dr. Mudd’s house. She lied about the fugitives time there. Read more about her story in the ALT text. #BlackHistoryMonth

During the manhunt, Mary Swann was arrested along with Cox & taken to D.C. She gave two statements stating that the men never entered the house. Cox swore to the same. They were both eventually released. The statements of Cox & Mary were contrary to the testimony of Oswell Swann – the guide who innocently took the fugitives to Rich Hill. Oswell Swann (no relation to Mary) stated that the men spent lots of time inside Rich Hill & were fed a meal. Mary Swann continued to live at Rich Hill after 1865, working as a servant for the Coxes. In 1882, she had married Oscar Kelly, a fellow servant. That same year, Sam Cox, Jr. sold the Kellys a plot of land to make a home. When Booth historian Stanley Kimmel visited the region in the late 1930s, he met “Aunt” Mary Kelly. She still claimed that she had told the truth in 1865 – while also acknowledging that her statement helped saved Samuel Cox’s life. While publicly & to white interviewers like Kimmel, Mary Kelly always swore she told the truth in 1865, amongst the Black residents of Charles County, it was understood that she had lied to protect the Coxes from danger. Mary Swann had a difficult choice in 1865 & beyond. Angering a wealthy white landowner like Cox would have had lifelong repercussions for her, so she chose to be his lifelong ally. Many other formerly enslaved people who didn’t move away after freedom likewise chose appeasement. This appeasement became misconstrued by white authors as the “loyal slave” & “good master” narratives, contributing to the myth of the Lost Cause. But Cox was far from the oxymoronic good enslaver. In fact, in 1862, Cox beat one of his enslaved men to death for reporting on him. It’s not surprising then that Mary Swann Kelly and so many others spent their whole lives appeasing the white folks around them & telling them what they wanted to hear. During Reconstruction and beyond, such appeasement was sometimes the only way to survive. #BlackHistoryMonth

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Rather than partaking in the traditional mattress sale to mark the occasion, why not spend this Presidents' Day learning about how two former Presidents reacted to the news of Abraham Lincoln's assassination: lincolnconspirators.com/2018/01/15/a...

A Buffalo Resident and Lincoln’s Assassination

On Saturday, April 15, the news of Lincoln’s assassination in Washington, D.C. reached the residents of Buffalo, New York. The entire city followed the rest of the nation with massive demonstration…

lincolnconspirators.com

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Happy Valentine's Day! August Valentine Kautz was a German immigrant and army officer who rose to the rank of Major General in the Union army during the Civil War. After the death of Abraham Lincoln, Gen. Kautz was assigned to the military commission that tried the assassination conspirators.

A photograph of a Union general identified as General August V[alentine] Kautz.

A photograph of some of the members of the military commission that tried the Lincoln assassination conspirators. Gen. Kautz is the third figure from the left.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We are quite behind in our #throwback “Trail of Lincoln’s Assassin” images from 1921. Here are pictures of Mary Surratt’s Tavern, St. Mary’s Catholic Church Bryantown, and two photos of the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd. Click the ALT text for details.

We're going to church in today's #throwback from Ms. Bessie Burns' album on "The Trail of Lincoln's Assassin." This is St. Mary's Catholic Church - Bryantown, Maryland, as it appeared in 1921. In the fall and winter of 1864, John Wilkes Booth traveled into Explore Charles County to scout the roads and recruit possible co-conspirators into his initial plot to abduct President Lincoln. On November 13, 1864, Booth attended St. Mary's Bryantown in the company of Dr. William Queen and his family. While at church, Booth was introduced to Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, marking the first time the two men met. Booth would return to the area on December 17, this time staying some time at Dr. Mudd's home. How much Dr. Mudd knew about Booth's plot against the President is a matter of great debate, but there is no doubt that the doctor knew Booth before the assassin sought medical attention for his broken leg during his escape. After Dr. Mudd's death in 1883, he was buried at St. Mary's near the front of the church. To the left of the group of standing parishioners in this photograph, you can see a small white headstone. This *might* be the original gravestone of Dr. Samuel Mudd. The Mudd family erected a replacement stone for the doctor and his wife in 1940, but the original gravestone can be seen today at the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum. On a Lincoln Assassination Tour, we drive right up to St. Mary's Catholic Church and point out the final resting place of the man whose name is Mudd.

Here's another #throwback to 1921 and Ms. Bessie Burns' "Trail of Lincoln's Assassin" photo album. These are two photographs of the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd near Waldorf, Maryland. Dr. and Mrs. Mudd were awakened at around 4:00 am on April 15, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth and his accomplice, David Herold. Dr. Mudd provided medical attention to Booth's broken leg, and the fugitives rested at the home for about 12 hours before continuing on. The standing figure in the second photograph is Samuel A. Mudd II, the son of the man who went to prison for his involvement in John Wilkes Booth's plot. Through the efforts of some of Dr. Mudd's grandchildren in the 1970s and 80s, the home and surrounding property were turned into a museum. All Lincoln Assassination Tours visit the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum, which has done an amazing job over the past decade to tell a more honest and inclusive story about its past.

Another shot of the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House with Sam Mudd II shown. See the prior image for more info.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Our March 14, 2026, Lincoln Assassination Tour is officially sold out! We're so excited to have a completely full bus for our inaugural tour over the escape route of John Wilkes Booth. There are still tickets available for our tours on April 18 and April 19 at www.lincolnassassinationtours.com

A graphic showing the three planned Lincoln Assassination Tours for Spring 2026, with the words Sold Out on top of the March 14th date.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 6mo ago

On April 15, 1865, Robert Nelson found a knife laying in front of William Seward’s home. Hours earlier, Seward was attacked with the knife by conspirator Lewis Powell. Nelson turned it over to the authorities & later testified about it at the trial of the conspirators. #BlackHistoryMonth

A Lincoln assassination your badge with an image of the trial testimony from Robert Nelson. The text on the badge reads: “26. Robert Nelson - On April 15, Nelson discovered the knife used by Lewis Powell to attack the Seward household lying in the street. He turned it over to the authorities.”

The knife used by conspirator Lewis Powell when he attacked the home of William Seward which was picked up by Robert Nelson and turned over to the authorities. It was later gifted to George Robinson, the army nurse who saved Seward, and his descendants gave it to the Huntington Library in California.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Abraham Lincoln by William H. Johnson, ca. 1945. This painting shows scenes surrounding the life and death of Abraham Lincoln. It was painted by William H. Johnson, one of the nation's foremost Black artists of the 20th century. Check out the ALT text for more. #BlackHistoryMonth #skystorians 🗃️

This painting depicts the 16th President surrounded by small scenes related to his life and death. The small log cabin and U.S. Capitol represent his rise from humble beginnings to the highest office in the land. The flags, hands holding a piece of paper, quill, and graves reference Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The capture and death of Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, is shown on the top right. This is followed by a depiction of the gallows where four of Booth's co-conspirators were executed and the prison bars for the remaining conspirators.

William H. Johnson (1901-1970) was born into a poor African American family in South Carolina. At the age of 17, he moved to New York and held multiple jobs to pay for classes at the National Academy of Design. He later traveled to Europe, where he met and married Danish artist Holcha Krake. Inspired by Krake's background in Scandinavian folk art, Johnson began to create American folk art scenes, often focusing on the lives of Black Americans. The rise of Nazism led Johnson and Krake to return to the U.S., where Johnson became a teacher at the Harlem Community Art Center. Back in New York, Johnson was motivated to "paint his own people" and produced hundreds of paintings showcasing African American culture and history. Johnson was deeply affected by the death of Holcha Krake in 1944 from breast cancer. His grief, combined with medical issues, led him to be institutionalized on Long Island starting in 1947 until his death in 1970. His collection was almost lost during his institutionalization, as he had no funds to pay for its continued storage. Luckily, a group of friends had the works transferred to the Harmon Foundation, which funded and collected the work of Black artists. In 1967, the Harmon Foundation presented the Smithsonian with over 1,000 paintings and prints by William H. Johnson. Johnson is considered one of the nation's foremost African American artists of the 20th century. #BlackHistoryMonth

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Hooray! Our John Wilkes Booth escape route tour on Sunday, April 19, 2026, is now confirmed. Thanks to everyone who purchased their tickets early in advance to make this happen. There are still tickets available for all 3 of our spring tours. Register now: lincolnassassinationtours.com/register/

An image advertising the April 19, 2026 Lincoln Assassination Tour of the escape route of John Wilkes Booth, with the word “Confirmed” written in big green letters on top.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Some folks in Alaska have a view of Mount Sergeant Robinson, a 10,660-foot-tall peak in the Chugach Mountains. It was named after Private George Foster Robinson, the army nurse who was tending to Secretary of State William Seward on the night Lewis Powell attacked the household.

A photograph of Mount Sergeant Robinson, a peak in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska taken by photographer Tony Naciuk.

A Lincoln Assassination Tour badge of Private George Foster Robinson. The text next to the image of Robinson states “An army nurse caring for William Seward, Robinson fought off Lewis Powell’s attack. He earned a medal & an Alaskan mountain is named after him.”

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 7mo ago

The Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, after a snowfall in the 1930s.

A sepia toned photograph of the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois m, with snow and ice on the trees, ground, and memorial. The photo was taken in the 1930s and is in the collection of the ALPLM.

Lincoln Assassination Tours @assassinationtours.bsky.social · 7mo ago

We're wishing everyone in the path of the big winter storm the comfort of a big, toasty fire. Even if you're snowed in, there's no need to feel "useless, useless." You can still register for a spring 2026 Lincoln Assassination Tour! lincolnassassinationtours.com/register/

A drawing of the capture of John Wilkes Booth. Booth is shown looking at his hands while a large fire burns in the background.