Map showing the route of Booth's flight from the rear of Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C., to Garrett's farm near Port Royal, Va., where the assassin was shot and died, April 26, 1865.

The Flight of Booth

In his flight from the alley behind Ford's Theatre, Booth passed along F Street, around the Capitol to Pennsylvania Avenue, and crossed the Navy Yard Bridge. He was overtaken shortly afterward by his accomplice, David Herold, They stopped at Lloyd's Tavern, Surrattsville, Md., at midnight April 14, to obtain whisky and a carbine secreted there beforehand. At 4 a. m., April 15, they reached the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, near Bryantown, Md., who set Booth's broken left leg. The flight was resumed late in the afternoon of April 15, and at midnight the fugitives arrived at the residence of Samuel Cox. They were concealed in a nearby thicket and supplied with food by Thomas Jones, foster brother of Cox, until April 21, when they started the journey to the Potomac River. They were aided in crossing the river by Jones, and reached the Virginia shore on the morning of April 23.

After crossing the Potomac, Booth and Herold were directed to the home of Richard H. Garrett, near Port Royal, Va. They reached there at 4 p. m. on April 24. At 2 a. m., April 26, a cavalry detachment of 28 men under Col. E. J. Conger tracked Booth and Herold to Garrett's barn. Herold surrendered, but Booth refused. The barn was set afire, and Booth, advancing toward the open door, was shot through the neck. Sgt. Boston Corbett claimed to have fired the shot. The wounded Booth was dragged from the flaming structure to the front porch of Garrett's house, where he died at 5:30 a.m. His body was brought back to the Washington Navy Yard, identified, and buried beneath a cell in the Penitentiary at the Arsenal grounds on April 27, where it remained until October 1, 1867, when it was removed to the nearby Arsenal Warehouse. In February 1869, his body was released to his family.