Full Title

Telegram calling for the arrest of John Wilkes Booth

Description

A telegram from Col. E.B. Alexander in St. Louis, MO to Capt. Hubbard in Springfield IL calling for the arrest of John Wilkes Booth.

Source

Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Rights

This item is in the public domain and may be reproduced and used for any purpose, including research, teaching, private study, publication, broadcast or commercial use, with proper citation and attribution.

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E.B. Alexander. "Telegram calling for the arrest of John Wilkes Booth". Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/1173

Creator

E.B. Alexander

Date

April 15, 1865

Full Title

"John Wilkes Booth Shot and Killed"

Description

News article with bylines: J. Wilkes Booth shot and killed, His accomplice Harrold captured, Booth's body and Harrold's in Washington. The article gives details of the capture.

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

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Louisville Daily Journal. ""John Wilkes Booth Shot and Killed"". Louisville Daily Journal. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/807

Creator

Louisville Daily Journal

Publisher

Louisville Daily Journal

Date

April 28, 1865

Material

newspaper

Full Title

Wilkes Booth and his Dead Body [From the Cincinnati Union of Sunday]

Description

News article with details of what happened to the body of John Wilkes Booth.

Transcription

Wilkes Booth and his Dead Body. -
[From the Cincinnati Union of Sunday}
The Louisville Courier has the following:
“Wilkes Booth, whose body Secretary Stanton took so much pains to dispose of, so that no man should ever know the spot where it was buried, is reported to be in Europe. The story is that the man who ‘Boston Corbett’ so heroically shot, and whose body Stanton refused to exhibit to any one that ever saw Booth, was a poor wretch hired by the assassins to personate Booth, in order to facilitate the escape of the latter. Whether there be or be not any truth in this story, it will never cease to be a suspicious circumstance connected with the fate of Wilkes Booth, that Stan-ton refused to deliver the body that was brought up from Virginia to his friends or even to let them look upon it.”
Dating a couple of months from the time that Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, was shot and killed by Boston Corbett, in the attempt to capture him, sensation stories like the above have been of frequent occurrence. Of course there is not a shadow of truth in the tale of Booth being still alive. The body was fully recognized as being that of Booth, and although tales were told about it be-ing secretly taken out to sea and sunk, and others about it being buried at mid-night, in an obscure place, by two men employed by Government, and who were sworn to secrecy, yet facts, known to but few, and carefully kept from the newspa-per press, show that the body was given over to the relatives of Booth, and that it was buried in either New England or in Canada.
The facts, as we had them at the time on authority not to be doubted, are as follows:
A few days before the body of Booth so mysteriously disappeared, our informant, a resident of New York, and favorably known as a dramatic writer, was called upon after bank hours to cash the draft of an undertaker, a near neighbor, who stated that he had received an order from the Booth family, to repair to Washington with a coffin, and there to receive the body of John Wilkes Booth, which would be surrendered to him on their order, and to convey it North for burial. The under-taker said he would return, and pass through New York, en route with the body, on a Thursday evening, or on Friday morning of the same week.
The morning after the undertaker left Washington, the report came by telegraph that the body had mysteriously disappear-ed—that it had been secretly buried—one report said in an old field, another in the Penitentiary yard, and still another that it had been taken to sea and sunk.
The undertaker did not return to his family until some days had elapsed. He came from the North, but declined to give any information relative to the place where John Wilkes Booth, under another name, had been buried. Should it get out, he said, the grave would be violated and the body removed, and the family were naturally anxious that this should not be.
These facts coming to us from the source they did, are more than sufficient to convince us, not only of the death of John Wilkes Booth, but that his body, with a pledge of secrecy freely given and fully kept, was given over to his family for burial, and that, except the relatives of Booth and the undertaker, no living being knows where the last remains of John Wilkes Booth are interred. No slab marks the last resting place of the assas-sin. The man who dug the grave knew not for whom it was intended, and in the burial permit was inserted a false name. In his unknown grave the assassin will lie until the grave gives up its sheeted dead, and all are called to judgement.

[Transcription by Alicia B., Ford's Theatre Society.]

Source

Springer Collection, Oakland University Special Collections

Rights

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Louisville Courier. "Wilkes Booth and his Dead Body [From the Cincinnati Union of Sunday]". Louisville Courier. Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/806

Creator

Louisville Courier

Publisher

Louisville Courier

Date

September 18, 1866

Material

newspaper

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., to Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, April 18, 1865

Description

States, "Two prisoners viz Mike O'Flaherty & Lewis Payne [alias Lewis Powell] have, during the past night, been delivered at this yard, confined & strongly Guarded in double Irons on board of the 'Ganges'. . . ." Relates to the capture of suspected conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

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This item is in the public domain.

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Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-. "Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., to Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, April 18, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/646

Creator

Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-

Publisher

Date

April 18, 1865

Material

Full Title

Note signed M. Winship, Headquarters Provost Marshal General, Defences South of Potomac, Alexandria, Va., to Geo. R. Maguire, Fairfax C.H., April 17, 1865

Description

States, "Send him to these Hd Qtrs under guard . . ." Refers to the capture of John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Lincoln.

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

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Winship, M.. "Note signed M. Winship, Headquarters Provost Marshal General, Defences South of Potomac, Alexandria, Va., to Geo. R. Maguire, Fairfax C.H., April 17, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/639

Creator

Winship, M.

Publisher

Date

April 17, 1865

Material

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, to G.V. Fox, Asst. Secretary of the Navy, Navy Dept., April 25, 1865

Description

States, ". . . .The moment the hoods could be made they were applied as directed. The Prisoners were all hooded yesterday. They are in all respects entirely secure. . . ." Refers to the capture of conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

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Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-. "Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, to G.V. Fox, Asst. Secretary of the Navy, Navy Dept., April 25, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/661

Creator

Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-

Publisher

Date

April 25, 1865

Material

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., to Hon. Secretary of the Navy [Gideon Welles], Navy Department, April 26, 1865

Description

States, "By order of Maj. Genl. Augur, John Celestino (prisoner) was delivered last night at the yard and confined as directed. . . ." Refers to the capture of a suspected conspirator of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

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Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-. "Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., to Hon. Secretary of the Navy [Gideon Welles], Navy Department, April 26, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/660

Creator

Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-

Publisher

Date

April 26, 1865

Material

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, to Hon. Secretary of the Navy [Gideon Welles], Washington, D.C., April 30, 1865

Description

States, "Telegram received at 9 O'Clock last night. Eight Prisoners delivered to General Hancock at 10.30 P.M. & Military guard left the yard at 11 O'Clock. . . ." Refers to the capture of suspected conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

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Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-. "Contemporary copy of telegram of J.B. Montgomery, Navy Yard, Washington, to Hon. Secretary of the Navy [Gideon Welles], Washington, D.C., April 30, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/669

Creator

Montgomery, John Berrien, 1794-

Publisher

Date

April 30, 1865

Material

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of Gideon Welles, Office U.S. Military Telegraph, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., to Com. F.A. Parker, U.S.A., Relay House, April 22, 1865

Description

States, "I have countermanded your order to send the Don to Baltimore. Join your command without delay and give effect by your presence to the prevention of boats leaving the Maryland shores. Allow no absences or cessation of vigilance in the part of officers or vessel. Your absence is strongly disapproved at this time. . . ." Relates to the hunt for conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

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Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878. "Contemporary copy of telegram of Gideon Welles, Office U.S. Military Telegraph, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., to Com. F.A. Parker, U.S.A., Relay House, April 22, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/654

Creator

Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878

Publisher

Date

April 22, 1865

Material

Full Title

Contemporary copy of telegram of M. Winship, Headquarters Provost Marshal General, Defences South of Potomac, Alexandria, Va., to Col. Taylor, Chf. of Staff and A.A.G., April 22, 1865

Description

States, "Your message is rec'd the car will start immediately with instruction to Publish to fishermen, negroes and others a Description of the assassins and the reward for their apprehension. And to scout and picket the river to below Dumfries, until further orders. . . ." Relates to the hunt for conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Rights

This item is in the public domain.

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Winship, M.. "Contemporary copy of telegram of M. Winship, Headquarters Provost Marshal General, Defences South of Potomac, Alexandria, Va., to Col. Taylor, Chf. of Staff and A.A.G., April 22, 1865". . Remembering Lincoln. Web. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://rememberinglincoln.fords.org/node/652

Creator

Winship, M.

Publisher

Date

April 22, 1865

Material