The Life, Crime, and Capture of John Wilkes Booth (EXCERPT from the first pages)
Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers, New York, 1865

EXPLANATORY

One year ago the writer of the letters which follow, visited the Battlefield of Waterloo. In looking over many relics of the combat preserved in the Museum there, he was particularly interested in the files of journals contemporary with the action. These contained the Duke of Wellington's first dispatch announcing the victory, the reports of the subordinate commanders, and the current gossip as to the episodes and hazards of the day.

The time will come when remarkable incidents of these our times will be a staple of as great curiosity as the issue of Waterloo. It is an incident without precedent on this side of the globe, and never to be repeated.

Assassination has made its last effort to become indigenous here. The public sentiment of Loyalist and rebel has denounced it: the world has remarked it with uplifted hands and words of execration. Therefore, as long as history shall hold good, the murder of the President will be a theme for poetry, romance, and tragedy. We who live in this consecrated time keep the sacred souvenirs of Mr. Lincoln's death in our possession; and the best of these are the news letters descriptive of his apotheosis, and of the conspirators who slew him.

I represented World newspapers at Washington during the whole of those exciting weeks, and wrote their occurrences fresh from the mouths of the actors.

PREFATORY

It has seemed fitting to Messrs. Dick & Fitzgerald to reproduce the World letters, as a keepsake for the many who received them kindly. The Sketches appended were conscientiously written, and whatever embellishments they may seem to have grew out of the stirring events - not out of my fancy.

Subsequent investigation has confirmed the veracity even of their speculations. I have arranged them but have not altered them; if they represent nothing else, they do carry with them the fever and spirit of the time. But they do not assume to be literal history; we live too close to the events related to decide positively upon them. As a brochure of the day - nothing more - I give these Sketches of a Correspondent to the public. G.A.T. (George Alfred Townsend)

LETTER I
THE MURDER
Washington, April 17

Some very deliberate and extraordinary movements were made by a handsome and extremely well-dressed young man in the city of Washington last Friday. At about half-past eleven o'clock A.M., this person, whose name is J. Wilkes Booth, by profession an actor, and recently engaged in oil speculations, sauntered into Ford's Theater, on Tenth, between E and F streets, and exchanged greetings with the man at the box-office. In the conversation which ensued, the ticket agent informed Booth that a box was taken for Mr. Lincoln and General Grant, who were expected to visit the theater, and contribute to the benefit of Miss Laura Keene, and satisfy the curiosity of the large audience. Mr. Booth went away with a jest, and a lightly spoken "Good afternoon." Strolling down to Pumphreys' stable, on C Street, in the rear of the National Hotel, he engaged a saddle horse, a high-strung, fast, beautiful mare, telling Mr. Pumphreys that he should call for her in the middle of the afternoon.

From there he went to the Kirkwood Hotel, on the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Twelfth street, where, calling for a card and a sheet of note paper, he sat down and wrote upon the first as follows:

For Mr. Andrew Johnson:
I don't wish to disturb you; are you at home?
J.W. Booth

To this message, which was sent up by the obliging clerk, Mr. Johnson responded that he was very busily engaged. Mr. Booth smiled, and turning to his sheet of note paper, wrote on it. The fact, if fact it is, that he had been disappointed in not obtaining an examination of the Vice President's apartment and a knowledge of the Vice President's probable whereabouts the ensuing evening, in no way affected his composure. The note, the contents of which are unknown, was signed and sealed within a few moments. Booth arose, bowed to acquaintance, and passed into the street. His elegant person was seen on the avenue a few minutes, and was withdrawn into the Metropolitan Hotel.

At 4 P.M., he again appeared at Pumphrey's livery stable, mounted the mare he had engaged, rode leisurely up F street, turned into an alley between Ninth and Tenth streets, and thence into an alley leading to the rear of Ford's Theater, which fronts on Tenth street, between E and F streets. Here he alighted and deposited the mare in a small stable off the alley, which he had hired some time before for the accommodation of a saddle horse which he had recently sold. Mr. Booth soon afterward retired from the stable, and is supposed to have refreshed himself at a neighboring bar-room.

At 8 o'clock the same evening, President Lincoln and Speaker Colfax sat together in a private room at the Whit House, pleasantly conversing. General grant, with whom the President had engaged to attend Ford's Theater that evening, had left with his wife for Burlington, New Jersey, in the 6 o'clock train. After his departure, Mr. Lincoln rather reluctantly determined to keep his part of the engagement, rather than disappoint his friends and the audience. Mrs. Lincoln, entering the room and turning to Mr. Colfax, said in a half laughing, half serious way, "Well, Mr. Lincoln, are you going to the theater with me or not?" "I suppose I shall have to go, Mr. Colfax, said the President, and the Speaker took his leave in the company of Major Rathbone, of the Provost Marshal General office, who escorted Miss Harris, daughter of Senator Harris, of New York. Mr. And Mrs. Lincoln reached Ford's Theater at twenty minutes before 9 o'clock.