Hidden History of Rhode Island and the Civil War by Frank L. Grzyb

Author:Frank L. Grzyb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2013-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

Part IV

WAR’S END

JOHN WILKES BOOTH AND LUCY LAMBERT HALE

Ten days before assassinating the president, John Wilkes Booth visited the fashionable resort city of Newport. Because Booth’s stay was brief, the visit by the celebrated actor received little publicity. Consequently, what he was doing in Newport and his ultimate intentions are clouded in mystery, but theories abound about his visit, all unproven and impossible to corroborate.

This much is certain: Booth did visit the city on Wednesday, April 5, 1865. Why he decided to leave Washington, D.C., to visit Newport only two days after Richmond surrendered has been cause for speculation. With the exception of amateur historians, scholars have paid little attention to the visit, probably because of the lack of information about Booth’s journey north.

How do we know Booth visited the city? Probably not long after the assassination, an enterprising individual had the vision to preserve the hotel ledger sheet signed by Booth when he registered at the Aquidneck House. The hotel was located on the west side of Corne Street, not far from the center of the city. Legibly signed on a large two-sided folio leaf is the following: “J.W. Booth & Lady.” Booth preferred to employ a much simpler signature for this occasion, using initials of his first and middle name while not looping the h in his surname, which was his general practice when signing autographs for his admirers. He probably desired to remain incognito and not attract attention at a time when he was possibly finalizing plans to either kidnap or assassinate the president. Reports that surfaced after the assassination alluded to Booth’s bouts of heavy drinking and a general appearance of nervousness prior to committing the crime, which may have explained his furtive behavior in Newport.

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