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Dr. Samuel A. MuddAmerican History | 5 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
24 On reaching the Virginia shore on Sunday, April 23, Booth and Herold made their way to the home of Elizabeth Quesenberry, a member of the Confederate underground. Quesenberry sent word to Harbin to come at once and take charge of the two fugitives. Harbin arrived and soon passed Booth and Herold to William Bryant, one of Harbin’s agents. Harbin instructed Bryant to take the two men to their next destination, the home of Dr. Richard Stuart, known as Cleydale, located in King George County, Virginia. Subscribe Today
25 By the time the military authorities were rounding up suspects, Harbin had disappeared. He was last seen at Ashland, Virginia, on April 28, 1865, where he secured parole as a member of Company B, First Maryland Cavalry, which appears to have been a cover for his underground activities. There is no record that Harbin was ever a member of this unit. Parole in hand, Harbin disappeared for five years only to reappear in 1870 as clerk of the National Hotel in Washington, D.C., where he worked until his death in 1885. See Retribution, 341-342.
26 See testimony of Alexander Lovett in Poore, vol. 1, 268, and testimony of Henry H. Wells in Poore, vol. 1, 286.
27 Pitmann, 326.
28 See testimony of Eaton G. Horner in Poore, vol. 1, 430 and 435.
29 The letters of introduction to Dr. Queen and Dr. Mudd were written by Patrick C. Martin. Martin was a Baltimore liquor dealer who had established a Confederate Secret Service base in Montreal in the summer of 1862. Here he arranged for blockade running and was a party to the plan to free Confederate prisoners at Johnson’s Island. Booth had gone to Montreal in October 1864, where he arranged with Martin to have his theatrical wardrobe shipped to a Southern port. He also secured letters of introduction from Martin to Mudd and Queen.
30 For Atzerod’s statement, see Lost Confession, 2-3.
31 Statement of Richard Stuart, NARA., M-599, reel 6, frames 0205-0211 (dated May 6, 1865).
32 The claim that Mudd received and distributed mail for the Confederate underground is supported by a statement found in the Provost Marshal’s file dated August 31, 1863. Charges filed in 1863 by two former Mudd family slaves state in part, as some cavalry were making a search in the vicinity, Samuel Mud’s [sic] wife ran into the kitchen and threw a bundle of Rebel mail into the fire…. NARA, Record Group 109, M416, Union Provost Marshal’s File of Papers Relating to Two or More Civilians, File 6083.
33 Photocopy of Samuel Cox, Jr., notations obtained from the files of James O. Hall. Samuel Cox, Jr.’s, claim regarding Mudd may also be found in Osborn H. Oldroyd, Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (Washington, D.C.: privately printed, 1901), 265-269. The original copy of Cox, Jr.’s copy of Jones’ book now resides in the Maryland Historical Society.
34 Statement by Frederick Stone quoted in Hal Higdon, The Union vs. Dr. Mudd (Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1964), 208. > This article was written by Edward Steers, Jr. and originally appeared in the Summer 1998 issue of Columbiad. For more great articles, subscribe to American History magazine today! Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
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5 Comments to “Dr. Samuel A. Mudd”
I met Mudd’s grandson, 20 years or so ago. He invited me to his house in Saginaw, Mi. He had me convinced. But after more reading and research, I have probably come to the conclusion that Mudd did know Booth. He did realize soon on that it was Booth whose leg he was fixing. And I think that he probably told Mudd that he had just shot Lincoln. I’m still not convinced that he had anything to do with the assassination or kidnappng beyond that. Getting life in prison (although pardoned by Johnson) seemed a bit harsh. I think 10 years would have covered it.
By Randy on Jun 19, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Mudd was guity then and he is guity now,his name is mudd for a reason.
By katie kennedy on Jan 17, 2009 at 11:21 pm
I am trying to rember to famous actor ….female…..that was performing at Ford Theatre the night Booth assisinated President Lincoln. Does anyone know? Thank you,
By Barbara Renfrow on Mar 18, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Barbara,
It was Laura Keene, playing in the 1000th performance of Our American Cousin.
Regards,
Archie
By A. MacLean on Jun 2, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Unfortunately, based, no doubt, on John Ford’s treatment of Mudd in his 1936 film, The Prisoner of Shark Island, the modern view of Mudd’s complicity in the Lincoln assassination has been blurred considerably. In tfiis work, written for the screen by Nunally Johnson, a Georgian, Mudd is seen as simply a doctor who helps strangers who come to his door late at night. Not only did he not know Booth, acording to the film,he did not recognize him when he came to his house then. The film further resurrects all sorts of racist themes, like the carpetbagger myth, the good slave owner (Mudd!), the hapless slaves, Northern brutality (a Northern soldier breaking the doll of Mudd’s daughter in front f the girl (!), etc. None of the facts of Mudd’s complicity, or the trial transcript with incriminating evidence are presented. In fact, Ford intentionally misrepresents history by suggesting that there was no evidence whatsoever of Mudd’s guilt when the reverse is true. He bases the movie entirely on the self serving fabrication of Mudd’s daughter, who penned a tribute to her father.
By cliff meneken on Jun 30, 2009 at 1:14 pm