Page 91 - Cousins - Celebrities, Saints & Sinners

Many historians agree that President Abraham Lincoln's future assassin, John Wilkes Booth, visited Bryantown,
Maryland, in November and December 1864, claiming to look for real estate investments. Bryantown is about
25 miles (40 km) from Washington, DC, and about 5 from Mudd's farm. The real estate story was merely a
cover; Booth's true purpose was to plan an escape route as part of a plan to kidnap Lincoln. Booth believed the
federal government would ransom Lincoln by releasing several Confederate prisoners of war.

Historians agree that Booth met Mudd at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bryantown during one of those visits,
probably in November. Booth visited Mudd at his farm the next day and stayed there overnight. The following
day, Booth purchased a horse from Mudd's neighbor and returned to Washington. Some historians believe
that Booth used his visit to Bryantown to recruit Mudd to his kidnapping plot.
After Booth shot Lincoln on April 14, 1865, he broke his left fibula while fleeing Ford's Theater. With a
accomplice, Booth made for Virginia, via southern Maryland. They stopped at Mudd's house around 4 a.m. on
April 15. Mudd splinted Booth's leg, and gave him a shoe to wear. He also arranged for a carpenter, John Best,
to make a pair of crutches for Booth. He and Herold spent between twelve and fifteen hours at Mudd's
house. They slept in the front bedroom on the second floor. It is unclear whether Mudd had yet been informed
that Booth had killed Lincoln.
Mudd lied to the authorities who came to his house after the assassination, claiming that he did not recognize
the man who showed up on his doorstep in need of treatment and giving them false information about where
Booth went. He also hid the monogrammed boot that he had cut off Booth's injured leg behind a panel in his
attic, but the thorough search of Mudd's house soon revealed this further piece of evidence which was later
used against him.
After Booth's death on April 26, 1865, Mudd was arrested and charged with conspiracy to murder Lincoln.
Representative Frederick Stone was the senior defense counsel for Mudd.
On May 1, 1865, President Johnson ordered the formation of a nine-man military commission to try the
conspirators. On June 29, 1865, Mudd and seven others were found guilty.

Mudd , and three co-conspirators were imprisoned at Fort Jefferson, in
the Dry Tortugas, about 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. The fort
housed Union Army deserters and held about 600 prisoners when Mudd
and the others arrived.

Note: I visited Fort Jefferson with my grandson Cameron, in July 2017
and took two of the photos used on this page. The fort is built on an
extremely remote island that would have only been accessible by boat at
“The Dungeon” at Fort Jefferson
where Dr. Mudd was imprisoned the time of Dr. Mudd’s imprisonment.

There was an outbreak of yellow fever in the fall of 1867 that spread throughout the fort. When the prison
doctor died, Mudd agreed to take over the position. He was able to help stem the spread of the disease. The
soldiers in the fort wrote a petition to Johnson in October 1867 stating the degree of Mudd's assistance: "He
inspired the hopeless with courage and by his constant presence in the midst of danger and infection....
[Many] doubtless owe their lives to the care and treatment they received at his hands."

References:
1. Relative Finder, associated with FamilySearch, and the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS)
2. Wikipedia.org
3. Learn more - An interesting account of the sale of Dr. Samuel Mudd’s Antique Marquetry Box
4. LDS Family Tree attached

91