Changes

==Early history==

==Early history==

Booth was born May 10, 1838 near Bel Air, Maryland, the ninth of ten children born to famed actor Junius Brutus Booth and Mary Ann Holmes; his brothers Junius Jr. and Edwin were also actors, with Edwin on the way to becoming the finest actor on the American stage.  John Wilkes attended several private schools - including an Episcopal military academy in Catonsville, Maryland known as St. Timothy's Hall - but he got into acting after his father's death in 1852.  He made his stage debut as the Earl of Richmond in Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' in August, 1855, when he was just 17.  In 1858 he joined the Richmond (Virginia) Theater and became enchanted with the South and their way of life (the remainder of his family considered themselves Northerners).  At 5'8", with jet-black hair, ivory skin, and an athletic build, he was considered the "handsomest man in America" by many newspaper writers.  He was also among the first American actors to have a fan base with women; many ''cartes de visits'' - akin to studio photographs or sports cards today - were made and distributed by him or the theaters which presented his appearences (TL 26, pp. 34, 60).

Booth was born May 10, 1838 near Bel Air, Maryland, the ninth of ten children born to famed actor Junius Brutus Booth and Mary Ann Holmes; his brothers Junius Jr. and Edwin were also actors, with Edwin on the way to becoming the finest actor on the American stage.  John Wilkes attended several private schools - including an Episcopal military academy in Catonsville, Maryland known as St. Timothy's Hall - but he got into acting after his father's death in 1852.  He made his stage debut as the Earl of Richmond in Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' in August, 1855, when he was just 17.  In 1858 he joined the Richmond (Virginia) Theater and became enchanted with the South and their way of life (the remainder of his family considered themselves Northerners).  At 5'8", with jet-black hair, ivory skin, and an athletic build, he was considered the "handsomest man in America" by many newspaper writers.  He was also among the first American actors to have a fan base with women; many ''cartes de visits'' - akin to studio photographs or sports cards today - were made and distributed by him or the theaters which presented his appearences (TL 26, pp. 34, 60).

By 1860 he was earning over $20,000 a year, starring in Shakespearian plays such as ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'', ''Julius Caesar'', ''Othello'', ''The Taming of the Shrew'', ''Hamlet'', and ''Macbeth''.

By 1860 he was earning over $20,000 a year, starring in Shakespearian plays such as ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'', ''Julius Caesar'', ''Othello'', ''The Taming of the Shrew'', ''Hamlet'', and ''Macbeth''.

[[Image:Booth reward poster.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rewards for the capture of Booth and his accomplices totaled $100,000, the largest sum of money for wanted men at that time.]]

[[Image:Booth reward poster.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rewards for the capture of Booth and his accomplices totaled $100,000, the largest sum of money for wanted men at that time.]]

[[File:Booth-capture.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Booth's end at Richard Garrett's farm, as illustrated for ''Harper's Weekly'', May 13, 1865]]

[[File:Booth-capture.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Booth's end at Richard Garrett's farm, as illustrated for ''Harper's Weekly'', May 13, 1865]]

At 4:00 a.m. on April 15 they arrived at the house of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Booth received medical treatment for his injured leg and both men were extended hospitality by the Mudds (Mudd was arrested several days later). Early that afternoon Booth and Herold headed into the nearby Zekiah swamp and were guided by Oswell Swann, a free black. About midnight, Swann brought the two men to their next destination, the home of southern sympathizer, Colonel Samuel Cox, who provided them with food for the next four days. On April 20, Thomas A. Jones, Cox's adopted son, led them to the Potomac River. Instead of crossing the river to Virginia, they headed north on the Potomac and landed on the Maryland side at the home of southern sympathizer Peregrin Davis. The next night, they successfully crossed the river to Virginia, where they stayed at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Quesenberry, a woman who was well connected to the Confederate spy network. Thomas Harbin, an acquaintance of Booth and originally part of the plan to capture President Lincoln, took them to William Bryant and then to Dr. Richard Stuart's home. Stuart, however, did not allow the two men to remain at his home. Booth and Herold went to the cabin of William Lucas, another free black man, forcibly removing Lucas and his wife from the cabin for the night.

At 4:00 a.m. on April 15 they arrived at the house of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Booth received medical treatment for his injured leg and both men were extended hospitality by the Mudds (Mudd was arrested several days later). Early that afternoon Booth and Herold headed into the nearby Zekiah swamp and were guided by Oswell Swann, a free black. About midnight, Swann brought the two men to their next destination, the home of southern sympathizer, Colonel Samuel Cox, who provided them with food for the next four days. On April 20, Thomas A. Jones, Cox's adopted son, led them to the Potomac River. Instead of crossing the river to Virginia, they headed north on the Potomac and landed on the Maryland side at the home of southern sympathizer Peregrin Davis. The next night, they successfully crossed the river to Virginia, where they stayed at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth Quesenberry, a woman who was well connected to the Confederate spy network. Thomas Harbin, an acquaintance of Booth and originally part of the plan to capture President Lincoln, took them to William Bryant and then to Dr. Richard Stuart's home. Stuart, however, did not allow the two men to remain at his home. Booth and Herold went to the cabin of William Lucas, another free black man, forcibly removing Lucas and his wife from the cabin for the night.

On the morning of April 24, Booth and Herold left the cabin of William Lucas in a wagon driven by Lucas' son Charles. He drove the men about 10 miles to the ferry at [[Port Conway]], in [[King George County]], Virginia.  

On the morning of April 24, Booth and Herold left the cabin of William Lucas in a wagon driven by Lucas' son Charles. He drove the men about 10 miles to the ferry at [[Port Conway]], in [[King George County]], Virginia.  

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, John Wilkes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, John Wilkes}}

[[category:assassins]]

[[Category:Assassins]]

[[category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:American Civil War]]