Lee & Tom Palen, his boyhood friend, departed on their third annual Civil War era expedition. This time, they elected to take a 12 hour chartered bus tour which closely duplicated the escape route of John Wilkes Booth after he shot President Lincoln. The Barth spent two nights at a regional park near the Surratt house. Sunday morning was a stop at Fort Washington, then a trip down through southern Maryland, over-nighting at Point Lookout State Park on the Chesapeake Bay - site of a Union POW camp for Confederate soldiers & sailors. Monday's trip home included a trip across the Bay Bridge at Annapolis, a stop at Kentmore Marina for Tom's first exposure to hardshell crabs, and back home. Great trip!.....Lookin' forward to next year!
The bus tour started at Ford's Theater in downtown Washington. Tom stands in front of the presidential box. Booth entered from the right side, shot Lincoln and jumped onto the stage near the American flag. While crossing the stage, Booth yells, "Death to Tyrants!" and exits stage left. Leaving Ford's, we went across the street to the Petersen house, where Lincoln expired.
On his way out of town, Booth's first stop was at the Surratt tavern in Clinton, MD. Today it's a historic site, complete with museum & library.
Dr. Mudd's home, where Booth showed up to have his broken leg set. Many claim Mudd was an innocent victim of circumstances. The government thought otherwise, and sent him to prison in the Florida Keys. His medical help during a prison epidemic earned him an early release after a few years. Today, the Mudd family continues an active effort to get his sentence commuted.
Dr. Mudd's first tombstone, on display at the house. His burial plot, with new headstone, is at a church about 4 miles away.
This old house was one of the stops made by Booth. Complete with its own cast of re-enactors, it contained a mini-museum inside. Only museum we've visited that allowed guests to pick-up and play with the weapons on display!
Sunday morning stop at historic Fort Washington. On the MD side of the Potomac River and across from Mt. Vernon, its purpose was to protect the capital city from an invasion coming up river. It never saw military action.
The finale of the trip was an aerial tour that Lee had arranged with the county police helicopter. Tom got to see downtown Washington DC from about 300' in the air at dusk....a place he had visited scores of times during his student's class trips over the years........
The bus tour started at Ford's Theater in downtown Washington. Tom stands in front of the presidential box. Booth entered from the right side, shot Lincoln and jumped onto the stage near the American flag. While crossing the stage, Booth yells, "Death to Tyrants!" and exits stage left. Leaving Ford's, we went across the street to the Petersen house, where Lincoln expired.
On his way out of town, Booth's first stop was at the Surratt tavern in Clinton, MD. Today it's a historic site, complete with museum & library.
Dr. Mudd's home, where Booth showed up to have his broken leg set. Many claim Mudd was an innocent victim of circumstances. The government thought otherwise, and sent him to prison in the Florida Keys. His medical help during a prison epidemic earned him an early release after a few years. Today, the Mudd family continues an active effort to get his sentence commuted.
Dr. Mudd's first tombstone, on display at the house. His burial plot, with new headstone, is at a church about 4 miles away.
This old house was one of the stops made by Booth. Complete with its own cast of re-enactors, it contained a mini-museum inside. Only museum we've visited that allowed guests to pick-up and play with the weapons on display!
Sunday morning stop at historic Fort Washington. On the MD side of the Potomac River and across from Mt. Vernon, its purpose was to protect the capital city from an invasion coming up river. It never saw military action.
The finale of the trip was an aerial tour that Lee had arranged with the county police helicopter. Tom got to see downtown Washington DC from about 300' in the air at dusk....a place he had visited scores of times during his student's class trips over the years........
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