Pursuit of John Wilkes Booth Boston Corbett

boston corbett

lt. colonel everton conger thought booth had shot himself. after realizing booth had been shot else, conger , lt. doherty asked officer had shot booth. corbett stepped forward , admitted shooter. when asked why had violated orders, corbett replied, providence directed me . arrested , accompanied lt. doherty war department in washington, d.c. court martialed. when questioned edwin stanton booth s capture , shooting, both doherty , corbett agreed corbett had in fact disobeyed orders not shoot. however, corbett maintained believed booth had intended shoot way out of barn , acted in self-defense. stated, ...booth have killed me if had not shot first. think did right. stanton paused , stated, rebel dead. patriot lives; has spared country expense, continued excitement , trouble. discharge patriot. upon leaving war department, corbett greeted cheering crowd. made way mathew brady s studio have official portrait taken, crowd followed him asking autographs , requesting tell them shooting booth. corbett told crowd:

i aimed @ body. did not want kill him....i think stooped pick fired. may account receiving ball in head. [w]hen assassin lay @ feet, wounded man, , saw bullet had taken effect inch of ear, , remembered mr. lincoln wounded same part of head, said: god have...god avenged abraham lincoln.

eyewitnesses booth s shooting contradicted corbett s version of events , expressed doubts corbett responsible shooting booth. officers near corbett @ time claimed never saw him fire gun (corbett s gun never inspected , lost). claimed corbett came forward after lt. colonel conger asked had shot booth. richard garrett, owner of farm on booth captured, , 12-year-old son robert contradicted corbett s testimony acted in self-defense. both maintained booth had never reached gun.

while there criticism of corbett s actions, largely considered hero public , press. 1 newspaper editor declared corbett would, live 1 of world s great avengers. part in booth s capture, corbett received portion of $100,000 reward money, amounting $1,653.84 (equivalent $26,000 in 2016). annual salary u.s. sergeant $204 (equivalent $3,000 in 2016). corbett received offers purchase gun used shoot booth. refused stating, not mine-it belongs government, , not sell price. corbett declined offer 1 of booth s pistols did not want reminder of shooting booth.