The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth Eps. 3

About this episode

The episode details the dramatic climax of the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, exploring the final confrontation at Garrett's Farm.

James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy bring the manhunt for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin to its dramatic climax. As Union troops from the 16th New York Cavalry Regiment close in on John Wilkes Booth and his accomplice at Garrett's Farm, the fugitives find themselves trapped in a tobacco barn. When he refuses to surrender, the soldiers set the barn ablaze, triggering a chaotic and controversial final confrontation. What unfolds in those fiery moments marks the end of Booth’s flight but not the end of the story. Questions linger about exactly how he died, what happened to his body, and whether the official account tells the whole truth.

People in this episode

Hosts: James Ottley, Thornton Kennedy

Topics covered

• John Wilkes Booth
• Abraham Lincoln
• manhunt
• Civil War

Keywords

• tobacco barn
• Union troops
• 16th New York Cavalry Regiment
• final confrontation

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