The enduring survival of Booth escape legends says more about public fascination with true-crime lore than it does about unresolved 19th-century history. Sensational claims of mummified fugitives and covert federal cover-ups collapse under the weight of primary documents. The autopsies performed on the USS Montauk, the bone specimens preserved in medical archives, and the corroborating testimony of friends, family, and military officials leave no ambiguity: John Wilkes Booth's flight ended fatally on the porch of the Garrett farmhouse on April 26, 1865.
Fact-Checking the Escape Legends: Did John Wilkes Booth Truly Die in 1865?
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9 min read
