Did John Wilkes Booth Say "That means N----- Citizenship"? Holzer Says No

Pat Young

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The story of John Wilkes Booth attending Lincoln's Last Speech and muttering to one of his co-conspirators ""That means n-gg-r citizenship. Now, by God, I'll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make" is well known. The version I put here is from Battle Cry of Freedom.

I was on Student of the Civil War and saw a video @cash posted of Harold Holzer talking about the assassination. Beginning at the ninth minute, Holzer says that their is not reliable source for it and that historians have been retelling it without listing a primary source.

Take a look and let me know what you think:

 
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Interesting. Don't have time to watch the video now, but I did a little research on this a few weeks ago and came to the conclusion that there probably WAS a primary source for this, but it wasn't anywhere that I had access to. I'll have to take a look at the video when I get a chance, and go back and dig up the information I found on it, to compare.
 
Harold makes a good point. He's tracked the quotation to a novel. I also don't know of any primary source with the quotation.
 
Weekly Atlanta Intelligencer, Feb. 6, 1867 -- page 2 .jpg


Weekly Atlanta Intelligencer, Feb. 6, 1867 -- page 2
 
The story of John Wilkes Booth attending Lincoln's Last Speech and muttering to one of his co-conspirators ""That means n-gg-r citizenship. Now, by God, I'll put him through. That is the last speech he will ever make" is well known. The version I put here is from Battle Cry of Freedom.

I was on Student of the Civil War and saw a video @cash posted of Harold Holzer talking about the assassination. Beginning at the ninth minute, Holzer says that their is not reliable source for it and that historians have been retelling it without listing a primary source.

Take a look and let me know what you think:

Thanks for posting Pat. Looking forward to watching it when I have a little time.
 
Interesting. Don't have time to watch the video now, but I did a little research on this a few weeks ago and came to the conclusion that there probably WAS a primary source for this, but it wasn't anywhere that I had access to. I'll have to take a look at the video when I get a chance, and go back and dig up the information I found on it, to compare.
Looking forward to it.
 
Harold makes a good point. He's tracked the quotation to a novel. I also don't know of any primary source with the quotation.
He says the novel was by the journalist Townsend who makes some kind of claim of truthfulness about it. The whole thing is interesting.
 
He says the novel was by the journalist Townsend who makes some kind of claim of truthfulness about it. The whole thing is interesting.

Just watched the video and compared it to my notes. Holzer cites the same earliest source I was able to find - Townsend saying that he had heard it personally from David Herold's attorney, Frederick Stone. Certainly Frederick Stone would have been in a position to know. I guess it all comes down to Townsend's credibility then. Clearly many very well respected historians have accepted the quote as genuine, but of course that doesn't necessarily mean it has to be.
 
Thank you, Pat. I've watched from your 9 minute mark into about 30 minutes. It is a fascinating lecture. I am not enough of a scholar to have an independent opinion of it. However, I DO find this to be a very persuasive lecture. I'm glad you posted the link.
 
I heard Louis Masur speak recently and he cast doubt on Booth saying the first two sentences, but seemed to stand by the "That is the last speech.." part.
 
Just watched the video and compared it to my notes. Holzer cites the same earliest source I was able to find - Townsend saying that he had heard it personally from David Herold's attorney, Frederick Stone. Certainly Frederick Stone would have been in a position to know. I guess it all comes down to Townsend's credibility then. Clearly many very well respected historians have accepted the quote as genuine, but of course that doesn't necessarily mean it has to be.

Stone wasn't with Booth when he allegedly said it, though, so he wasn't in a position to know. At best he has it secondhand.
 
Stone wasn't with Booth when he allegedly said it, though, so he wasn't in a position to know. At best he has it secondhand.

Yes, it would be secondhand from the attorney of the man who was with Booth when he allegedly said it.
 
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