Opinion on j.w. Booth

deleson1

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Just wondering how people would view Booth in history if his actions would of taken place much earlier in the war. Say in 62, early 63 when things were looking somewhat good for the South. Or let's say late 63 after Gettysburg and Vicksburg as a rallying point after these defeats.

Would he be looked at as a hero for eliminating the enemy's leader or would he be scorned as he is today by most people?
 
Just wondering how people would view Booth in history if his actions would of taken place much earlier in the war. Say in 62, early 63 when things were looking somewhat good for the South. Or let's say late 63 after Gettysburg and Vicksburg as a rallying point after these defeats.

Would he be looked at as a hero for eliminating the enemy's leader or would he be scorned as he is today by most people?

A murderous lowlife is a murderous lowlife regardless.
 
Ditto. Booth was too cowardly to enlist and fight, so all his braggadocio came from a sense of inadequacy and probably guilt for not being a real man.
 
Well, if that had happened early in the war, the war would have been fought by Andrew Johnson. (Booth would have been a sniveling coward either way.)
 
Well, if that had happened early in the war, the war would have been fought by Andrew Johnson. (Booth would have been a sniveling coward either way.)

If it was early in the war than Hannibal Hamlin would have been commander-in-chief until March, 1865.
 
Assassins are generally considered the lowest of the low. Still had anyone sucessfully assassinated Hitler they would have been widely celebrated as one of the greatest human beings of all time. Timing is everything though. Had Hitler been assassinated prior to, say the invasion of Poland, the assassin might have been thought a scoundrel.
 
prroh,

That's right! Poor guy is invisible in history. Hamlin's viewpoints might have made for interesting times, and he might have made a better war president than one might think. That's a what-if to think about, really.
 
prroh,

That's right! Poor guy is invisible in history. Hamlin's viewpoints might have made for interesting times, and he might have made a better war president than one might think. That's a what-if to think about, really.

What great names they had then: Elon Farnsworth (my favorite), Hannibal Hamlin, Cadmus Wilcox plus lots of truly strange names.
 
Erasmus Keyes , Darius Couch , Felix Zollicoffer and a colleague of SR Gist Otho Strahl

Is there any way to verify if Couch pronounced his name "Kooch" as pronounced in Ken Burns series or "Couch " , like a sofa.

How did Tolliferro (?sp) wind up being pronounced "Tolliver" ?
 
I think Booth was a bum. If he had committed his act earlier, history may have viewed him differently, though. One thing is for sure, if he had done it earlier, the Union Army would not have been able to pursue him into Virginia as easily, if at all.
 
In those days, any back-shooter was held in disdain. Didn't matter who he shot or how bad he needed killing, you didn't back shoot him.
 
The south wanted Mr.Lincolon dead... That is a fact.. But the south did not wish to have some bum shoot him from behind.. As Ole stated, any back shooter was dishonerable.. No matter how bad the victom needed killing..
 
Grant always sort of wondered what would have happened if he had accepted Lincoln's invitation to be with them at the play that night. I kind of wonder, too. I wonder if that guard would have dared disappear if the general-in-chief was there? Or, maybe Grant would have been shot as well - or been able to prevent the shooting. Grant isn't known as the athletic type but he was perfectly capable of at least putting up a fight! So was Lincoln, for that matter. Booth might have ended up dead then and there - had to back shoot the man!
 
Have wondered that myself, Diane. Would Grant have put up a better fight than Major whatshisname.

I've read nothing about Grant to lead me to believe he was a personal scrapper. Sheridan, yes. Grant, I don't know. He was slow to anger. Wrestling with a man with a knife? I don't know. In either event, Lincoln was mortally wounded so, does it make a difference?

Your point about the guard leaving is well-taken, however. Grant would have crucified a guard leaving his post, and it was well known.
 
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