A harrowing story of a murderer…and the pursuit to bring him to justice…
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson covers the immediate aftermath of John Wilkes Booth killing Abraham Lincoln…as well as the fate of his myriad conspirators…
Taking it chronological…the book follows a large cast of characters both directly and tangentially linked forever to the assassination plot…as well as those that either hunted, hindered, or aided Booth’s attempted escape…
The book avoids trying to say Booth had secret backing by the CSA, though he did work with some confederates as part of his plot. It also avoids some red herrings and focuses almost entirely on booth’s flight out of DC…along with those he encountered.
There’s also an aftermath covering the fate of those also arrested as being part of the multiple assassination plan. Oddly, I still both agree and disagree with how some were punished.
Some I felt were punished too severely, while others not enough. A few did get what they deserved…
Most importantly Booth’s body was secretly buried never to be revealed (albeit long after) to insure his body wouldn’t be a pilgrimage point for traitors and their ilk…