How John Wilkes Booth Died: Everything to Know About the Historic Capture
By Alexander Ross
Conger and Baker gave the fugitives fifteen minutes to surrender or face fire. David Herold panicked, rattled the barn door, and gave himself up to the cavalrymen. Booth remained inside, leaning on a crutch, holding a carbine and a revolver. He shouted defiance through the walls, offering to fight the entire detachment in an open field: "Prepare a stretcher for me!"
Conger slipped behind the barn and ignited a bundle of dry straw through a gap in the siding. Dry locust pine and tobacco leaves caught fire immediately, illuminating the interior in bright orange sheets. Booth dropped his crutch, carbine in hand, and limped toward the door looking for an exit.
Watching through a seam between the wooden boards was Sergeant Boston Corbett, an eccentric cavalryman who had repositioned himself without orders. Seeing Booth make a movement with his weapon, Corbett rested his Model 1860 Springfield rifle against a slat, sighted carefully, and fired. The bullet struck Booth in the neck, almost identical to the spot where Lincoln had been hit.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
