Winner of the 2001 The Lincoln Group of New York's Award of Achievement A History Book Club Selection The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is usually told as a tale of a lone deranged actor who struck from a twisted lust for revenge. This is not only too simple an explanation; Blood on the Moon reveals that it is completely wrong. John Wilkes Booth was neither mad nor alone in his act of murder. He received the help of many, not the least of whom was Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd, the Charles County physician who has been portrayed as the innocent victim of a vengeful government. Booth was also aided by the Confederate leadership in Richmond. As he made his plans to strike at Lincoln, Booth was in contact with key members of the Confederate underground, and after the assassination these same forces used all of their resources to attempt his escape. Noted Lincoln authority Edward Steers Jr. introduces the cast of characters in this ill-fated drama, he explores why they were so willing to help pull the trigger, and corrects the many misconceptions surrounding this defining moment that changed American history. After completing an acclaimed career as a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health, Edward Steers Jr. has turned his research skills to the Lincoln assassination. He is the author of several books about the president, including The Trial.
Edward Steers Jr. is the author of numerous books including Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President, and The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
Table of Contents
Preface Introduction The Apotheosis You Are in Danger All the World's a Stage The Black Flag Is Raised The South Wants Justice The Key Connection A Shift in Plans A Day of Jubilation Decision Sic Semper Tyrannis The Wound Is Mortal Surrattsville Dr. Mudd Here in Despair The Roundup Virginia at Last! The Cavalry Arrives Tell Mother I Die for My Country To Remove the Stain of Innocent Blood from the Land The Aftermath: Rewriting History Life after Death Goodbye, Father Abraham Notes Bibliography Index
