Booth, accompanied by David C. Herold, a fellow-conspirator, finally
made his way into Maryland, where eleven days after the assassination
the two were discovered in a barn on Garrett’s farm near Port Royal on
the Rappahannock. The barn was surrounded by a squad of cavalrymen, who
called upon the assassins to surrender. Herold gave himself up and was
roundly cursed and abused by Booth, who declared that he would never be
taken alive.
The cavalrymen then set fire to the barn and as the flames leaped up the
figure of the assassin could be plainly seen, although the wall of fire
prevented him from seeing the soldiers. Colonel Conger saw him standing
upright upon a crutch with a carbine in his hands.
When the fire first blazed up Booth crept on his hands and knees to the
spot, evidently for the purpose of shooting the man who had applied the
torch, but the blaze prevented him from seeing anyone. Then it seemed
as if he were preparing to extinguish the flames, but seeing the
impossibility of this he started toward the door with his carbine held
ready for action.
His eyes shone with the light of fever, but he was pale as death and
his general appearance was haggard and unkempt. He had shaved off his
mustache and his hair was closely cropped. Both he and Herold wore the
uniforms of Confederate soldiers.