Where Booth Died
N 38° 09.753 W 077° 12.062
18S E 307171 N 4226139
Near the Garrett Farm where John Wilkes Booth died after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln
Waymark Code: WMKWF
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 08/12/2006
Views: 265
John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. He escaped out of Washington, D.C. passing through the rural Maryland Countryside. Several days after the assassination, Booth crossed the Potomac River into Virginia and made his way to a farm owned by Richard Henry Garrett, which was located near Port Royal, Virginia. On April 26, 1865, Federal Cavalry advanced to the Garrett Property and Booth was located hiding in a barn. When Booth resisted Federal Troops under the command of Lieutenant Edward Doherty killed him.
This historical marker is located in the southbound lanes of Route 301 near the intersection of Route 17 in Port Royal, Virginia. The actual location of the Garrett Farm House is located in the median of U. S. Route 301, about 2.5 miles south of this marker. A historical marker (EP-20 and Waymark WMJNR) located at N 38° 08.441 - W 077° 13.701 in the Northbound Lane of Route 301 is actually very close to the site of the Garrett Farm. You can actually take a small path into the median to the site where the farmhouse stood.
MARKER EP-20 AND ACCESS TO THE GARRETT FARM SITE CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED FROM THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF ROUTE 301. ROUTE 301 IS A BUSY U.S. HIGHWAY AND EXTREME CAUTION SHOULD BE USE WHEN VISITING THE AREA.
While in the area you may want to visit a couple of closeby GEOCACHES including Horse History #1 (GC88D9) and James Dean Didn't Die Here (GCK089)
The text of this historical marker reads:
WHERE BOOTH DIED
“On this road two miles south is the Garrett Place. There John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin, was found by Union cavalry and killed while resisting arrest, April 26, 1865.”
Marker Number: N-16
Marker Title: Where Booth Died
Marker Location: Route 301 at Route 17 in Port Royal
County or Independent City: Caroline County
Web Site: [Web Link]
Marker Program Sponsor: Not listed
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