Description:

Contemporary Account of Lincoln Assassination, Ex-Nicholson Collection.

3pp, 8.5" x 11", Lynchburg, VA, dated circa January 27, 1915. Two typed manuscript copies of a lecture delivered by Reverend Dr. Richard B. Garrett at the Virginia Baptist Encampment about the death of John Wilkes Booth. Garrett had been a young boy at the time of Booth's death at his father's farm. The eyewitness account reads in part:

"…The South was crushed. She had staked all and lost all. Did you ever see men cry like children? I have. Nearly thirty years have passed since then, and I was but a little boy, but I have not forgotten…for months and years could hear the booming of cannons as we went to sleep and the rattle of the muskets as we woke…almost every day heard the pitiful moaning of the wounded and saw the hurried burial…" Garrett then goes on to recount an entry made in Booth's diary about the events at Ford's theater. This reads: "'In jumping broke my leg. I passed all his pickets. Rode sixty miles that night with the bone of my leg tearing the flesh at every jump.'" Garrett then continues his narrative: "…The story of the next ten days has never been told. Many romances have been written about it, but they are so contradictory and some of them so manifestly mature that it is hard to sift out the real truth. All we know definitely is that Booth and Herold spent these ten days in the wood near the residence of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd on the bank of the Potomac in Maryland. It was brought out in the trial of Herold that Dr. Mudd had set the broken bones of Booth's leg, but whether they made themselves known to the Dr. or not is a question…I had a conservation with Dr. Mudd's brother some years ago in Baltimore, in which he stated to me that his brother did not know Booth."

Accompanying the two copies of the lecture is a cabinet card of Richard B. Garrett, as well as an Autograph Letter Signed by W.W. Hamilton, President of VA Baptist Encampment, in which he writes: "Dr. R.B. Garrett delivered his lecture on 'Wilkes Booth'…to a large and enthusiastic audience. The subject itself was most interesting, but Dr. Garrett gave to us such a vivid portrayal of the scenes of which he was an eyewitness and so cleared the facts of all false theories, that we can never forget the lecture…" From the Nicholson Collection.

The Garrett family was criticized by the public for their role in the events surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln, and they refrained from discussing the subject for a long period of time. However, Richard B. Garrett grew up, became a Baptist minister, and became one of the premier lecturers of the time on the subject of Lincoln's death and the events surrounding the eventual killing of John Wilkes Booth. Garrett had written to the Booth family in regards to the dying message Booth gave to his mother, and he used this correspondence with the family, along with numerous photographs and artifacts for his lectures. He toured around the United States and later published his lecture in the Confederate Veteran in 1921.

The two copies of the lecture have flattened folds and have light edge toning. Minor edge chipping in places, along with some small holes at the top edge. The letter from Hamilton has flattened folds and minor soiling. The photograph of Garret has worn corners and edges, minor imperfections to the image, and tape residue at the corners. 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 11, 2020 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000