Lincoln's Blood Relics-- Part 9: The Defaced Photograph

The day after the assassination, technicians at the Surgeon General's photo laboratory copied a polular carte-de-visite photo of Booth and printed multiple copies for distribution to Booth's pursuers.

The author's copy was issued to William Bender Wilson, a telegraph operator at the War Department who was in the field during the manhunt..  He inscribed on the back of it, no doubt realizing the importance and historical value of the events, the words. "This picture of J. Wilkes Booth was given to me from the War department at Washington, D.C. whilst Booth was still a fugitive.  Wm. B. Wilson."

Upon learning of Booth's death, Wilson expressed his contempt for the murderer by defacing his image with a handwritten message: "...for the cause he said was a righteous one.  No!  Cowardly murder suited him better.  And this is is Chivalry is it?  Like a viper he lived -- like a dog died, and like a dog buried. 'Assassin.'  'Booth the accursed.'"

Few other relics preserve so well the passions unleashed in April 1865.

A Slice of History.  --Old Secesh