We are proud to offer an an actual piece of the splint made by Dr. Samuel Mudd for John Wilkes Booth on the morning of April 15th, 1865, hours after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln. Booth arrived at Dr. Mudd's house seeking aid for his ankle, which he is believed to have broken after his jump onto the stage at Ford's Theatre.



This historic fragment was long part of the celebrated "Lattimer Collection of Lincolnia" and used as an exhibit during a 1992 trial where Dr. Samuel Mudd's descendants sought to clear the doctor’s name. Supplementing this lot is a letter of provenance documenting a nearly unbroken chain of ownership back to the 19th century, and 20-30 pages of research solicited by Dr. Lattimer.



The splint piece itself measures ~2 x 1 1/2 and is affixed to a small period note that describes it as being "applied by the rebel Dr. Mudd." It is accompanied by a letter written to Samuel C. Wright by George Worcester, dated April 11th, 1885, that states, in part, that he is sending a "portion of the splint mentioned by me as being taken from Booth's leg after his death...the cloth attached to part of the splint shows a discoloration caused by Booth's blood." George Worcester was a Major during the Civil War with the 3rd Massachusetts Artillery and heavily involved in the initial search for President Lincoln's assassin. There are telegrams on file in the National Archives between General Hardin's office in Washington D.C and Major Worcester on the night of April 14th (when President Lincoln was shot) and April 15th, 1865, relating to the manhunt. Dr. Lattimer's research explores the relationship between Major George Worcester, Lt. David D. Dana (who sent reports to Major Worcester), and Lt. Alexander Lovett, who arrested Dr. Samuel Mudd based on information initially given to him by Lt. Dana.



Samuel C. Wright (1842-1906), the recipient of the letter/splint fragment, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. Wright was an early collector of Civil War relics. A newspaper article from 1903 states that "the collection of war relics owned by Captain Wright is large and varied. Interesting articles are personal letters from General Grant, Sheridan, Logan, Wool, Harrison, Miles, Butler, Fred Grant and several others. He has the last letter written by Henry Wirz, keeper of the Andersonville prison. He has the identical sword that was taken from John Brown at Harper's Ferry, also two pikes taken from his men, and the musket and cartridges taken from one of his dead Negroes on the street. [Wright also] has the shackles and handcuffs worn by Dr. Mudd in the Old Capitol prison in at the Dry Tortugas. Dr. Mudd was imprisoned for setting the assassin Booth's leg." ("Boston Globe," 2/01/1903).



The Library of Congress notes that upon Wright's death in 1906, his collection was bought by Norm Flayderman, a seminal dealer in 19th century Americana.



The splint fragment, Worcester letter, and an albumen photograph of John Wilkes Booth (also referenced by Worcester) are mounted to paperboard and presented in a handsome, period wood frame, which measures 16” x 14”.



[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Abraham Lincoln, Abolition, Slavery, 13th Amendment, John Wilkes Booth, A. Lincoln, Abe Lincoln]