At the Surratt Conference, the producer told us obscuring the faces was intentional so as to not overshadow the actual mug shot photos.  They wanted viewers to identify with the 'real guys' not the actors.

They had only 15 days to film so they had to make do with some locales in close proximity to get it all in on schedule.

The research was meticulous.  For example, the books in Secretary Seward's room were the same titles his daughter Fanny had been reading to him.

The film uses O'Reilly's title but it does not utilize the book at all.  The research was conducted from scratch according to the producer. 

Interesting.  Let me know if you hear more.  You may be familiar with the story of Bates's acquaitance John St. Helen on his sickbed telling where to find the "pistol he shot Lincoln with."  That pistol was found by St. Helen's employer, F.J. Gordon, but St. Helen recovered and left town, according to Bates and become David George.  That pistol is in the possession of Gordon's descendants.

Randal, I know about the one in Berryville although I don't think they make the claim anymore.  What's the deal on the one in Memphis?  That's a new one on me.

Apparently Booth had more weapons than the Marine Corps.  They've turned up everywhere .

I wondered what those bright lights to the north of me were.

I wonder how much of it will be Lincoln-related and if it goes beyond the Booth diary?

What I meant is I have evidence the pistols were part of Booth's original arsenal, not given to him by someone along the way.  They could have been stashed along the way but I can make a strong argument they were Booth's. 

To know more, come to the 2013 Surratt conference!

I can't imagine Booth jumping to the stage with one or two full-sized revolvers in open holsters strapped on his belt.  Both pistols weigh a little over two pounds each.  I've worn a gun belt at work for 35 years and the extra weight makes jumping from any height difficult.  And if Booth had a revolver with him, why use the one-shot Deringer? 

The two revolvers are part of the arsenal Booth obtained in New York in the early stages of his planning.  I have evidence of that so there's no way he obtained them from someone along the escape route, unless he arranged to hide them earlier.  And if they were hidden, why not with the carbines at Surratt's?  There's no mention anywhere of that in the testimony.  I tend to believe they were stashed in the saddle bags on the waiting horse.

Has anyone read it?  I stay away from assassination fiction.  I have hard enough time keeping the "facts" straight without confusing it with a fictional account.

Having been in some very chaotic crime scenes just after the deed was done, I know it's very possible to be unable to identify everyone who was present.  Just because every person who entered the box did not name Keene doesn't mean she wasn't there. 

Lindsey and Dave will be writing books together one of these days.

There are no other Colts at Ford's other than the two from Booth described above.  Arnold's and Atzerodt's pistols were never turned over to the Park Service.

I would love to find the Colt with serial number 116851, the cylinder of which was in Booth's pistol.  I've wondered if the cylinder was from another conspirator's pistol or if the swap was made before Booth obtained it.

There are two Colts at Ford's, taken off Booth's body:

The Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver, serial number 117808, fired a lead ball of .36 caliber.  The cylinder in this pistol bears serial number 116851, indicating it was not original to the weapon.  Additional loaded cylinders were often carried and interchanged.

The second weapon, a Colt Model 1860 Army, is a .44 caliber, serial number 20,407.

I don't have my firearms books here but from the serial number, my guess is that Arnold's was a 1851 Navy Colt.  I don't know of any other manufacturer that used serial numbers in that range. 

There was apparently another pistol seized at Arnold's father's house during the search for him.  I don't have any information on it.

A few months ago we discussed the fact that there's zero evidence that Herold accompanied Powell to Seward's.