His Name Was Mudd

Parkography

RV Miles Network

Nature, Society & Culture, History, Society & Culture:places & Travel, Science, Places & Travel

4.8 • 911 Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2018

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On a Sunday in November of 1864, John Wilkes Booth first made the acquaintance of Dr. Samuel Mudd. The men discussed a horse sale, and Booth was invited to spend the night at Mudd's home. On December 23, the two men met again, by accident, on a street in Washington, DC. Four months later, John Wilkes Booth shot and killed President Abraham Lincoln. He broke his left leg in the process, leaping to the stage at Ford's Theater. He and his getaway man David Harold knocked on the door of Dr. Mudd at four in the morning for assistance. Mudd set, splinted, and bandaged the broken leg. The two stayed with Mudd for about 12 hours, as the doctor's handyman made a pair of crutches. Within days Dr. Mudd was arrested and charged with conspiracy and with harboring Booth and Harold during their escape. Though he had met Booth on at least two prior occasions, Mudd told authorities he did not recognize his patient. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, one vote shy of the death penalty. Mudd was imprisoned in Fort Jefferson, in what is today Dry Tortugas National Park, an isolated Gulf of Mexico island fort. He attempted escape but failed before an epidemic of yellow fever broke out on the island. The fort's physician died, and Mudd took over the care sick. Due to his efforts, he received a full pardon from President Andrew Johnson and was released from prison a hero. In 1936, a film was made loosely based on Mudd's story called THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND, and then 2 years later it was adapted into a radio drama, starring Gary Cooper as part of the Lux Radio Theater. On today's episode of America's National Parks, we're playing for you that program, which we've remastered and edited lightly.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The America's National Parks Podcast is sponsored by L.L. Bean.
0:15.0	This year, L.Bine is joining up with the National Park Foundation,
0:20.0	the official non-profit partner of the National Park Service to help you find your happy place in an amazing system of more than 400 national parks
0:30.0	including historic and cultural sites,
0:32.6	monuments, preserves, lakeshores, and seashores
0:35.9	that dot the American landscape,
0:38.2	many of which you'll find just a short trip from home.
0:41.2	L.L. Bean is proud to be an official partner of the National Park Foundation.
0:47.0	Discover your perfect day in a park at find your park.com. On a Sunday in November of 1864, John Wilkes Booth first made the acquaintance of Dr. Samuel Mud.
1:18.7	The men discussed a horse sail and Booth was invited to spend the night at mud's home.
1:25.0	On December 23rd, the two men met again by accident on a street in Washington, D.C.
1:31.1	Four months later, John Wilkes Booth shot and killed President Abraham Lincoln.
1:39.1	He broke his left leg in the process, leaping to the stage at Ford's Theater.
1:45.1	He and his getaway man David Harold knocked on the door of Dr. Mud at four in the morning
1:50.9	for assistance.
1:53.1	Mud set, splinted, and bandage the broken leg.
1:58.3	Though he had met Booth on at least two prior occasions, mud told authorities he did not recognize his patient.
2:05.3	The two stayed with mud for about 12 hours, as the doctor's handyman made a pair of crutches. Within days Dr. Mud was arrested and charged with conspiracy and with
2:17.5	harbouring Booth and Herald during their escape. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, one vote shy of the death penalty.
2:27.0	Mud was imprisoned in Fort Jefferson in what is today dry tortugas National Park, an isolated Gulf of Mexico
2:38.0	Island Fort. He attempted escape but failed before an epidemic of yellow fever broke out on the island.
2:45.2	The fort's physician died and mud took over care of the sick.
	...

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