Gettysburg Daily

John Wilkes Booth’s Escape #7 With Gettysburg LBG Mike Kanazawich

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich is the host for our series on John Wilkes Booth’s Escape. He is standing in front of the Randolph-Peyton home in Port Royal, Virginia. John Wilkes Booth and David Herold stopped here on April 24, 1865. This image was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is the host for this series on John Wilkes Booth’s Escape. Mike was born and raised in Oneonta, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Oneonta State University. He received his Master of Science degree in Environmental Geology from the University of Connecticut. Mike worked as a Geologist for eleven years before becoming a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide in 1995. Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination.

To contact Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich, and/or to inquire about his Gettysburg National Military Park Tours and his Lincoln Assassination/John Wilkes Booth Escape Tours, click here.

To see Mike Kanazawich’s previous series on the Lincoln assassination titled John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington, click here.

In the first post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich explained the actions of John Wilkes Booth and David Herold at Surratt’s Tavern in what is now Clinton, Maryland. He filmed these segments on February 12, 2012, the 203rd birthday of President Abraham Lincoln.

In the second post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich shows the residence of Dr. Samuel Mudd, the Bryantown Tavern, and Mudd’s grave at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

In the third post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich shows the location of Red Hill, the home of Samuel Cox, and the Pine Thicket where Booth and Herold stayed from April 16-21, 1865.

In the fourth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich showed the location of Huckleberry, the home of Thomas A. Jones, and the area near the Potomac River where John Wilkes Booth and David Herold attempted to cross on April 21, 1865.

In the fifth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich shows the location on the Virginia side of the Potomac River where John Wilkes Booth and David Herold met Elizabeth Quesenberry and Thomas Harbin.

In the sixth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich showed the location of Cleydael, the home of Dr. Richard Stuart in King George County, Virginia, and where Booth and Herold crossed the Rappahannock at Port Conway and Port Royal, Virginia.

In today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich shows the location of the Randolph Peyton House in Port Royal, Virginia. John Wilkes Booth and David Herold stopped here on April 24, 1865.

This map shows us the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Escape series. Videos #1-#14 were shown in our previous posts. Videos #11-#12 were taken along Machodoc Creek at Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia. Video #13 was taken at Cleydael in King George County, Virginia. Video #14 was taken in Port Royal, Virginia along the Rappahannock River. Videos #15-#17 were taken at the home of Randolph Peyton in Port Royal, Virginia. This map was created facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, March 30, 2012.

Video #14 was taken in Port Royal, Virginia along the Rappahannock River. Videos #15-#17 were taken at the home of Randolph Peyton in Port Royal, Virginia.This view was taken facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, March 30, 2012.

The Brockenbrough-Peyton House “was built in the mid-1700s and was considered one of the finest homes in Port Royal in its day.” This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #15 (Videos #1-#14 were shown in our previous posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is at the Randolph Peyton House in Port Royal, Virginia. He explains John Wilkes Booth and David Herold were unsuccessful in acquiring lodging here so that they had to leave for the farm of Richard Garrett on April 24, 1865. This view was taken facing south at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The wayside marker for the Randolph Peyton House. This view was taken facing west at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The wayside marker has the following description for the Randolph Peyton House: “The entry hallway, where Booth briefly relaxed, is pictured here. Its ornate woodwork was sold to the Nelson-Atkins Art Gallery in Kansas City, Mo., where it is now on display.” This view was taken facing west at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

When Booth and Herold were not able to acquire lodgings at the Randolph Peyton House, former Confederate soldier Willie Jett went across the street to the Catlett House to see if anyone there would provide lodging. Nobody was home. This view was taken facing east at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The owner of the house, Randolph Peyton (1827-1869) “was state’s attorney of Caroline County, Virginia.” His sister, Sarah Jane (circa 1829-) was 36 years old in 1865. His other sister, Elizabeth Peyton (circa 1831-) was 34 years old in 1865. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #16 Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich explains how Secretary of War Edwin Stanton approves sending Union Cavalry to the northern neck of Virginia to look for John Wilkes Booth and David Herold. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Port Royal, Virginia looking down King Street towards the Rappahannock River (not in view). The Peyton house is on the left. The Catlett House is out of sight on the right. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mike Kanazawich explains how William and Betty Rollins told the 16th New York Cavalry that Confederate soldier Willie Jett probably went to see his girlfriend in Bowling Green, Virginia. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The Randolph Peyton home is privately owned. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

It is waiting to be renovated. This view was taken facing west at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.
To order a copy of Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich’s book, Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination, click here. This book cover was scanned facing north at approximately 12:30 PM on Friday, March 9, 2012.

To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.