Gettysburg Daily

John Wilkes Booth’s Escape #5 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 near the docks on Machodoc Creek near Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia. This image was taken facing west at approximately 11:00 AM 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 today’s 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.

This map shows us the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Escape series. Videos #1-#10 were shown in our previous posts. Videos #11-#12 were taken along Machodoc Creek at Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia.This map was created facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.

Videos #11-#12 were taken along Machodoc Creek at Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia. This map was created facing north at approximately 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich is standing near the Elizabeth Quesenberry House in Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #11 (Videos #1-#10 were shown in our previous posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is at Dahlgren, King George County, Virginia, along Machodoc Creek. He explains how Booth and Herold finally crossed the Potomac River, and why they went in search of Mrs. Quesenberry. This view was taken facing southeast to northeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

The Machodoc Creek Marina now occupies this land once owned by Elizabeth Quesenberry. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In Video #12 Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich is standing near the Elizabeth Quesenberry home near Machodoc Creek, Virginia. He explains how Mrs. Quesenberry arranged for John Wilkes Booth and David Herold to meet with Thomas Harbin. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mike believes that the right (east) section of the house near the red chimney is an original part of the structure. Before Thomas Jones had sent Booth and Herold across the Potomac, he told them, “Mrs. Quesenberry lives near the mouth of this creek. If you tell her you come from me I think she will take care of you.” This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

In 1865, Elizabeth Quesenberry was a 39 year old widow with three minor daughters. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mrs. Quesenberry told federal authorities that she refused to furnish Booth and Herold with a wagon. This view was taken facing south at approximately 11:00 AM on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Mrs. Quesenberry did, however, arrange for them to meet with Confederate Agent Thomas Harbin and she gave them some food for their journey. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:00 AM 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 11:00 AM on Friday, March 9, 2012.

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