Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
John Wilkes Booth
Escape of an Assassin
— War on the Chesapeake Bay —
Photographed By Roger Dean Meyer, April 28, 2007
1. John Wilkes Booth Marker
Divided loyalties and ironies tore at Marylander’s hearts throughout the Civil War: enslaved African-Americans and free United States Colored Troops; spies and smugglers; civilians imprisoned without trial to protect freedom; neighbors and families at odds in Maryland and faraway battlefields. From the Eastern Shore to the suburbs of Washington, eastern Maryland endured those strains of civil war in ways difficult to imagine today.
Those strains continued even after Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. John Wilkes Booth used the help of Southern Maryland’s Confederate underground during his flight from Washington, D.C. after shooting President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865.
Discover the story of Booth’s escape and other fascinating history for yourself as you drive through some of Maryland’s prettiest countryside and most charming small towns. Follow the sign of the bugle to learn about the war on the Chesapeake, visit the site of the war’s largest prison camp and follow Booth to his eventual capture south of the Potomac River.
Please drive carefully as you enjoy the history and beauty of Maryland’s Civil War Trails.
Photo Captions: John Wilkes Booth • Mary E. Surratt • Dr. Samuel A. Mudd • Company of the 4th USCT, one of several infantry
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Battlefield Trails - Civil War, the Booth's Escape, the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Maryland Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1903.
Location. 38° 30.671′ N, 77° 1.194′ W. Marker is in Port Tobacco, Maryland, in Charles County. Marker can be reached from Chapel Point Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located at the entrance to the Port Tobacco Court House Historic Site on the edge of the parking lot near the old well. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Tobacco MD 20677, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Port Tobacco (here, next to this marker); On to Yorktown (a few steps from this marker); Port Tobacco: A Maryland Mosaic (a few steps from this marker); Port Tobacco: Commerce (a few steps from this marker); Port Tobacco: Conspiracy & the Plot to Assassinate President Lincoln (a few steps from this marker); St. Columba Masonic Lodge (within shouting distance of this marker); The Port Tobacco Jail
Photographed By Roger Dean Meyer, March 18, 2007
2. Port Tobacco and John Wilkes Booth Markers in front of Old Court House
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . .
1. The Life and Plot of John Wilkes Booth. Abraham Lincoln Research Site entry (Submitted on June 8, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota.)
2. John Wilkes Booth: Chasing Lincoln’s Assassin (Booth's Escape Byway). Visit Maryland website entry (Submitted on January 17, 2019.)
3. Port Tobacco Historic District. Maryland's National Register Properties website entry (Submitted on January 17, 2019.)
4. Port Tobacco Historic District. Maryland's Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties PDF (Submitted on January 17, 2019.)
Additional keywords. Abraham Lincoln assassination
Photographed By Roger Dean Meyer, April 28, 2007
3. Close up view of Map and Photos on John Wilkes Booth Marker
National Park Service, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, March 14, 2015
4. Port Tobacco Courthouse exterior
Credits. This page was last revised on May 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 8, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 3,918 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 8, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota. 4. submitted on January 17, 2019, by David Lassman of Waldorf, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
