King George in King George County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Cleydael

Insulting Booth

— John Wilkes Booth - Chasing Lincoln's Assassin —

Cleydael Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 31, 2026

1. Cleydael Marker

Inscription. On the evening of April 23, 1865, a handful of men on horseback rode quietly up the trail to this house, Cleydael. Inside, Dr. Richard H. Stuart and his family were finishing dinner. David E. Herold knocked on the front door to request lodging for the night. Herold said that one of the men, his "brother," had broken his leg and pleaded for the doctor's help. Stuart, aware that Lincoln's assassin was still at large, told Herold that they could not be accommodated, since his house was full. He gave them a meal, but the man with the broken leg, John Wilkes Booth, was insulted by this treatment and wrote Stuart a sarcastic note of thanks and left money for the food. Booth paid William Lucas, a free black neighbor of Stuart's, to have his son Charlie transport the fugitives in a wagon to Port Conway on the Rappahannock River the next day. They were then ferried across to Port Royal and escorted to Richard H. Garrett's farm.

Stuart, whose principal residence was at Cedar Grove eight miles north of here on the Potomac River, had Cleydael constructed in 1859 as a summer retreat from the riverside heat and humidity. It was carefully

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designed for maximum cross-ventilation and located on high ground for cooling. Stuart's wife changed the property's name from Neck Quarter to Cleydael after a family chateau in Belgium. During the war, because of Union gunboat activity on the Potomac, Stuart and his family resided here at Cleydael.

Photo Captions:

Cleydael, from Osborn H. Oldroyd, The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1901)

Lucas cabin, from Osborn H. Oldroyd, The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1901)

Continue the Chase:
Head back to 301 South, and keep your eyes peeled for Belle Grove Plantation on the right, just before the Rappahannock River.

Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 23, 1865.

Location. 38° 18.853′ N, 77° 7.999′ W. Marker is in King George, Virginia, in King George County. It is on Peppermill Road 0.1 miles south of Cleydael Boulevard, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7144 Peppermill

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, October 31, 2026

2. Cleydael Marker

Road, King George VA 22485, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in the Tidewater,

in the Chesapeake Bay Region,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Cleydael (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ralph Bunche High School (approx. 2.9 miles away); Hanover Baptist Church (approx. 3.1 miles away); All that Glitters (approx. 3½ miles away); King George Confederate Monument (approx. 3.9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3.9 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 4.2 miles away); Marmion (approx. 4.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in King George.

Another

Cleydael exterior. image. Click for full size.

National Park Service, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, April 2, 2019

3. Cleydael exterior.

Viewing south towards the house, which is private property, at the end of a long private road.

marker is no longer nearby. Cleydael (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Additional keywords. John Wilkes Booth Escape Route

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 22 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on August 19, 2019.