Near Bryantown in Charles County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery
Mudd Meets Booth
— John Wilkes Booth – Escape of An Assassin —
“The first time I ever saw John Wilkes Booth was in November 1864. My husband went to Bryantown Church [St. Mary’s] and was introduced to Booth by John Thompson, an old friend from Baltimore, who asked my husband if he knew of anyone who had a good riding-horse for sale, to which, he replied, ‘My next neighbor has one.’ Booth came to our home that evening to see about buying the horse. The next morning after breakfast Booth and Dr. Mudd walked across the field to Squire George Gardener’s. Booth soon returned, came in, got his overcoat, and rode away. The horse he purchased was sent to him at Bryantown that evening.”
Booth and Mudd met several more times before the doctor set Booth’s broken leg at Mudd’s home on April 15, 1865. The Mudds are buried in the church cemetery by the parking lot, to the left of the church. Dr. Mudd was born on December 20, 1833, and died on January 10, 1883. Sarah Frances Dyer, his wife, was born on March 15, 1835, and died on December 29, 1911. The church cemetery contains the graves of several Mudd and Dyer relatives.
(Caption) The center part of St. Mary’s Church was built in 1846, then in the 1890’s it was enlarged to how we see it today. In 1866 the rectory was gutted by a fire and rebuilt. In the mid 1950’s it was torn down and replaced with the current brick rectory.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Booth's Escape, and the Maryland Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1868.
Location. 38° 32.32′ N, 76° 50.454′ W. Marker is near Bryantown, Maryland, in Charles County. Marker is on Olivers Shop Road (Maryland Route 232) 1.2 miles south of Leonardtown Road (Maryland Route 5). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bryantown MD 20617, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. Mary’s Church (a few steps from this marker); Boarman's Manor (within shouting distance of this marker); Rev. Lawrence Anthony Bender, S.S. (approx. ¼ mile away); Village of Bryantown (approx. 1.1 miles away); John Thomas Parran, Jr (approx. 3.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bryantown.
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. Dr. Samuel Mudd, Lincoln Co-conspirator. (Submitted on April 7, 2007.)
2. Booth's Escape Byway, Maryland Office of Tourism. (Submitted on August 19, 2019.)
Additional keywords. John Wilkes Booth Escape Route
Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 4,886 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 7, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.