Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Character Analysis in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer

One of Booth’s co-conspirators in the failed plot to kidnap Lincoln, his house was the first place where Booth and Herold rode. Once there, he treated Booth’s injury. Although he did not know Booth had assassinated Lincoln when he first provided him with shelter, Mudd continued to aid Booth and cover for him even after he discovered the actor’s crime. He was eventually caught in his lies by investigators and sentenced to time in prison.

Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Character Timeline in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer

The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Samuel A. Mudd appears in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Planning, Conspiracy, and the Unexpected Theme Icon

Booth and Herold reached an isolated farmhouse where Dr. Samuel Mudd lived. It was distant enough from Washington that Booth and Herold could rest there. Booth... (full context)

News, Information, and Misinformation Theme Icon

Dr. Mudd now recognized Booth and set about to treat him. Booth’s leg had swelled, and his... (full context)

At Mudd’s farm, David Herold made casual conversation with the Mudds over breakfast. He gave no hint... (full context)

Mudd and Herold rode into the nearby town of Bryantown, where Herold hoped to find a... (full context)

Mudd went about his business, buying provisions for the farm and greeting neighbors. But then someone... (full context)

Back at the farm, Booth and Herold decided to trust that Mudd would not betray them. They waited for his return. Mudd returned and ordered Booth and... (full context)

Booth and Herold rode off, but despite Mudd’s directions they got lost. They ran into Oswell Swann, a man who was half black... (full context)

Meanwhile, Samuel Mudd was worried. He did not want to turn Booth in, but he knew that other... (full context)

Also on the morning of the 17th, Dr. Mudd waited for troops to come investigate his cousin George’s report on the visit by two... (full context)

...April 18, the manhunters finally followed up on the tip they had received from George Mudd. George Mudd had already told them all he knew, so the manhunters took him with... (full context)

...plot and the conspirators’ meeting on April 14. He also described Mary Surratt and Samuel Mudd’s involvement in the scheme. (full context)

In Bryantown on April 20, investigators re-questioned Samuel Mudd. This time, Mudd said that the stranger had worn a false beard. Mudd also revealed... (full context)

...were closing in on the fugitives. The knowledge that Booth and Herold had left from Mudd’s farm helped the manhunters narrow their search. It was also known that Booth was on... (full context)

Booth and Herold rode to the house of Dr. Richard Stuart. Even though Mudd had sent them, Dr. Stuart was suspicious of the ridiculous cover story Herold told him... (full context)

...Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, George Atzerodt, Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlen, Edman Spangler and Samuel Mudd. Mudd was the only person who helped Booth during his escape to stand trial. Captain... (full context)