[BOOTH, John Wilkes (1838-1865)]. PEACOCK, James. Autograph letter signed ("James Peacock") to J.E. Boos. [Massilion], Ohio, 25 February 1914.

2pp. on two sheets, rectos only, 8vo (229 x 165 mm), minor toning, folds.

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH JOHN WILKES BOOTH.

In part: "I can relate an incident which may however interest you. When en route on Veteran Furlough we were detained at New Orleans, to be paid off by the Pay Master over two weeks, during which time I visited the St Charles Theater, where I found an old Buffalo friend---Thos. W. Davey Manager. Was at his house frequently and during that time J. Wilkes Booth played an engagement there. I met him once at my friend Davey’s house at dinner. Booth and I were in the parlor, the dining room door being open and the table laid. He was very violent in his talk as to Pres’t Lincoln, and called the Union soldiers all manner of vile names which was more than my young blood could stand. It eventuated in my calling him a dirty-mercenary, cowardly dog, because he had just come from Mobile, taking from the Confederate soldiers what money they had, and then over to New Orleans to gather in what we had. If he had one spark of manhood in him he would be in the Confederate ranks with a gun on his shoulder, where I could respect him. This enraged him so that he attempted to draw a pistol from his hip pocket. I had no weapon of any kind---but jumped into the dining room and seized a large carving knife and told him if he attempted to draw a pistol on me I would eviscerate him. Davey and his wife came in then and quieted him down. He was too cowardly to attempt to shoot me, because I was prepared for him. So it ended. When I learned at Savannah that he had assassinated Lincoln---I felt that I had not done my duty in sparing his life in New Orleans, and so continue to think, even now."

John Wilkes Booth arrived in New Orleans in early March 1864 to begin a three-week engagement at the St. Charles Theatre, a run which began with the title role in Shakespeare's Richard III, with a reviewer from the Picayune writing, "in the Tent scene, on waking from his horrible dream, his acting was remarkably fine." During this time, Booth stayed at the home of Confederate sympathizer George Miller and had numerous confrontations with Union soldiers who took offense at Booth's pro-Confederate sentiments. It has been stated but not conclusively proven that during this time, Miller introduced Booth to Confederate Secret Service agents who later recruited him for spying missions in the North.

The present letter was addressed to Civil War and Lincoln collector J.E. Boos, who, over the course of many years, wrote thousands of letters to Civil War veterans and other public figures of the era, asking for their memories of the time, and of anything relating to President Lincoln in particular.

This lot is located in Chicago.