An autobiography, according to Websters
(2002), is the story of ones own life written or dictated by oneself (p. 94). Does an autobiography, however, have to be in the form of a book or, for that matter, even intended
to be an autobiography? I would argue no, namely because other writings can present just as accurate, if not more accurate, stories of people's lives, including fiction, poetry, letters, and/or journals.
John Wilkes Booth's Journal of April 1865
Such was the case for John Wilkes Booth. Although he did not leave behind a formal autobiography, he did leave behind letters and a journal that, when combined, provide insight into the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theater on the evening of April 14, 1865 during a performance of the comedy, Our American Cousin.
When Booth himself was killed by a Union soldier 12 days later in southern Maryland, a small red notebook that measured six-by-three-and-one-half inches was found on his body, and the entries in the notebook were dated between April 17 and April 22, 1865 (New York Times, 2012). In addition to this journal, Booth wrote several letters leading up to the assassination of the President, and one of these letters is especially significant.
Booth's Reason for the Assassination of Lincoln
According to historical accounts, John Wilkes Booth originally planned only to kidnap President Lincoln and hold him in exchange for the release of Confederate prisoners. In April of 1865, however, when the fall of Richmond rendered his plan untenable, Booth decided to assassinate the President, reportedly after hearing Lincoln deliver a speech supporting the emancipation of all slaves. As Booth said in a letter seized by Federal troops and published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 21, 1865:
I have ever held the South was right. The very nomination of Abraham Lincoln, four years ago, spoke plainly war upon Southern rights and institutions. . . . The institution of African slavery is one of the greatest blessings that God has ever bestowed upon a favored nation . . . . Lincolns policy is one of total annihilation. (New York Times, 2012)Booths Dismay over Public Reaction to Lincolns Assassination
In addition to that letter and a few others, as previously mentioned Booth left behind a journal, and according to Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt and Philip B. Kunhardt Jr., coauthors of Twenty Days, A Narrative in Text and Pictures of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1993), Booth revealed that he was quite dismayed over the reaction to his assassination of the President. In fact, in a journal entry dated April 21, he wrote: "For six months we had worked to capture. But our cause being almost lost, something decisive and great must be done. I struck boldly, and not as the papers say. I can never repent it, though we hated to kill" (p. 178).
As Booth continued in the entry dated April 21, 1865:
After being hunted like a dog through swamps, woods, and last night being chased by gunboats till I was forced to return wet, cold, and starving ... I am here in despair. And why? For doing what Brutus was honored for -- what made Tell a hero. And yet I, for striking down the greater tyrant than they ever knew, am looked upon as a common cut-throat....I struck for my country and that alone. (Marks, 1995)The Missing Pages from John Wilkes Booths Journal
Although its rumored that 18 pages were missing from Booths journal when it was discovered, according to Edward Steers, author of Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President (2007), the FBI's forensic laboratory examined the journal and found 43 separate sheets missing, meaning that a total of 86 pages are missing (p. 188). Of course, reportedly, Booth himself ripped out two pages, which he used for writing messages to Doctor Richard Stuart on April 24, 1865, but no one has been able to account for the other missing pages, which has led to much speculation on the part of historians. (Steers, 2007)
In summary, the combination of Booths journal and letters in effect constitute his autobiography, although one might argue that, given the missing pages, his autobiography fails to provide a complete or necessarily accurate view of the life of the lauded American stage actor whose most memorable role was one that ultimately led to his disgrace, vilification, and death.
Sources:
Kunhardt, D. M. & Kunhardt, P. B. (1993) Twenty Days, a Narrative in Text and Pictures of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Secaucus, NJ: Castle Books
Mark, S. Washington Post. Tracking an Assassin. April 14, 1995. Retrieved from washingtonpost.com
New York Times (2012 The Murderer of Mr. Lincoln. Philadelphia, PA: The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 21, 1865) Retrieved from nytimes.com
Steers, E. (2007) Lincoln legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky
Webster's New World Dictionary (202) New York: Random House
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