Manhunt Episode 4 Fact-Check: 7 Biggest True Story Changes & Inaccuracies

Compared to previous episodes, Manhunt episode 4 moves through its primary plot points at breakneck speed, as Edwin Stanton’s hunt for John Wilkes Booth hurtles towards its endgame. The episode also departs almost entirely from the true story of John Wilkes Booth in favor of exploring some of the historical conspiracies on both sides of the American Civil War, even if there is no concrete proof about the players involved. All the major notes in Manhunt episode 4 are based on real world events, but as has been the case throughout each episode, liberties are taken to accentuate the intrigue.

While episode 3 of Manhunt took a closer look at the sociopolitical climate surrounding John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of Abraham Lincoln, episode 4 touches on the economic implications of his actions. Once again, the latest episode of the historical drama explores the overarching question of whether Booth was part of a larger Confederate conspiracy. The narrative continues to play out in service of that grand conspiracy, regardless of whether it’s historically accurate.

7
There Is No Proof Stanton Ordered The Assassination Of Jefferson Davis

The show touches on the real-world Dahlgren Affair.

One of the most significant points made in episode 4 is that Edwin Stanton, under the guidance of Abraham Lincoln, ordered the assassination of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The episode opens with Booth discussing with reporter Sanford Conover how to best counter the growing belief that Stanton was behind an assassination order, and the point is revisited at different points in the episode. In a flashback, Lincoln directly gives Stanton the go-ahead to take out Davis in order to bring a swift end to the war, and George Sanders brings it up again in his office when Stanton confronts him.

The reason this is such a scandal is that it was considered a breach of protocol and honor to attack a sitting president, even in the course of war. That’s the crux of Lincoln and Stanton’s conversation; whether Jefferson Davis, as the leader of a nation that isn’t actually recognized, counts as a sitting president. The two men concur that he doesn’t, and Lincoln puts Stanton in touch with a friend of his, Admiral Dahlgren, who has a son who can be relied on discreetly.

This is a direct reference to an incident known as the Dahlgren Affair, in which orders for the assassination of Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet were found on the body of Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren after a failed raid on the Confederate capital of Richmond in March 1864. The papers found on Dahlgren were published in Southern papers and created outrage among the Confederacy that the orders came from Lincoln and/or Stanton. It was widely speculated that this was what gave Booth (and any of his would-be supporters) the confidence to take such drastic action against Lincoln.

Whether Lincoln and Stanton were behind the Dahlgren plot or not is historically irrelevant, as it was never connected to them. Manhunt progresses as if it were completely true, which builds upon the back-and-forth espionage at the heart of the show. In reality, Dahlgren’s father claimed the papers were a forgery, and there was never any legitimate tie to Edwin Stanton outside of speculation and circumstance.

6
Mary Simms Left Samuel Mudd Much Earlier

Her defiant exit didn’t play out as it does in the show.

Manhunt episode 4 saw Mary Simms finally remove herself from the employ of Dr. Samuel Mudd, the Confederate sympathizer (and potential Confederate Secret Service agent) who treated John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg. She travels to the land grant that she was given by the War Department and begins making a home for herself, and even begins teaching newly freed slaves despite having no formal education herself. Her story is meant to provide perspective for the individuals who ultimately testified against Booth and his co-conspirators, as well as perspective for all free black Americans in the aftermath of the Civil War.

The real Mary Simms was a slave of Dr. Samuel Mudd’s who stayed on as his servant following the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1963. She worked for Mudd for at least another year before leaving at some point in 1864, a full year earlier than the timeline playing out in Manhunt. Therefore, she did not have any interaction with John Wilkes Booth himself, which leaves her role in the rest of Manhunt as somewhat of a mystery.

5
George Sanders’ Influence On Confederate Insurgency Was Never Proven

He wasn’t anywhere near as influential in reality.

For the sake of creating a coherent and gripping narrative, Manhunt has altered some characters to take on a much larger role in the story than their historical counterparts ever had. George Sanders is probably the most significant example of this, as his character has been enhanced to represent all of Confederate insurgency in the period up to and directly after Lincoln’s assassination. While he was long-suspected of being involved in the assassination plot, there is no proof that he was or that he had any hand in the plots shown in Manhunt episode 4.

The Manhattan Fire Plot, for example, was masterminded by Jacob Thompson, the former Inspector General of the Confederate Army, per the New York Times. The real George Sanders was heavily involved in the Confederate activities in Montreal, and as the one-time U.S. Consul in London, made trips to Europe to further the Confederate cause. He was considered a revolutionary, and supposedly was involved in several European plots to assassinate leaders, hence the obvious connection to Booth. There was no proof, however, that he was responsible for contaminating uniforms with smallpox or burning down hotels.

4
Agent Lafayette Baker Never Led A Raid On Wall Street

Wall Street had plenty of reasons to back the Confederacy.

One of the most striking scenes in Manhunt episode 4 involves Patton Oswalt’s Agent Lafayette Baker leading a raid on the Gold Room of Wall Street, arresting Confederate-leaning traders in an attempt to disrupt the money flow of George Sanders and other Confederate leaders. He also seeks information from the traders, specifically Edwin Stanton’s former father-in-law, that can help them squeeze Sanders.

In reality, there is no evidence of the real Agent Baker raiding Wall Street in this fashion. However, it makes perfect narrative sense as Wall Street was at that time very aligned with the Confederate leaders. As despicable as slavery was, it was undoubtedly profitable for those who dealt in gold, tobacco, textiles, sugar and more. Wall Street may have been located in New York, but many of its most influential traders were Confederate sympathizers, if not outright supporters.

3
Edwin Booth Was Not At Abraham Lincoln’s Wake

He did, however, have a real connection to the Lincoln family.

The contrast between John Wilkes Booth and his brother Edwin is on display in Manhunt episode 4. It shows that while John Wilkes Booth was an egotistical, hardcore Confederate supporter, his brother fully backed the Union and had stopped speaking to his brother over their conflicting viewpoints. It’s intimated that there is a jealousy angle as well, given that Edwin Booth was a far more famous actor than his brother. Edwin Booth is shown attending Abraham Lincoln’s wake, and even comforting Mary Lincoln herself.

While it’s highly unlikely Edwin Booth attended Lincoln’s wake, the Lincoln family did have a relationship with John Wilkes Booth’s brother. Eddie Stanton mentions that Edwin Booth saved Robert Lincoln’s life, and that is true to history; Robert Lincoln was accidentally pushed between a crowded train car and the platform, but before he was injured, Edwin Booth grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. That, along with Abraham Lincoln’s affinity for Edwin Booth’s work on the stage (the theater was an effective distraction from his duties), tied Edwin Booth to the Lincoln family long before the assassination.

2
Sanford Conover Didn’t Work Directly For George Sanders

The real Sanford Conover was much less influential.

Sanford Conover is another character whose role was exaggerated for the sake of Manhunt‘s narrative. In Manhunt episode 4 he is seen interacting with the highest authorities on either side of the conflict, acting as a reporter and spy for Agent Baker and Edwin Stanton while simultaneously acting as a double agent in the employ of George Sanders. As a go-between he has major influence on both sides, and is painted as an important figure in the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and the Confederate conspiracy surrounding it.

In reality, Sanford Conover was an employee of the Confederate War Department under the aforementioned Jacob Thompson per the UMKC School of Law. His real name turned out to be Charles Durham, and he notably gave testimony about the Confederate plot to “leave the government without a head” by killing Lincoln and his most powerful Cabinet members. However, his testimony is widely regarded as perjury, and was attacked by Confederate supporters as an outright lie.

1
Stanton Never Confronted Sanders In His Offices

The intense showdown never actually occurred.

Manhunt episode 4 has been widely hailed as the strongest episode so far, and the tense gunpoint showdown between Stanton and Sanders is part of why. The conversation between the two men, which begins with Stanton desperately bribing Sanders for information that will lead to Booth’s capture, ends with the two men pointing pistols at one another. Sanders alludes to Stanton attempting to kill Jefferson Davis, and Stanton outright asks if Sanders killed Lincoln. The interaction concludes with Sanders in handcuffs and Stanton looking for the map to the Secret Line, on which Booth is hiding.

While it makes for great crime thriller action, the scene is entirely fabricated for the show and encapsulates all the liberties taken with both characters. Sanders did not have the level of influence that Manhunt depicts him having, and Stanton was nowhere near the boots-on-the-ground detective he is portrayed as. There is also no proof that there was in fact a grand Confederate conspiracy behind the actions of John Wilkes Booth, so really no part of the intense stand-off holds true to history.