Manhunt Episode 6 Ending Explained: Does John Wilkes Booth Get Caught?

Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Manhunt episode 6.

Manhunt episode 6 saw the paths of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and John Wilkes Booth finally converge at the Garrett Farm in Port Royal, Virginia, which resulted in the end of the manhunt for Lincoln’s assassin 12 days after the murder in Ford’s Theatre. While the last two episodes didn’t spend much time with Booth and his accomplice, David Herold, episode 6 focused almost entirely on Booth in his final hours. The first half of the episode covered his time at the Garrett Farm and how he finally met his end at the hands of Union soldier Boston Corbett.

Unfortunately for Edwin Stanton, the death of John Wilkes Booth did not result in the end of his battle against the Confederates and Confederate sympathizers who still sought to undermine Lincoln’s vision of Reconstruction. Stanton’s next focus after capturing Booth was two-fold; he wanted to bring the known Booth conspirators like Mary Surratt, David Herold, and Samuel Mudd to justice, and he wanted to publicly bring charges against the Confederacy for a grand conspiracy to murder Lincoln. To do so, he was willing to bend the rules and bury the truth.

Why Stanton Tore Pages Out Of John Wilkes Booth’s Diary

Booth’s diary contained his private musings and motivations.

As famous as John Wilkes Booth and the story of his assassination of Abraham Lincoln is, the many conspiracy theories that arose after the capture of Booth are largely unfamiliar to anyone who isn’t a student of history. One of the most infamous surrounds Edwin Stanton and Booth’s diary, and Manhunt episode 6 directly addresses. Booth’s diary makes its way into Stanton’s possession, and at the end of episode 6 his son asks him if there is anything in it that could “stain his reputation” as the War Secretary leafs through it.

Stanton replies cryptically: “You don’t need to worry about that.” The implication is that there may have been something in the diary that pointed a finger at Stanton as a cause for Booth’s actions. The most obvious connection is that Booth was motivated to kill Lincoln in direct response to the attempted assassination of Jefferson Davis that Edwin Stanton himself may have orchestrated. The implication is all but confirmed by Stanton tearing several pages out of Booth’s diary and putting them in the fire.

The less likely but more haunting implication of Stanton tearing out the pages would be that they reveal he had something to do with the assassination itself, as a famous conspiracy theory claims. Booth’s final diary entry contains a confusing line:

Though I have a greater desire and almost a mind to return to Washington, and in a measure clear my name – which I feel I can do.

Booth’s delusions were well-documented in Manhunt and in the rest of his real-life journal, so it’s possible that the line is nothing more than that. However, Booth’s real diary is in fact missing several pages, which, combined with the cryptic line about clearing his name, raises questions about whether there was more information about his motivations, or even other potential accomplices. There is no proof that Stanton was the one to tear them out (which episode 6 shows), but if he did, he may have hidden those pages because they connected him to the assassination in some way.

Why Booth Believed He Wouldn’t Be Caught After Killing Lincoln

Booth’s delusions reach their purest form in episode 6.

Booth’s real diary reflects the personality depicted in Manhunt: he was a highly delusional and arrogant narcissist who believed that he was a hero, and that he would be welcomed as a hero by the former Confederacy. Manhunt provides several examples of this, from his constant talk of Richmond with David Herold to revealing his identity to Confederate soldiers while waiting to cross into Virginia. Manhunt episode 6 sees these delusions reach their apex, as even while he and Herold were locked in a barn with Union soldiers approaching their position, Booth remains adamant that he would not be captured.

Booth reassures his panicking comrade David Herold by relaying tedious stories of past “scrapes” that the actor had escaped. Even then, he spoke about the hero’s welcome he expected: “Mark my words. They will celebrate us in Richmond tomorrow.” As the two men wait, Booth provides some backstory about his parents, particularly about a palm reading his mother had done when he was young.

My mother believed that God gave me these hands for a reason. For something important…when I shot that tyrant son of a ***** in Ford’s Theatre, it was my mother’s prophecy proven right.

Booth truly believed that he was guarded by a higher power that would not let him meet an ignominious end because he was simply that important. It proves the level of his delusion at the time of his death.

The Real Meaning Behind John Wilkes Booth’s Final Words

They provide some insight into his personal backstory.

In the course of telling stories of his parents to Herold, Booth mentions that his mother told him that he had the most beautiful hands she’d ever seen, and as outlined above, that meant he was destined to do something great with those hands. Regarding his father, Booth relays a story about when he asked his father to train him as an actor, to follow in his footsteps. His father supposedly replied “Boy, you are useless.”

In Manhunt episode 6, Booth’s final words after being shot are “Mama…don’t look at my hands,” followed by him repeating the word “useless”. These lines are not far off from what Booth’s actual final words were, and Manhunt creator Monica Beletsky clearly tried to provide some more meaningful context to his final words. In reality, Booth’s final words may have been little more than his brain firing out disconnected words as he died, but in the context of the character played by Anthony Boyle, enhancing the depth of his final words makes sense.

Why Stanton Wants To Pursue The Confederate Conspiracy In Public

Stanton wants to bring charges despite a lack of concrete evidence.

When it came to the proven Booth conspirators like Mary Surratt and David Herold, Stanton sought swift, severe convictions for all to deter future potential assassins and further attempts to overthrow the government. Stanton and Judge Joseph Holt (John Billingsley) planned to hold the trial as a military tribunal under the War Department, as the murder of the president would be considered an act of war. That allowed them to skip a criminal trial, which would require a unanimous verdict, and instead have a decision reached by a panel of military judges, chosen by Stanton and Holt.

Stanton then proposes to President Johnson that he publicly accuse Jefferson Davis of being behind the assassination, along with George Sanders, John Surratt, Jr. and John Wilkes Booth. His logic is that they can not only keep the current leaders of the government safe by keeping Davis on the run, but they can end the credibility of the Confederacy once and for all, and begin to truly press forward on Reconstruction. While Johnson encourages him to go forward, Judge Holt, Eddie Stanton and Thomas Eckert aren’t as confident.

How Mary Simms Became A Key Trial Witness Against The Confederates

The freedwoman could solidify a very important connection for Stanton.

The lack of confidence in bringing charges of a grand conspiracy is born out of the sheer lack of concrete evidence connecting all the parties that Stanton wants to accuse. He needs something tying Dr. Samuel Mudd and the Surratts to Booth, and via Surratt’s connection to Jefferson Davis, tie Booth to Davis. While all the evidence they have is equivocal and proves nothing, a witness tying the parties together could be the solution.

Stanton realizes that Mary Simms is that important witness. Simms’ time working under Dr. Samuel Mudd allowed her to connect him, Surratt and Booth himself (after their terrifying albeit fictional encounter). Stanton’s proposal to further establish the coded message between Surratt and Jefferson Davis discovered in Manhunt episode 3 is the final piece, tying all the men together into one grand conspiracy. While Mary is initially reluctant, Stanton encourages her by noting that her testimony can help move the country forward.

Why Stanton Wanted To Embarrass Jefferson Davis

Catching Davis alive wasn’t enough for the Secretary of War.

After Eckert brings Stanton the news that Jefferson Davis was captured wearing his wife’s shawl, Stanton suggests that they tell the press that Davis was actually caught wearing a dress. Per AmericanHeritage.com Jefferson’s clothing was actually a unisex top, much like a raincoat. Stanton took the opportunity to embarrass Davis publicly to further destabilize the hold he had on the South, and as mentioned in Manhunt episode 6, as vengeance for an occasion in which the Confederacy humiliated Lincoln for wearing women’s clothes to avoid death threats on one occasion.

Source: UMKC School of Law (Booth’s Diary), AmericanHeritage.com