Historic Preservation/Public Archaeology
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After leaving Dr. Samuel A. Mudd's house on April 15, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, and his accomplice David E. Herold avoided Zekiah Swamp and made a wide arc around the village of Bryanstown. Unsure of their surroundings, they soon enlisted the aid of a guide, Oswell Swann, who led them across the swamp to Rich Hill, the home of Samuel Cox. They arrived here shortly after midnight on April 16. According to Swann, Cox admitted the pair to the house where they remained "3 or 4 hours." Cox, however, later denied that they came into the house, and a young servant girl supported his testimony. Nevertheless, Cox did arrange to conceal the pair in a nearby pine thicket for several days, where they received food, newspapers, and information.
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Rich Hill was recently acquired by the Charles County Commissioners. Historians and archaeologists are now working to learn more about the historic farm and it's residents, and to discover Rich Hill's earlier colonial past. Restoration efforts will begin in 2016 with funding in part from the State of Maryland.
(Image #1: Poster offering reward to John Wilkes Booth)
(Image #2: Rich Hill exterior)
This photo take by Osborn Oldroyd in 1901. Oldroyd was an early chronicler of the Lincoln assassination.
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Rich Hill Historic Site
Historic Preservation/Public Archaeology
Special Thanks to Our Partners:
Historic Society of Charles County
Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland
Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. & Family
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Charles County Government · P.O. Box 2150 · 200 Baltimore St. · La Plata, MD 20646
MD Relay: 711 · Relay TDD: 1-800-735-2258 · Equal Opportunity County
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