From: Lorene (Maher) Mann We all know the story about Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. But remember the Dr. who set Booth's broken Leg. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd. According to stories I was told by relatives on my father's side, Dr. Mudd was a cousin on my Grandmother's side (Her maiden name was Mattingly (not sure about that spelling.) I went to the internet in search of more info about Dr. Mudd and found plenty. One article from a Washington Post Staff Writer, dated April 14, 1995 told me among other things that Dr. Mudd is buried at St. Mary's Catholic church in Washington D.C., that Mudd was a confederate sympathizer and though he was sent to prison, his guilt in the assassination is still debated by his descendants, that Dr. Mudd not only set Booth's leg but made crutches for him. Mudd was the father of 4 children at that time. After Mudd was convicted of aiding in Lincoln's death' he received a life sentence but President Andrew Jackson pardoned him in 1869, after Mudd helped save the lives of prisoners and guards during a yellow fever epidemic. Mudd returned home to his wife Claudine Louise, and get this, they have 5 more children. The Dr. Mudd House is now a museum, located on 10 acres of land (Popular Hill and Dr. Samuel Mudd roads, near Charles county). Most of the furniture is original from Mudd's time because it has been owned by the family until it was deeded to the Dr, Samuel Mudd Society in 1983. One interesting note is that the last child born in that house was a grandaughter, Louise Mudd Arehart (age 77). Arehart has a cousin in Michigan, a Richard Mudd, age 93. At the time of the Post article, they were both living. I also went to the internet and discovered some comments from all kinds of people about whether Dr. Mudd was innocent or not. Most believed he was not, that he was a conspiritor. As one writer put is. "His name is still Mudd." Don't take all this too seriously. And remember it was handed down to me, verbally, nothing in writing. . AN INTERESTING NOTE FROM RICH........ According to the 'MAHER FAMILY TREE", Bob Maher's Father was married to Frances A. Mattingly. -- Francis A Mattingly's Father was married to SARA MUDD......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Lorene (Maher) Mann: Frances Mattingly Maher was my father's (Bob's) mother, my paternal grandmother, She was small boned, petite. quiet and blind the last twenty-five years of her life. She came to visit us a few times when I was a child and I loved her immediatley. Her patience impressed me. While she could see nothing, she still smiled and was agreeable. She never allowed anybody to feel sorry for her, but voiced her disapproval if it mattered. One day I remember, we all went for a ride in the car. My brother Wayne was driving. and Wayne, bless his memory, drove like we all had nine lives. We always hung on to whatever was available to hang on to. Grandma Maher (Frances) was sitting in the back seat between my sister and I. We were traveling down this country road at a madcap speed of at least forty miles and hour when we hit a bump (not a speed bump, it was a rocky road), and we all flew temporarily to the ceiling. That's when Grandma let loose with words that Grandmas did not use at that time. She invoked the name of God and somewhere in between the name of Satan was spoken, I noticed she was clutching her rosary. I guess that's what saved us all. After that Wayne slowed down and Grandma became her usual' placid' patient person. I wish she had been with us longer. She was small physically but deep spiritually. She had faith and it wasn't blind faith. She really had faith that she might see again. As I'm sure she did when she reached the thrine of God.
Last modified on Sunday, June 10, 2001
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