07/20/2026
Have you ever heard the legend that John Wilkes Booth was buried in Guntown, Mississippi?
For generations, stories have circulated that Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, did not die in Virginia in 1865 as history records. Instead, the legend claims he escaped, lived under assumed names for years, and was eventually buried in Guntown.
The story has fueled decades of speculation, local folklore, and curiosity. While historians overwhelmingly agree that Booth was killed by Union soldiers at Garrett's Farm in Virginia on April 26, 1865, the Guntown tale continues to be one of Mississippi's most enduring historical myths.
What do you think? Fact or folklore?
Pictured: Headstone in Smith Cemetery outside of Guntown's city limits.
Photo credit: Brooke Burleson / Daily Journal