Fort Jeff

Some of the pleasures in researching for my current work in progress, "Fort Jeff", are the interesting tidbits I stumble across.

I wanted to share this photo with you, a mid-19th century photograph I found in archives online. I wasn't looking for this fellow specifically, although he was a short-term resident of the prison at Fort Jefferson, in Florida's Dry Tortugas around which my current work in progress revolves.

From the image on the right, many of you will recognize Dr. Samuel Mudd, the fellow who tended to the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.

HOWEVER, there has been much interest in records of Dr. Mudd's time spent at the fort as a prisoner.

The image on the left may perhaps be the only image still extant showing Dr. Mudd out of confinement to his cell and out in the fresh air, at the fort.

What you are seeing is Dr. Mudd sitting on the rail of the large wide bridge leading to the fort's sally port entrance from the de-lousing dock. Beyond the soldier just behind Dr. Mudd there was a short draw bridge to isolate the fort from the bridge.

Farther back, you can see a second federal soldier standing guard within the cooling shade of sally port - the fort's singular entrance.

Dr. Mudd was sentenced to confinement at Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas - along with the members of the Surrat conspirators who were not hanged.

Dr. Mudd was not treated well; however, when all the doctors assigned to the fort came down with Yellow Fever (known then as Yellow Jack), Dr. Mudd's services were enlisted to tend to the growing number of fever victims at the fort, including soldiers, civilian residents, and prisoners. He did so without attempting to escape. When the other doctors were healed, for Dr. Mudd's kindnesses, he was re-confined to his cell. His wife was later successful in using his medical kindnesses to get him released and returned home.

My current blended-history thriller in the works, "Fort Jeff", takes place across four time periods at the Dry Tortugas and the Florida Keys, and is #3 in the series about the Morgan family of marine archaeologists. “Fort Jeff” is preceded by "The Queen of Kings" and "Ironclad Gold".