 Garrett 's 11 @-@ year @-@ old son , Richard , was an eyewitness . In later years , he became a Baptist minister and widely lectured on the events of Booth 's demise at his family 's farm . In 1921 , Garrett 's lecture was published in the Confederate Veteran as the " True Story of the Capture of John Wilkes Booth . " According to his account , Booth and Herold arrived at the Garretts ' farm , located on the road to Bowling Green , around 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon . Because Confederate mail delivery had ceased with the collapse of the Confederate government , he explained , the Garretts were unaware of Lincoln 's assassination . After having dinner with the Garretts that evening , Booth learned of the surrender of Johnston 's army . The last Confederate armed force of any size , its capitulation meant that the Civil War was unquestionably over and Booth 's attempt to save the Confederacy by Lincoln 's assassination had failed . The Garretts also finally learned of Lincoln 's death and the substantial reward for Booth 's capture . Booth , said Garrett , displayed no reaction , other than to ask if the family would turn in the fugitive should they have the opportunity . Still not aware of their guest 's true identity , one of the older Garrett sons averred that they might , if only because they needed the money . The next day , Booth told the Garretts he intended to reach Mexico , drawing a route on a map of theirs . However , biographer Theodore Roscoe said of Garrett 's account , " Almost nothing written or testified in respect to the doings of the fugitives at Garrett 's farm can be taken at face value . Nobody knows exactly what Booth said to the Garretts , or they to him . " 
