EP5 | Ghosts of the Potomac

🎙️ The Ides of April

Episode 5: Ghosts of the Potomac

As Abraham Lincoln’s body lies in state, the manhunt intensifies.

In this episode, we turn to the quiet architect of vengeance: Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. As the capital mourns, Stanton mobilizes the full force of the Union Army to bring Booth to justice—calling in generals, detectives, and even suspending civil liberties. Meanwhile, Booth and Herold limp their way across southern Maryland, desperately seeking help from old allies who are now rethinking their loyalties.

Enter the shadowy figures of the escape: Dr. Samuel Mudd, Colonel Samuel Cox, and the mysterious "River Ghost"—Thomas Jones—a Confederate smuggler who agrees to help ferry the fugitives across the Potomac. But bad directions, misread compasses, and sheer incompetence lead Booth and Herold in circles.

This is the story of The Lost Week: five long days of confusion, starvation, wounded egos, dead horses, and increasingly deranged diary entries from the assassin himself. The South isn’t hailing Booth as a hero. The North isn’t losing its will. And Stanton? He’s just getting started.

📍 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.

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Credits:

Narrated by Alec Baldwin

Written by Branden Morgan

Produced by Evio Creative

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