The murder of abraham lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in american history from april 14 to april 26 1865 the assassin john wilkes booth led union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve day chase through the streets of washington dc across the swamps of maryland and into the forests of virginia while the nation still reeling from the just ended civil war watched in horror and sadness. Manhunt the 12 day chase for lincolns killer was a commercial and critical smash hit from the moment it was released in 2007 and rightfully so author james swanson weaves a detailed and enthralling narrative from first hand accounts and documentary evidence its trite to say that a popular work of historical non fiction reads like a novel but this one really does. Manhunt the 12 day chase for lincoln s killer p spdf. Manhunt the 12 day chase for lincolns killer follows john wilkes booths plan to assassinate abraham lincoln from the moment the idea was first planted in his head to the day the manhunt finally ended. The booth capturing ordeal lasted for 12 days from april 14 to 26 1865 the chase was a thriller it would beat the best stunt and war movie as for the sequence of events the author describes how the sympathetic individuals tried to save the killer and how he was finally outsmarted by the security forces