I recently got this game called “And Then There Were None,” which is based off of Agatha Christie’s famous novel, and I just started playing it this evening because I couldn’t think of anything else to do, not having a harddrive in Brannagh to play EQ, and all. So I’m going along in the game picking up books on birds and sailing and sneaking into people’s rooms trying to get clues, and I grab a book on sailing the Florida Keys. I open it, and halfway through I come across this page:

Dr. Mudd was my ancestor!! Everyone knows Booth shot Lincoln, jumped off the balcony onto the stage and broke his leg, but not many people know the name of the doctor who treated him after his escape unless they’re really history buffs…or his descendants. Something I find interesting in this little paragraph is how it mentioned that Dr. Mudd was convicted of complicity in the Lincoln assassination. Too bad it doesn’t mention that Dr. Mudd was innocent! At least, that’s what my family believes. I’m just fascinated to find Dr. Mudd’s name in a video game like this. It’s not what I consider to be a very well-known bit of information, really. Then again, video games (especially puzzle-solving games such as this) tend to delight in the obscure and esoteric as plot devices or clues. After all, even “Terre Haute” was mentioned in the Vampire Bloodlines game. 😉 Aside from the recent Jon Stewart jibes, since when has Terre Haute been in the nation’s gaze? Not recently, I can tell you. At any rate, it’s time to get back to the game. Maybe I’ll find references to John Hanson, the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled and another of my ancestors, hehe.