Izola

By Troy Cowan

In the annals of history, Izola’s name may be but a whisper, a fleeting phantom amidst the tumult of the times. During her lifetime, if the public had known about her life with John Wilkes Booth, she would have been imprisoned or hanged. Deception became her most important tool to protect her family from the judgmental public and the law. Yet, her determination and unwavering loyalty to her family testify to this woman’s resilience in the face of adversity.

Even at birth, controversy surrounded her. Izola’s sixteen-year-old mother was unmarried, and neighbors judged her immoral. Her mother died when she was two. At twelve, her stepmother kicked her out of the house. Survival demanded that she learn to steal food from Boston’s street vendors without getting caught. She developed her strength of character out of desperation.

A man hired by the city to find children running wild in the streets grabbed her and took her to an orphanage. Her adoption by a loving stepmother, Fanny D’Arcy, renewed her spirits. At fifteen, after getting pregnant by Fanny’s twenty-three-year-old son, her dreams of a joyful life with him were dashed when he abandoned her.

She rejoiced in creating a new life, and the birth of her son gave her a feeling of being needed. When her baby died, she fell into despair. A few years later, Izola met John Wilkes Booth at a dance. In a fit of passion, they married the next day.

Their marriage seemed to promise a fairy tale ending, yet fate had other plans. In a tragic turn of events, Booth’s infamous act etched a dark stain on American history and thrust Izola into the shadows. From then on, every place she went, her acceptance in the community demanded that her life with Booth remain hidden.

After Booth assassinated President Lincoln, the crime shocked the nation. The army launched a massive search to find Booth, which spread fear and apprehension throughout the country. With the help of secret allies within the government, a plan was put into action to create a decoy, which allowed Booth to escape undetected, leaving behind the false impression that he had been caught and killed.

John Wilkes Booth began using the name John B. Wilkes, and Izola created a new family history without any mention of John Wilkes Booth. Her goal was to shield her family from others’ relentless curiosity. Her every move became a delicate dance to avoid exposure, her secrets hidden under a blanket of lies and deception.

Her resolve never wavered as she orchestrated a life of anonymity. In the shadows, she was a silent sentinel protecting her family from the legacy of a man whose name would forever be synonymous with infamy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troy Cowan
• Release date: Jun 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311456533

Troy Cowan

My aunt’s grandfather called Jefferson Davis—cousin. Jefferson Davis wanted to go into politics and could not let any voter know that he was once married to an Indian girl. That Indian girl died giving birth to Jefferson's baby boy. The boy lived, grew up, married an Indian girl and they had a baby. Unfortunately, they both died before their baby could talk. Jefferson Davis could not take this girl into his house where visitors could learn that the Indian girl was his granddaughter, so he gave the girl to my aunt’s grandfather to raise. John Riley Davis raised Jefferson Davis’ granddaughter, a half-breed named Novella.I grew up, went into education, and retired with her stories in my head. I had time on my hands after retirement and I began doing research to learn if those stories were true. I did find support for everything she said. While doing research for "Lincoln's Family" and "They wanted Lincoln Dead"—I learned about Izola. Her story was so interesting and compelling that I wrote Izola.

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Izola

by Troy Cowan

Copyright 2014 by Troy Cowan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1…..…ABRAM

CHAPTER 2…..…IZOLA

CHAPTER 3……..THE BALL

CHAPTER 4…..…THE FARM

CHAPTER 5…..…TROUBLES AHEAD

CHAPTER 6..……HARPERS FERRY

CHAPTER 7…..…JOHN BYRON WILKES

CHAPTER 8…..…BOOTH’S TREASURE

CHAPTER 9…..…INDIA

CHAPTER 10……THE VOYAGE HOME

CHAPTER 11……LIFE’S ROCKY PATH

CHAPTER 12……UNKNOWN BROTHER

CHAPTER 13……BOOTH'S LIFE AFTER IZOLA

CHAPTER 14……BOOTH’S WILL ARRIVES IN THE U.S.

CHAPTER 15……LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

CHAPTER 16……CONFLICT OVER THE WILL

Foreword

The names, dates, and locations in this story are true. However, most of the information exists only in short fragments or pieces. Usually, the information came from diaries, letters, journals, notes, and scrapbooks.

Most writings were brief and to the point. I collected as much information as I could and placed the bits of data into a timeline. Using the timeline, I wrote this book. This publication is the first and only time you can read the story of Izola’s life.

A segment from Izola’s timeline would look something like this:

* Abram (Abraham) Mills, Izola’s father, dies at twenty-eight.

* Caroline Jenks, Izola’s stepmother, kicks her out of the house.

* Izola steals food on the streets of Boston.

* Orphanages were created to remove unwanted children from the streets.

* Men were hired to find unwanted children and take them to the orphanage.

* Izola could be found at an orphanage called The Mission for the Children of the Destitute.

* Fanny D’Arcy adopts Izola.

Izola’s life consisted of bits of information here and there. I had to create a story to connect each fragment, which makes this book a work of creative nonfiction. However, the names, dates, and places are real. The events in this book are true.

In Spain, Izola is pronounced E’zo-la.

Many Americans say I’zo-la.

Introduction

This book tells Izola’s story, from her birth in 1837 to her death in 1887. At birth, controversy surrounded her. Her entire life was filled with dangerous encounters. Unlike adventure books with make-believe heroes, Izola was a real person.

Beginning at fifteen, Izola kept a poetry journal. Throughout her life, Izola wrote about her joys and heartaches. We know exactly how she felt at the most critical times of her life.

Izola met John Wilkes Booth early in his career. Like many women, she fell in love with him. Unlike other women, she remained faithful to her lover after he shot Lincoln. Izola was instrumental in helping John Wilkes Booth escape capture.

History tells us that John Wilkes Booth died in the Garrett barn. The truth is—Booth survived. He rejoined Izola, and they began a new life together. After Lincoln’s assassination, Izola had to keep her life with John Wilkes Booth secret. Neither John nor Izola would ever be able to tell their story. They would have to remain silent to prevent prosecution.

Izola did not plan or want to live a life of controversy. After Lincoln’s assassination, she learned that lies and deception would protect her from the people who would do her harm. Not telling the truth about her life with John Wilkes Booth allowed her to live without retaliation.

Chapter 1

Abram

August 14, 1836, seventeen-year-old Abram Alonso Mills exchanged marriage vows with his beloved Mary A. Whitney. To support his new bride, he hired on as a common sailor aboard a trading schooner bound for the Mediterranean. The sailor’s destiny called him to traverse the vast expanse of the world’s oceans while Mary remained with her parents in Stamford, Connecticut.

With the energy and the daring of youth, he embarked on a yearlong journey that would shape his married life forever. With a heart full of dreams and a thirst for adventure, he was a vision of youthful innocence and promise. As a seaman aboard a trading schooner, Abram’s days were filled with the rhythmic ebb and flow of the tide. Soon, his hands would be weathered by the salt-laden winds that swept across the decks of his vessel. With each port of call, he dreamed of distant adventures, his spirit buoyed by the promise of discovery that awaited him on the shores of far-off lands.

The ship’s first stop was Spain. Amidst the bustling port of Malaga, Abram’s path intersected with destiny in the form of a lovely sixteen-year-old girl named Izola Maria Mendoza. As the loaded ship lay anchored in the harbor, Abram was captivated by her beauty. She was a breath of fresh air amidst the hustle and bustle of a port town.

In the picturesque streets of Malaga, beneath the soft caress of the Mediterranean breeze, Izola and Abram found themselves enveloped in a world of their own making, where time seemed to stand still and every moment was filled with the promise of passion. What began as a chance encounter blossomed into an enchanting courtship as they wandered hand in hand through the streets, their laughter mingling with the sweet melodies of children playing.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a rosy hue upon the cobblestone streets, their connection deepened, and undeniable chemistry crackled between them like electricity. With each lingering touch and lingering gaze, the boundaries that separated them dissolved, leaving only the raw intensity of their mutual desire.

But as the evening wore on and the moon cast its silvery glow upon the city, the weight of Izola’s Catholic upbringing pressed upon her conscience like a heavy burden. Raised in a devout household, she had received the teachings of her faith from a young age, and the prospect of defying those beliefs filled her with a sense of unease.

Yet, in Abram, she found a kindred spirit, a soul whose magnetism drew her inescapably closer with each passing moment. His charm was irresistible, his presence intoxicating, and as the night unfolded before them like a tapestry of stars, Izola found herself swept away on a tide of passion that defied all reason.

In a moment of reckless abandon, she surrendered to the allure of forbidden love, casting aside the teachings of her church in favor of the intoxicating embrace of her lover. Together, they found a room at an inn. As their bodies became entwined in a dance as old as time, they were consumed by a primal longing that transcended the boundaries of morality and convention.

But even as they reveled in the ecstasy of their union, the specter of guilt loomed large in the recesses of Izola’s mind, a silent reminder of the consequences of her actions. And as the first light of dawn painted the sky with hues of gold and pink, she knew that their stolen moment of bliss would come at a cost—one that she would carry with her long after the echoes of their passion had faded into memory.

After their evening of romance, it was almost time for him to report back. Abram saw that Izola got home safely and then returned to his ship. As he traversed from port to port, Izola often occupied his thoughts, overshadowing Mary, who lingered only in the depths of his mind.

Meanwhile, Mary endeavored to maintain her devotion to her absent husband. The ache of longing in her heart gradually waned with time, yet she couldn’t escape the realization that a sailor’s wife had an inherently lonely life.

Abram’s ship did return a year later. He stayed with Mary in her parent’s home. After a short stay, he returned to the ship, leaving Mary to watch him vanish beyond the horizon.

The next time Mary would see her husband was yet another year away. Her heart yearned for a partner with a stable, land-based occupation who would faithfully return each evening. The hollowness of their marital reality weighed heavily upon her, offering scant solace in the anticipation of his eventual return.

Three years after his first trip to Spain, Abram’s ship returned to Malaga, and he went looking for Izola, hoping to reunite with her. When he found her, he discovered she had a two-year-old daughter, Martha Lizola Mendoza. Izola informed Abram that the baby was his.

At the time, unwed mothers were chastised by the faithful. Giving birth out of wedlock was considered one of the greatest crimes against the church. Only murder was believed to be a greater sin. The church elders expected Izola to give up her child, but she defied them and kept her baby. As a result, almost everyone in the community saw her as an immoral woman.

Abram felt guilty for bringing this disgrace upon Izola and believed he could make things right by marrying her and giving the baby his name. He asked Izola to marry him, and she enthusiastically said yes.

After they were married, the mother and daughter had a new