Who Had The Worst Job?

[My Name Is Kate]

Assuming that all involved were decent people with a conscience, and did not take ending someone's life lightly:

The military tribunal, who had to decide the innocence or guilt of the conspirators?

The person who had to decide the ultimate fate of each conspirator (was it Stanton or Johnson)?

The ministers who attended to the condemned in their final hours?

The executioner who sprung the trapdoors?

[LincolnMan]

Intriguing set of questions. Can I add another question to the mix?

The lawyers who defended the conspirators?

[Gene C]

Going with Kate's question first, I'll go with the ministers. I believe in God's grace and forgivenss, but I also believe there are severe consequences for not following God's word. I'm just glad the final decision rests in his hands

Adding Bill's question in, the lawyers (did they ever get paid?) certainly belong in the top four.

[BettyO]

Excellent questions!

I, too believe the spiritual advisers had the worst job.

While they had to console and comfort the condemned, they also had to be closeted with these folk and their families and friends for a considerable time and get to personally "know" and obviously care about them as people. They had to realize that these folk, irregardless of their crimes, were human beings who had families, who were repentant and contrite regarding what they had done, and were for the most part (regarding the three men) young - in the cases of Powell and Herold; extremely young. They had to listen to the utmost feelings and thoughts of the condemned as they talked and sobbed, witness their grief and fear and then attempt to comfort them as best they could while at the same time, taking into consideration any last minute commissions which they condemned wished to be given to parents, family and friends. Then at the last, they had to witness the deaths of these people - people they had grown to care about in such a short time. Dr. Gillette and Dr. Olds actually turned away when the drop fell, unable to watch - with Gillette becoming ill shortly thereafter with sleepless nights after witnessing the death of these four.

Of course, this was their job. They were clergy and were apparently closely attuned to death and consolation. However, witnessing the cruel deaths of four people (three of them young and healthy and one of them a woman) could be troubling in the extreme.

The rather pitying look on Reverend Augustus Stryker's face as he looks at Mrs. Surratt says it all....(Thanks to John Elliott and Barry Cauchon for pointing out Stryker on the gallows platform)

[DanielC]

I'm going to have to agree with Betty. I think the guards who go to know the conspirators in their captivity. The toughest job I believe was the person who had to tell Tad someone had murdered his father.

[My Name Is Kate]

In the Lincoln movie, no one had to tell Tad. He heard it being announced at Grover's(?) theater. Maybe that's not the way it really happened.

Yes, I should have also put the defense lawyers in the list.

[jonathan]

I believe the ministers/spiritual advisors had the most difficult job. I think the others mentioned, while their jobs certainly would not have been easy, would have been able to distance themselves maybe just a bit more. They would have been able to take a little more of that "I'm just doing my job" or "They made their bed, let them lie in it" attitude to help them deal with it all, whereas the ministers almost certainly would not have used that to fall back on. I believe they would have faced the reality of the situation head on, making it more difficult for them to cope.

I do suppose it depends on what exactly is meant by "difficult" though. If we're just talking about successfully performing the job at hand, then the lawyers for the accused (or presumed guilty by almost everybody, if you prefer) might have technically had the worst time. Bottom line though, it was rough for all of them.

[Hess1865]

I think it was whoever had to make the final decision about who hung.
I would not like to make a life-or-death call.
Nothing could be harder to do IMO

[My Name Is Kate]

"Worst" to be defined however you want to define it. Maybe a better way to say it would be, "Which job would have given you the most psychological, mental, emotional problems?"

[MaddieM]

I agree with Betty. As far as everyone else was concerned, the four were murderers, or attempted assassins, and therefore not human beings. The people who got closest to them, were shown a side to them that was not shown in court or to the public, who saw and dealt with their humanity, had the hardest job of all.

In the case of Powell, who had no one who loved him with him in those final darkest hours, the work Gillette did must have been doubly important for the youngest conspirator and must have imposed a terrible burden on that man. I believe he had a hard time reconciling himself to Powell's death, having no doubt forged a relationship that bordered on the father/son side or at least the closest Powell could have in that respect at that time when he needed it most.

It's not a job I would have liked. And yet, it was probably the most important and fulfilling.

[Craig Hipkins]

I will havve to agree with the majority here and say the priests and ministers had the toughest jobs.

Maddie, you said it well when you say that they saw a side of the conspirators that the public and members of the court did not see.

Craig

[BettyO]

Maddie, you said it well when you say that they saw a side of the conspirators that the public and members of the court did not see.

Agreed!

[J. Beckert]

I agree with the Clergy having the toughest job being it was long and drawn out, but I can't help but think about Coxshall getting sick before he knocked one of the support posts out. He was one of the four who actually physically executed these people. I wonder if it was the heat or the deed he was anticipating.

[L Verge]

I would have to agree with everyone else (for a change). The ministers had to deal with the human factor. The military court was made up of generals who had each sent many men to their deaths with their decisions during the war. The young soldiers who were the prop knockers waiting for the death signal were still soldiers, who are supposed to be conditioned to death. The lawyers had to know when they accepted their cases that the decks were stacked against them. And I do believe that each got some remuneration - I know that Aiken and Clampitt put a claim against the Surratts.

Even though ministers and priests are trained to deal with death and mourning, to have to do it in such a charged and national spotlight must have been quite difficult.

BTW: Kate, this is a great post.

[RJNorton]

In the Lincoln movie, no one had to tell Tad. He heard it being announced at Grover's(?) theater. Maybe that's not the way it really happened.

Yes, I should have also put the defense lawyers in the list.

Kate, the books I have vary on this. Over the years I have read at least four versions of what happened at Grover's Theatre:

1. Someone rushed up the aisle, whispered what happened into Alphonso Donn's ear, and Tad was rushed out of the theater before a general announcement was made to the audience.

2. A man rushed into the theater from outside and yelled the tragic news to the entire audience with Tad still present.

3. An actor or manager went on stage and announced to the crowd that Lincoln had been shot with Tad still present.

4. A combination of 2 and 3.