Dr.Richard Mudd

[J Hewitt]

Back in the early 90's I had the good fortune of being able to write to and get responses back from the grandson of Dr Samuel Mudd (Dr Richard Mudd). We exchanged several letters, and I at the time had been reading several books on the assassination causing me to give pause to the idea that maybe Sam Mudd was innocent. My letters to Dr Mudd reflected those views. But after more further reading my conclusion is Sam Mudd was guilty as charged. For instance the Tyler/Tyson story did not add up, as well as many other falsehoods that Sam told the authorities. In one of my last letters I wrote to Richard Mudd, I stated that I had to change my views on his grandfather, and I thought he was most likely guilty. To my suprise he stated that he himself was never 100% sure, and even some Mudd Family members believe Sam to be guilty.

Richard Mudd lived to be 101 years old.

[L Verge]

You heard something from Dr. Richard that few others ever heard! Perhaps his years of working with (and against) James O. Hall and Ed Steers did make a difference.

Dr. Richard Mudd was very good to the Surratt House Museum over the years, and we all admired him for his dedication to clearing his grandfather's name. He was able to reach so many people - many of whom were in high places - that I often said that I wished I could hire him as our public affairs officer!

[J Hewitt]

Yes, It was great that he would actually answer a letter too. That was back before emailing and texting became prevalent

[Hess1865]

I'm surprised that a Mudd family member would actually say that there was a chance that Dr. Sam was guilty. I wonder if Louise Mudd Arehart knew of his thoughts????

[JMadonna]

Just finished reading Diehard Rebels by Jason Phillips. Its an interesting study on the ingrained attitudes of the South that shaped the reality of the 'unreconstructed rebels' like the Mudd family.

It was interesting to note how the political spin we are so used to today was applied to the people in 1864. Reality was whatever the next rumor you heard.

[L Verge]

I may have to read that book, Jerry. Are there characters in it that I would identify with?

As for the relationship between Dr. Richard and his first cousin, Louise Mudd Arehart, let's just say that they were both on the same page about their grandfather's innocence. However, on a personal, familial level, there was no love lost between the two.

The best example of their infighting was when Dr. Richard agreed to donate the famous sofa on which Booth's leg was examined back to the Dr. Mudd House Museum. The only thing that he asked was that the Mudd Society pay the shipping costs from Michigan to Maryland. Mrs. Arehart refused. After a good amount of dickering, I believe that it was Richard Sloan who stepped in and negotiated for donations to get the deal sealed.

I will say that Dr. Richard spent many hours and mucho dollars in gathering everything he could about his grandfather. His collection of papers are now in Georgetown University's Lauinger Library. He may have admitted once to having some doubt about Dr. Sam's guilt or innocence, but otherwise, he stood fast on the side of innocence.

I also have to say that, without Mrs. Arehart's drive and persistence (and annoying the heck out of some state and local politicians), the Mudd House likely would not have been restored and turned into a museum. She was abrasive in her tactics, but she loved that house dearly.

[JMadonna]

(03-05-2014 09:36 AM)L Verge Wrote:  I may have to read that book, Jerry. Are there characters in it that I would identify with?

I was going to say that it gave me a better handle on the way YOU think, but I thought better of it.

It's not a character analysis per se, it's how the fog of war shrouded the truth of what was really happening during the last year of the war. How unmatched expectations of success were spun into rumors of success to keep the morale high. To the soldiers in the field these 'wish rumors' were absolutely essential.

These rumors plus the ever present stories of the barbarity of the invading Yankees influenced the generations of southerners that came later.

[L Verge]

You may be able to understand my thinking better, but you will never be able to keep me under control! Just spoofing you -- sorta...

[JMadonna]

I can't control you - the best I can do is contain you....occasionally

[bob_summers]

Dr. Richard Mudd is best known for his efforts to clear the name of his grandfather Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, but his real enduring legacy is his 2-volume 1835-page genealogy entitled The Mudd Family of the United States. The first edition was published in 1951, followed by the second edition in 1971. It was his very serious life-long hobby, spanning many decades. To my knowledge, his 2-volume work is the largest, most detailed genealogy of any American family. I have been to the genealogy room of the Library of Congress several times, and have never seen any published genealogy of similar size and detail.

When Dr. Richard Mudd died a few years ago, his son Tom Mudd invited the Latter Day Saints folks in to microfilm his father’s files. They told Tom it was the largest microfilm job they had ever done. Afterwards, Tom donated his father’s genealogy files to the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. There are no bombshells about Dr. Samuel Mudd in these files, but there are a number of “wow” items there, such as the letter from his daughter Stella who was at her father’s bedside when he died and spoke his last words to his wife Sarah Frances. If anyone is ever interested in looking at these files, it is best to call the Archives ahead of time and make an appointment. Some of the files are on-site in Annapolis, but most have to be pulled from storage in Baltimore.

Dr. Richard Mudd also donated a number of non-genealogy documents specifically about Dr. Samuel Mudd to the Special Collections division of Georgetown University’s Lauinger Library. These are also worth reviewing, but I have found the records at the Maryland Archives far more interesting.

[Ed Steers]

I am a little late coming to this discussion. Dr. Mudd and I exchanged several letters over the years and when he became bed-ridden he would call me occasionally on Sunday mornings and we would talk. We remained good friends to the end and enjoyed our "verbal arm wrestling." In one of the letters he wrote me he stated, "I have always felt that my grandfather had known about the Lincoln kidnapping plan." He always maintained that there were two plots, not one. While his grandfather knew about the one, he did not know about the other. Hence, he was innocent. He did not accept the legal concept of "vicarious liability."

[wsanto]

Of course he knew about the second plot when he aided and abbetted Booth on his escape from capture then lied to authorities over the next few days.

[L Verge]

I have often said that I wish I could have hired Dr. Richard Mudd as my public relations man! I just had this brought back to me when the estate of the late-author, Gordon Samples (Lust for Fame), sent some assassination-related books to Surratt House to use at our discretion.

One of the books is the 1955 reprint of Nettie Mudd's book on her father. Inside the front cover were a few newspaper clippings - one of which had a photograph of Dr. Richard examining Booth's boot. It is part of an article from the May 12, 1961, issue of The San Diego Union. The article is headlined as Mudd's A Hero: Congress Finally Clears Doctor for Aiding Lincoln's Assassin. Well, guess what gang -- it's 2014, and neither Congress nor the Executive Branch nor the Judicial Branch has cleared Dr. Mudd.

The occasion for this bold headline was the unveiling of the plaque at Fort Jefferson honoring Dr. Mudd for his efforts in the yellow fever epidemic on the island. And here, I'm quoting: "To at least one of Mudd's descendants, Dr. Richard D. Mudd, 60, of Saginaw, Mich., the plaque represents the goal of a lifetime. He has spent his adult life poring over family records, government documents, and other historical data to clear his grandfather's name.

"Richard Mudd says the bill Congress passed at the last session approving the monument [plaque] 'is tacit admission, at last, that my grandfather was convicted unjustly, that he did not conspire to kill the 16th President, or knowingly aid the man who did.'"

The rest of the article is a retelling of the Mudd story that made the rounds until several decades ago when learned historians started digging. With my apologies to Bob Summers, I just have to say that that headline and the statement from Dr. Richard did a lot to confuse history and students of history. It is no wonder that I have people visit Surratt House and argue with my volunteers and me that Dr. Mudd was cleared years ago.

[RJNorton]

(05-15-2014 02:29 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Inside the front cover were a few newspaper clippings - one of which had a photograph of Dr. Richard examining Booth's boot.

Laurie, is this the same picture? Dave Taylor posted this on the forum back in 2012 (thank you, Dave).

[L Verge]

Same photo except that the one in the newspaper article has been cropped so that it mainly shows Dr. Richard and the boot only.