J. J. Reford and J. J. Chaffee...who were they?...Really??

[scldrgnfly]

Neat, Betty and Gene! As far as I know, the only letter out there that mentions Demill, is the one sent to John Surratt by R. D. Watson asking him to come to see him in New York if he could (paraphrased-at phone). He asks for John to reply care of Demill, 178 1/2 Water St., New York, New York. The Demills had a relatively small shipping concern and they had family links to Nova Scotia and "Little" Washington, North Carolina. Not only Cecil B. Demille, but Agnes Demille were part of the family. It appears that William Demill, who was a playwright might have added the e for a bit of elegance in the 1870's, I think.

Interestingly, the R. D. who sent the note, if he was the one who sent it, was not the Major Roderick Watson who lived at Clifton across Popes Creek from Thomas A. Jones and whose home was used to signal the Confederate watermen. By the time that letter was sent, March 17th or 19th 1865, Major Roderick Watson had been killed. He was struck by lightning at his home in 1862 while Thomas A. Jones was at Capitol Prison. I am pretty sure R. D. was Major Roderick Watson's son.

Here is my question for you all, was that letter a signal for John to make haste to NY to remove him from the "Coming Retribution?". Especially since, John Surratt's alias when he was hiding with the Papal Zouaves, was John "Watson?". Crazy!! Eh!?!!