Mary Surratt's Denial of Lewis Powell

[Laurie Verge]

I think the escape plans for the assassination were thrown together at the last minute - mainly because I think the April 11 speech by Lincoln was the impetus to get it done as quickly as possible. I believe that Herold was sent to Southern Maryland sometime on April 12 and spent that day and April 13 touching base with the Southern planters and underground agents who would assist in getting any fugitives across the Potomac. Frankly, I think those Marylanders did an excellent job of secreting the pair from the Union forces that swarmed into the area within 24 hours.

I also think that Mosby had maintained at least minimal forces in Southern Maryland and/or Virginia's Northern Neck over the month between the kidnap scheme and the assassination in anticipation of something drastic happening. Herold's visit to the underground was relayed to the Mosby forces. There is also a tidbit about several riders pulling some kind of maneuver on the streets of Washington shortly after the assassination. I can't remember all the details here (Rick or Bill please help!). Could they have been Mosby's men in civilian garb?

Now, as for Powell? I think his Mosby training on how to skedaddle had him going in the opposite direction for Confederate underground support -- Baltimore and the Branson family. He would be harder to identify than matinee idol Booth, even if stopped.

If he had not found the Bennings Bridge closed and gotten lost in his detour, he probably would have made it to Baltimore within 25 to 36 hours. From there, I think he would have been home free. He was so sure of his skills and his route that he thought he didn't need a contingency plan. Actually, he just took the wrong road when he detoured - if he had taken a right instead of a left, he would have still been on a route that would have led to Baltimore.

As for someone identifying Powell as Seward's assailant, I personally feel that William Bell, the servant, was the only one who could give a definite and positive identification because he was the only one who had enough time to get a clear visual image of him. The other members of the family and George Robinson were so busy wrestling with Powell that I doubt they got a good look at him. Poor Fanny was probably so traumatized as to what was happening to her father that she didn't really focus on Powell's features.