Johnson at odds with Holt & Stanton in June of 1865

[L Verge]

For years, I thought that the odd placement of the clemency plea at the end of the findings might be the saving grace for Johnson. Unless Holt or someone else pointed it out to him, he just looked for the line on which to sign off on the findings and the order for execution. The thought that Johnson would ever have read all those pages from the trial and deliberations was foreign to me.

Within the past decade or so, however, I have come to feel the same as Roger. To me, it comes down to whether or not Johnson believed there was one plot or two. Was the kidnap plot separate from the assassination? I think conspiracy is conspiracy and that Johnson had no choice but to find Mrs. Surratt guilty if he was going to approve the executions of Herold and Atzerodt.