Thomas F. Harney

[L Verge]

Back to the Judah Benjamin theme: We have mentioned briefly before a controversial (and very convoluted) theory proposed in a posthumous publication entitled Dixie Reckoning. It focuses a great deal on the "NY Crowd."

A decade ago, I was "allowed" to read the ms. for DR, and I made notes along the way. On page 105 of the ms. mention is made of a 1909 book entitled Retrospectives of an Active Life by John Bigelow. Bigelow states that Seward knew that Judah Benjamin and James Mason were privy to Booth's plot because the assassins had gold on hand -- and no gold was in circulation in the U.S. at that time. I never checked this out; anyone have info on the U.S. monetary system in 1865? I thought we were on the double standard.