Surratt - "WHo" was he?

[BettyO]

Quote:Interesting. It is my opinion that Booth did not have a second in command. He was a narcissist and usually people with that affliction do not care about the niceties and advantages of a military structure. Surratt appears on the surface to be Booth's second only because he was intelligent. The other players in Booth's plot (at least on the surface) appeared to be either dim witted, cowardly, or just plain unmotivated. Surrratt was of a higher caliber in the cranial capacity department.

Interest observations - however, I do not think that the others were "dim-witted", cowardly or unmotivated." Surratt may have been intelligent - but he had qualifications (advanced education) above the others involved. However, Davey Herold was also well educated but more than a trifle immature for his age - and he was older than both Surratt and Powell by at least 2 years. Surratt and Powell were approximately one week apart in age almost to the day, but Surratt had educational advantages which Powell did not. Powell was not dim witted; as a matter of fact, Dr. Gillette and others were impressed with his mental capacities. Mosby wouldn't have looked at him if he had been of low intelligence. I think Powell was more or less not as well educated and felt it keenly. He complained of his education to boarders at the Branson House and was always reading while boarding there. He also played chess, so he couldn't have been but so dumb. Cowardly he most certainly was not.

Atzerodt was a foreigner and rather uneducated as well. This led to assessments that he was dull-witted. Unmotivated? I think not as well. Herold was certainly loyal to Booth as he stuck by him and could have abandoned his co-hort at any time. Powell, I believe, was more or less utterly devoted to the Confederate Cause. Atzerodt, who knows! I think he was motivated by money - as more or less they all could have been. Powell had told Gillette that he "expected a promotion."

Surratt was wily and was smart enough to know when to get out.