Louis Weichmann

[L Verge]

"Aren't you sorry you brought that up, Laurie?"

Not in the least. It confirmed something for me.

Moving on to Weichmann, I have wondered why he went from being a school teacher to an employee of the War Department in the Commissary General's office (that dealt with prisoners of war) at the time that Booth was coming on the scene in the Surratt household. I can make a logical leap on that answer, but I can't back up my theory until I find a smoking gun.

I have known the other material you have posted here about Louis for about thirty years - ever since the extensive research done by James O. Hall, Erich Ewald (who discovered his marriage), and John C. Brennan. However, the good fortune as to how he became a clerk in the War Department working with the prisoner records in 1864 has always intrigued me.

You also made strong statements about Augustus Howell. He is a man about whom very little is known, except that he was fairly low on the Secret Line and was used mainly as an escort through the lines. The only thing solid that we know is that he did a fine job of trying to confuse the court with his testimony -- funny, also. So far as I know, the only people who have made an effort in finding out about the "real" Augustus Howell are Rick Smith, Bill Richter, James O. Hall, and a few others who are experts on the Confederate underground in Southern Maryland.