Louis Weichmann

[L Verge]

Pamela, please do not be condescending to me. I am probably old enough to be your mother, and I suspect that I have many more years of reading, valuable friendships, and contacts in the field. As for Weichmann's contributions to Booth's plans, I told you that I have yet to find the smoking gun.

However, please remember that he left college in the summer of 1862 and did not return (same as John Surratt) despite his mother's strong desire for him to be a priest. We know that he maintained his friendships with Surratt and family for the entire time. Remember the reference to him being at Surrattsville in 1863 and meeting Herold at that time? His note about coming with Surratt to the farm to get apples to sell on the market?

If you read other books, you will see that the kidnap/release prisoners plans had many forms under quite a few others before Booth and 1864. Surratt is an active courier on the Secret Line by 1863. He might not know details of or those involved in earlier schemes, but I suspect that he knew the general topic. My own family said that half of Southern Maryland knew about a kidnap scheme, and they were right in the middle of Southern Maryland! Weichmann's position in the War Department made him ripe for picking - whether knowingly or unknowingly. As Mike Kauffman is prone to say (on a variety of topics), "Coincidence? I think not!"

I'm sorry that you never had the opportunity to meet the fine researchers in this field. You would then understand the lengths that they went to (and others continue to do) to consider all angles. I knew Erich Ewald, and the giants in the field were very impressed with his research -- and these were people who were not prejudicial for or against the subjects of their investigations. They didn't run on personal opinions and biases - if they developed an opinion, they set out to prove or disprove it and were honest in their findings. At Surratt House, we are fortunate to have rooms filled with file cabinets and boxes of research papers donated to us by dozens of qualified people in the field.

Thanks to their mentorings, I have tried to be objective also. I don't love or hate Louis Weichmann and have no personal attachment to him. His book sits on a shelf by my desk along with The Evidence, American Brutus and Come Retribution. I think he plays a very unique (and possibly indefineable) role in the conspiracy. Until I can document my feelings, I won't be writing a book on him.