Louis Weichmann

[Susan Higginbotham]

(09-10-2015 05:06 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  I agree, like Herndon's "legacy", his is book is an amazing, most valuable account. Still as for his own role I am sceptical. AFAIK, Weichmann never considered/attempted enlisting, even not when he was desperately seeking employment. If Weichmann was such a Union man, I wonder why. Even Robert Lincoln, who to me seemed rather seemed a "desk"/book person than someone predestined for fighting activity, was eager to. Also declaring his boarding with the conspirators an officially assigned post or duty - does it represent the truth? What about the information about prisoners he revealed to Howell? Did he comment on/explain that?

I would tend to think the difference is that Herndon acted for the "thing", really attempted and believed to tell the truth about Lincoln, all good and bad, reality, away from the growing mystification, and this well-intended (from his mindset and view). He didn't have himself and his own image in mind I believe. This is different with Weichmann, one of whose paramount goals was to whitewash his image.

I can't help it - but e.g. the explanation Roger previously quoted to me sounds quite constucted and "designed". I tend to believe he had other reasons as well he held back about. Genre's post #175 e.g. makes sense to me. Also Mr. Kauffmann states he had feelings for Anna Surratt, and maybe more.

I have a similar reaction. In the same paragraph as his justification, Weichmann says, "no man in my position would have acted differently from what I did; no one would have suspected from the facts stated that these men had that day tried to effect the capture of the President or, that failing, his murder. I always had too high an opinion of John Surratt and his mother to believe them capable of such a crime." So what did he believe them capable of when he determined not to "desert his post"? In the paragraph before that (p. 108) he writes that he thought that John and the others had been "trying to run the blockade, engage in a cotton speculation, or perhaps had attempted to go South," but none of those things seem adequate to "demoralize and terrify" him, as he claims.