Surratt at Elmira

[SSlater]

What qualifications did Surratt have, that made him suitable to send to Elmira? That assignment never made sense to me. There had to be a reason. He, and Sarah had each arrived in Montreal - and had nothing to do. Could it have been sent, merely to get them out of the way?
One of the reasons that Gen. E. G. Lee was assigned to Montreal was said to be the inability of Thompson, et. al. to anticipate the military aspects of such a crucial mission. Lee was present to review that assignment. This assignment appears to be the kind of faults that he was sent to fix.I assume that he approved. Was it to be a paid-vacation, for two hard working couriers ? Or, did they "take-off", to be together?
Some one who has access to E. G. Lee's diary, can help us out here. If they would find the quote, where he says, that he took a young lady aside and recommended that she go home, because John Surratt was not the kind of a man for her. Please tell us the exact quote and any more pertinent info. It will say, that she "she returned to New York."
Her departure from Montreal, in this time frame, agrees with some testimony given during her divorce proceedings in a New York Court.
(don't bother hunting for her divorce, the whole proceeding was a farce. Many lies were said, and many truths, unsaid. Rowan was not invited to attend.)
I have considered the possibility that Surratt and Sarah, were sent to Elmira to exclude them from the Lincoln Plot. He certainly didn't seclude himself. (as planned?). I believe that Sarah was there, with him, but was not as identifiable. Also, she may have been disguised as a man, or merely dressed as a "floozy". (which Surratt was expected to associate with,). Thus she missed the radar.
There has to be something more to their assignment that we are not privy to.
It is interesting to note, that all of the witnesses who ID Surratt, as being in Elmira, were honest citizens of Elmira, but those who "saw him in Washington," had trouble remembering details of their sighting, they weren't sure of which day it was. Their uncertainty weakened their integrity.
Do you have any ideas?