Interesting Day at the Old Surratt Hacienda

[Gene C]

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(08-30-2016 01:33 PM)L Verge Wrote:  As for Helen Jones Campbell, let's not bad-mouth her completely. I can honestly say that she is one of the most frustrating authors on the subject, but I cannot discredit her. I can fuss about her not including sources and not giving assurance that some of her anecdotes and historical references did happen. However, for every frustration in that direction, there are also redeeming features where her text is dead-on correct.

In the good old days, I would be traveling to William & Mary to peruse her papers - if the library there ever catalogued them. Bettie Trindal tried to use them and got turned away.

Oddly enough, I am just started reading The Case For Mrs. Surratt.

Mrs. Campbell writes in a manner that is easy to read and flows well.
I've picked up a slight prejudice against Stanton, Weichmann, Lloyd, Baker, and even Lincoln. She does make you pity poor Mrs. Surratt. I probably should go back and note the inaccuracies and distortions of the facts, but it is an older book written in the 1940's. It does seem to lean a bit towards Mrs. Surratt's innocence.

More when I finish reading it.