Lewis Powell: The conspirator who was "different."

[BettyO]

And that is exactly what the press wanted to portray, Bill! Not a truthful representation of Powell at all. But the press needed a target. Booth was dead so they went directly for Powell's throat. He was also known to be very quiet and in prison, although distraught in his cell, he was also quite close-mouthed and didn't say much. T. T. Eckert attempted to get things out of Lew, but he was again, rather quiet and didn't divulge much - especially if he thought that it would draw other people into the mess he himself was in.

All who knew this boy, including Christian Rath, as well as others who had known him when he was serving under Mosby, and boarding at the Branson and Surratt Houses spoke of Powell as a truthful, man who was "held in high esteem", courteous, kind natured, quiet, courageous and dignified. General William H. Payne verified this as well as Lt. Ben Palmer, of the 43rd Battalion, Sam Mitchell, Powell's best friend who served with him in the 2nd Florida and Dr. Abram Dunn Gillette. William Wilkins Glenn, a Maryland Journalist who interviewed Reverend Augustus Stryker also confirmed that Powell was "gentlemanly, earnest in his love for the Confederacy and intelligent." (Between North and South, A Maryland Journalist Views the Civil War, William Wilkins Glenn, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1976)

Although he was a stolid church goer, according to Glenn, attending church both morning and evening, Powell was also, according to General Payne and Christian Rath, a great lover of practical jokes and somewhat of a mischief maker in his army regiments.