Lewis Powell: The conspirator who was "different."

[BettyO]

Quote:Did he ever express that he felt betrayed by Booth?

Powell never changed his viewpoint that he was acting as a soldier under the orders of his government, according to Dr. Gillette who claimed that Lew told him that up to the very hour before he walked to the gallows. Powell was extremely repentant about what he had done and in fact was quite horrified by the crime as soon as he committed it, according to the good Doctor. "He held no animosity towards Mr. Seward or the Seward family but insisted that he was acting as a soldier and as a soldier only." ("The Last Days of Payne", Daniel Gillette - Dr. Gillette's son, - New York World, April 3, 1892.)

Powell rather explained that he was led into the affair by Booth. Lew was introduced to JWB by John Surratt, after Powell went to Parr's China Shop to act in the kidnap venture. The story that Powell met Booth in Richmond in 1861 at the theater is a canard, due to the fact that Booth was NOT playing in Richmond in 1861. Lew may have "met Booth in Richmond" at a later date, after he was selected to work in the kidnap venture. Powell had the chance to travel, like Surratt, back and forth through the lines. When he assisted in the capture of Captain Richard Blazer, in November of 1864, Lew was given the agreeable duty, along with two other Rangers, Cab Maddux and Syd Ferguson, of escorting Captain Blazer to imprisonment in Libby Prison. He could have "met" Booth in Richmond at this time as well. This was just before Powell was recruited to work in the kidnap venture.

But Powell feeling "betrayed" by Booth. I don't think so - angry at his getting involved in Booth's plans? Probably so - and more so at himself rather than Booth.