Lewis Powell: The conspirator who was "different."

[BettyO]

I agree, Jim!

I and Laurie both are of the opinion that in order to understand the people, one must also understand the times that they lived in and the social customs of those times - social history is so very, very important! Jim - you very much agree with Laurie and I and I'm glad. Folk need to pay attention to social history as well....

Yes, Lew Powell had seen death before he even entered the army. His younger brother (and yes, he had a younger brother, born when he was about 11 years old!) died when Lew was little less than 12 years old. The baby lived less than a year and it was said that Lew took his baby brother's death hard. His oldest brother, Benjamin, died in 1859 of encephalitis, right after the family moved to Florida. Compound these deaths with that of what he saw and experienced in the war, and yes, Jim, you are very right. Death was all around. Victorians were very acclimated to it.