Where was John Surratt on April 14, 1865 ?

[L Verge]

(03-23-2017 09:27 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Kees, I do not know how many letters there were in all - hopefully someone can answer that. But I think it's strange that she "misplaced" her most recent letter from John.

I believe that there's one story that Mary laid it on a window sill or near an open window and the wind may have swept it out.

Susan H can fill in the blanks here, I suspect; but Anna Ward was much older than John and very likely part of the mail line - therefore a safe way of getting letters to family, etc. without direct contact. We did a story on her years ago in the Surratt Courier in July 2008.

Anna Ward (Annie) had been a teacher at the school in Bryantown when Anna Surratt was a student. She then took a job at the Visitation School near the boardinghouse. I recall one version that had Ward coming to the home on April 10th at the same time Booth was visiting, looking for John. She brought with her a letter that John had sent his mother via her. Mrs. Surratt could not read it because of her poor eyesight and asked Ward to read it. It was then turned over to Anna Surratt.

Weichmann came in about that time and read it also. Unfortunately, he never discussed its contents in his manuscript (strange?) - only said something about the death of the Confederacy. However, he did say that Booth became agitated at that point and soon left.

Of course, this does not account for three more letters (if there were that many), including the one supposedly dated April 12 and sent from Canada.

There is a story/myth that years later, residents of the H Street home found a stash of letters under a floorboard and burned them all because of "incriminating" comments. If you believe that story, then maybe you can surmise that, in true Confederate mail drop fashion, Mary's correspondence from John after he left in early-April was hidden by her, Anna, and/or Weichmann. Something else to ponder...