Where was John Surratt on April 14, 1865 ?

[John Fazio]

Everyone:

I trust I am not the only one who saw the reference to Surratt that appeared in the account of the events of April 14 by "Miss Porterfield". This is the account that was made public by Jesse W. Weik in The Century Magazine, Vol. 85, No. 4, February, 1913, reprinted in the most recent issue (Vol. XXXI 2017) of the Journal of the Lincoln Assassination, published by Autograph Press (Frederick Hatch). On p. 6 of the latter source, Miss Porterfield is quoted as saying that on the morning of the 13th she met Booth on Pennsylvania Avenue, apparently by chance, and that part of their conversation involved his asking her how one spelled "tyrannis", with two n's or two r's. In addition, she said she inquired of Booth why he had demonstrated such "a violent display of feeling" with respect to the celebrations then going on in Washington because of the fall of Richmond, and that Booth had said in response that "his irritation was due to having been rudely awakened from sleep that morning by a man--I think he called him Surratt--who wanted to borrow his horse to ride to Georgetown..." She also mentions that she was at Ford's on the fateful night and that she saw Booth there, standing near the wall of the auditorium, and that "the sweep of his gaze (indicated) that he was looking for some face in the audience". And she also states, categorically, that Booth's second declamation, which followed "instantly" after "sic semper tyrannis" was "The South is avenged". I mention this because there has always been some uncertainty about what Booth said after "sic semper tyrannis", which was clearly heard and attested to by so many in the audience that night that there can be no doubt about it. None of this is, of course, conclusive, but all of it supports the contentions that Surratt was in Washington on April 14, that he had co-conspirators in the theater prepared to help him if he needed it and that his second declamation after descending to the stage was "The South is avenged".

John