Food for Thought

[mike86002000]

Laurie,
Actually, "shirt" and "jacket" are sometimes used interchangeably. As recently as the '70's, the top part of the U.S. Army fatigue uniform, what normal people, in the "Real World" would call a "shirt", was officially a "Jacket, Fatigue". Sometimes, surplus stores would allow it to be confused with the popular, and much more expensive field coat, to lure customers searching for a bargain.
As I explained above, I doubt Surratt was still wearing the same uniform he had on when he escaped from the Papal Zouaves, when he was returned to the States, maybe one like it. That makes me wonder where it came from. Did he have access to a tailor? For that matter, how could his "Canada Jacket" have gotten to Brady's studio for the photo shoot? It would seem reasonable to believe he had both the uniform and jacket tailor made for the shoot, except for the story that he was wearing the uniform when he was brought back to the States.
The actual information in the Hanchett book, referred to in a footnote by Mr. Prindle, about a speech, makes the existence of a 14 page speech questionable. The Walter Hamden museum's catalog lists multiple letters from John Wilks Booth to his brother Edwin, written after the assassination. I suspect those are from various people, about John Wilks Booth, To Edwin. I haven't found any mention of their ocean view real estate holdings in Kansas and Nebraska, yet, or mention of the speech.
Mike

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Mr. Binzel,
I'm glad to hear you are home, safe and sound.
Mike