Tidwell revisited

[John Fazio]

Gentlemen:

Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon expressly rejected Columbia University law professor Francis Lieber's rules of civilized warfare for Union forces (General Orders No. 100---Law and Usages of War). Further, Confederate General Daniel Harvey Hill expressed his opinion that "all means of destroying our brutal enemies are lawful and proper". (See Jane Singer's book.) By the end of the war , there was nothing left to Confederate leaders but the decapitation of Union leadership, which they tried to do on the night of April 14, 1865. At a minimum, they attempted to assassinate Lincoln, Johnson, Seward, Stanton and Grant, though there is some evidence that as many as ten others were at least targeted. I consider the evidence for this attempt to be clear and convincing. See my book, Decapitating the Union, for details.

Thank you.

John