The New York Crowd

[RJNorton]

(12-13-2012 09:10 PM)John Stanton Wrote:  I forgot to add one other important thing - How did GEORGE ATZERODT know about these people? I assume that Georgie was not as stupid, as we might think he was.

Does anyone think Booth was embellishing when he told Chester there were between 50 and 100 people in the plot?

John, in Atzerodt's handwritten statement of July 6, 1865, he wrote:

"Booth told me that Surratt was in the Herndon House on the night of the murder, the 14th of April, we were not all together at the Herndon House. Booth told me that Surratt was to help at the box, that he expected others in the box. I saw Surratt a few moments ago."

Surratt was in Elmira, so we know Booth was lying to Atzerodt. Maybe this is another example of Booth lying or embellishing to Atzerodt. I think the reference to the New York crowd was simply something Booth told Atzerodt to make Atzerodt feel he was part of something "big."

I remain unconvinced that the plot may have included up to 100 people, and many of these were in New York. I am open on it, though, but right now I feel Booth was lying/embellishing regarding what we are calling the New York crowd. This is not to say Booth didn't meet with members of the KGC, Confederate operatives, and others and talked "anti-Lincoln talk" with them. But, at least at this point, I remain unconvinced all these folks were involved in a huge, organized plot to kill the president.