Aiken

[Christine]

So, it wouldn't be too far out of the realm for this Union flag to have belonged to a Confederate officer. You all probably wonder what I'm getting at; can't say right now w/o permission of the person in question, but I'm trying to determine if Frederick could have owned a flag a collector purchased at auction. Like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Anyway, the puzzle is certainly fascinating. Just when I let out a sigh of satisfaction, hit save, and think I'm done with Aiken, something new pops up to drag me back in

Now, a question for Kate (and everybody else, too) - if you had known all this info about Frederick before you wrote your book, might it have changed your opinion about Mary's choice for her attorney? I can't help but wonder if simply having Frederick Aiken, with all the questions surrounding him about his loyalty to the Union as her attorney darker cast a shadow upon her in the eyes of the Tribunal. A shadow which was impossible for her to overcome. Or was she so deep in the shadows that nothing could have saved her?

If she had Thomas Ewing (undeniably Union but with strong Democratic ties) as her attorney, might the verdict have been different? Or at least the sentence?