Mudd Descendants visit Fort Jefferson NP

[L Verge]

(07-26-2015 08:20 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  

(07-25-2015 04:59 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Hey, John !

I believe what Steers believed. Mudd ( like all the guys ) was more involved with the Confederate underground than was led to be believed. Sure, he knew JWB , knew him well, but when Booth and Herold came on that Saturday morning, he didn't know JWB had shot Lincoln.

Betty:

That may be true, but if it is true, one has to discount or ignore the statements of Brigadier General Levi Axtell Dodd and Assistant Paymaster William F. Keeler (both of whom were aboard the Florida, which took the prisoners to Ft. Jefferson) that Dr. Mudd had admitted that he had recognized Booth immediately and that he knew he had murdered Lincoln. One also has to ignore Keeler's letter to his Congressman in which he said "In conversation with myself, & I think with others on our passage down he (Dr. Mudd) admitted what I believe the prosecution failed to prove at his trial ---viz---that he knew who Booth was when he set his leg & what crime he was guilty (of)." Add to these statements the testimony of Daniel J. Thomas, who said that Dr. Mudd had said to him, among other inflammatory things, that "the President, Cabinet and other Union men in the State of Maryland would be killed in six or seen weeks", and we have a fairly strong case that Dr. Mudd knew what was coming and who was likely to be the agent to accomplish at least part of it.

Further, if we accept the theory that Dr. Mudd was ignorant of the crime, we have to ask ourselves: What did Dr. Mudd suppose had happened to Booth and Herold, the famous actor and dandy whom he knew quite well, to cause them to show up on his doorstep at 4:00 am in a bedraggled state, in terrible condition, and, in Booth's case, with a broken leg? Common sense dictates that he must have realized that only some very extraordinary circumstance would put them there at that time and in that condition. That he does not appear to have inquired or made an issue of it suggests that he already knew or at least had a very good idea of what brought them there at that time. In other words, if we accept as fact Dr. Mudd's recognition of one of his callers as Booth (and the case for it is clear and convincing), then we are almost compelled to accept his knowledge of Booth's crime.

Further, if we accept the theory of ignorance, then we must suppose that all the help Booth and Herold received from the mail line operatives (Dr. Mudd, Cox, Jones, Hughes, Harbin, Baden, Bryant, Quesenberry, et al.) was spontaneous rather that prearranged. Does that seem likely? I think not,

Further, if we accept the theory of ignorance, we are almost forced to conclude that Dr. Mudd really and truly believed that Booth's conspiracy had kidnapping the President as its goal, rather than assassination, which, in my opinion, is absurd.

John

I'm going to ignore your last sentence, John, because right now I'm too worn out to have another battle on this forum.

However, as to your views on Dr. Mudd knowing ahead of time that Booth was up to something, they reinforce my theory that Herold was in Southern Maryland on April 13 (and maybe the 12th) to contact the underground to be ready for something big. Herold may not have explicitly said "assassination," but I bet Dr. Mudd found that out as soon as the fugitives arrived at his doorstep - just like Lloyd found out in Surrattsville. Since Mudd had been in with Booth since the beginning, he would certainly be one who would be glad to hear that Lincoln was dead!

Follow the timeline: Lee surrenders on the 9th, and celebrations begin in D.C. Those upset Booth tremendously. Booth snaps when he hears Lincoln's speech on the 11th, wheels begin to race on the 12th and 13th, and the assassination happens on the 14th. Booth and Herold show up at Mudd's early on April 15th. Mudd first asks his wife to go to the door in her nightclothes (which I wouldn't do, even today) although he later claims they were afraid of guerrilla Boyle in the neighborhood. So send the wife to the door? I think not - grab your pistol or shotgun to greet whomever is at the door.

From there, the leg is set, Booth is allowed to remain in the house for over twelve hours, and Mudd tries to get his father's buggy for easy transport. Would he do that for some stranger? Then he is too chicken to go to the authorities and sends his Union supporting first cousin to report the strangers who were now on the run.

Bill Richter drives me crazy when he quotes one of his professors to me: "If it didn't happen that way, it should have." In the case of Dr. Mudd, however, I think it applies to my theory.