Atzerodt Confession

[John Fazio]

(02-19-2017 01:30 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 11:37 PM)SSlater Wrote:  I do not doubt anything you have read, but I read a different scenario. Unfortunately, I can't be brief.
I did some serious research on Thompson, when I was hunting Sarah. I found that he worked well with Lee and stayed on to the end of the war, after which he went abroad with Catherine Ann (Kate).
He did run into some problems with the U.S. Government, over some proposed "Peace Talks" with Lincoln. A man named Halmor H. Emmons claimed that Lincoln asked him to arrange the talks,. This was not true. Emmons was moving on his own volition. It also involved a John F. Potter -(U. S. General Council in Canada). At any rate, Thompson decided that Lincoln really wanted to talk, so he went to Washington, under the code name "Kate Thompson". But Seward opposed any talks between the two governments. So it was called off.
All this came to the attention of the Government of Canada, and they proposed to evict Thompson for being an "Espionage Mastermind". Well, all this was overcome by events. The South lost. Thompson and Catherine went to Europe for a few years.
Maybe, that author was referring to these problems, but I have never found any bad feelings between the South and Thompson.

I am confused as to who Kate Thompson was. John, in the post above it sounds like he was a male.

But in Atzerodt's confession which Jerry refers to it says:

"Kate Thompson or Kate Brown, as she was known by both names, put up at National & was well known at Penn House. She knew all about the affair. Surratt went to Richd with her last March and Gust. Howell made a trip with her to same place. This woman is about twenty yrs of age, good looking and well dressed. Black hair and eyes, round face from South Carolina & a widow."

To me this "Kate Thompson" sounds like Sarah Slater.

My question is --> were there two "Kate Thompsons"...one male and one female?

Roger:

It is easy to come to the conclusion that they were the same person, but it does not appear to be accurate. In his July 6,1865, confession (the day before his execution), Atzerodt clearly distinguishes between Kate Thompson and Sarah Slater. Early in the confession, he says "Kate Thompson, alias Brown, came from Richmond with John Surratt about the time that Richmond fell., She had come previously with Gustavus Howell...(She) stopped at Mrs. Surratt's and also at the National and Rinnel Hotels. This woman was about 21 years of age, spruce and neat, medium size, black eyes and fair complexion..." Later, in the same confession, he says: "After this, Howell brought a woman across the Potomac." Still later he says: Mrs. Surratt, Mrs. Slater, Major Banon and John Surratt left Washington together, got horses at Howards. ...John Surratt and Mrs. Slater crossed , and Banon and Mrs. Surratt came back." It seems reasonably clear from this that Kate Thompson and Sarah Slater were not the same person. This was Chamlee's conclusion too (see Lincoln's Assassins, p. 71).

John