John Surratt's real parents?

[Rick Smith]

It seems clear to me that the one element modern historians forget is that the Lincoln Assassination was not a civil case. The actions against the person of Mr. Lincoln were acts of war during a time of war, for some reason an easy thing for 21st century readers, researchers and historians to forget. We were a nation at war with itself when the event occurred. Even so, as Bill Richter likes to quote, "Killing a man is murder, unless you do it to the sound of trumpets."

In any case, I have no doubt that Stanton would have hanged mother and son on the same gallows with much hand rubbing satisfaction.

Maybe we would be further ahead had Wilkes Booth busted a cap into the back of Stanton's head.