Construction at the Wok N Roll

[John Fazio]

(09-26-2012 09:57 AM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  John Surratt, Sr. acquired the H Street property in a complicated land deal back in 1853. They rented it out to government employees, a music teacher, etc. until Mrs. Surratt decided to give up the Surrattsville property in 1864, and move into the city to earn income as a boardinghouse keeper and also for secuirty -- and largely because Maryland freed the slaves on November 1, 1864. She was settled into 541 H Street in Decemberof 1864.

It appears that Mrs. Surratt never owned the house, however. Her husband died in 1862 without a will; and in those days, a widow could not inherit. Both the Surrattsville property and the D.C. property went to the children. When John, Jr. got heavily involved with Booth, he signed over his one-third ownership to his mother. If he got caught doing Confederate business, any property that he owned would be confiscated by the federal government.

After her mother's execution, Anna was faced with dealing with the estate until brother Isaac returned from the Confederate army. Bills had mounted up during the war and continued after the war; and by 1869, all Surratt property was sold off by court orders. I believe I'm correct that even that did not satisfy all the debts.

Laurie:

The argument that Mary moved into the boarding house for economic reasons is certainly persuasive (death of husband; son's loss of position as postmaster; emancipation of her slaves). But the argument that she was instructed to do so because of Booth's conspiracy also has merit. Chamlee wrote that she could easily have rented rooms in the boarding house without moving there, because of a shortage of living space during the war. Larson wrote that the expense of furnishing ten rooms must have been substantial, though she may have had help in this regard from her superiors. It must be observed that the time of her move (November 1 and December 1, 1864) is the same time that Booth came into their lives. A central meeting place in Washington was desirable, though Arnold and O'Laughlen appear to have been there only once (March 17, in connection with the Campbell Hospital thing). John Surratt later confessed that his underground activities increased after the move. In addition, a letter from John to Weichmann appears to support this view. In any case, it wasn't long before Confederate operatives of every stripe were buzzing in and out of the house at all hours of the day and night. Booth, Atzerodt, Powell and Herold came often. These were the four who, with Mary, were directly involved in the plot to murder, rather than "kidnap". The truth is probably that economic hardship was a major factor, but that the Confederate leadership also had a hand in it.

John