What Was The Role of David Herold

[John Fazio]

(02-02-2013 06:21 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  

(02-02-2013 04:34 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  Jerry:
Please identify, with particularity, the "excerpt in the archives" to which you refer. Is it in your book? In The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence? Thank you in advance, because if the except will solve the "Mysteries of Silas T. Cobb" (a chapter title), I shall be very grateful to you.
John

John,
The excerpt is in my book and is very commonly used. I'm sure you've seen it before. Unfortunately, I'm away from home with my new grandson and can't lay my hands on a copy of my book.

Cobb starts talking about what happened when he is interrupted by someone( Stanton?) telling him that he was incorrect and proceeds to tell him the order of events..

Jerry

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(02-02-2013 11:56 AM)L Verge Wrote:  I would like to add that the security had surely become less "secure" with all the celebrations going on.

Laurie
There were no change in the orders and I have found no evidence that it was less secure nor that the orders were not being followed..

Jerry:

Thank you. I have your book, so no problem.


Laurie:

I agree with you: enforcement of General Order No. 5 had to have been relaxed, ESPECIALLY for outgoing traffic. That is the position taken by nearly all historians. Further, the fact that Fletcher was also passed, one way, is probative of the reduced enforcement. When Cobb told him he could not return, he probably had the sentries on the other side in mind, knowing that they would be stricter because he would then represent traffic into the city rather than out of it. Still further, the fact that Cobb was only "blessed out" by Augur, with no punishment more severe than that, also argues for lax enforcement of the rule.

John

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(02-02-2013 07:06 PM)wsanto Wrote:  I remember reading in "Manhunt" and/or "Blood on the Moon" that when Fletcher approached the Navy Yard Bridge in pursuit of Herold and his horse he was told by Cobb that he could cross into Maryland after Herold but would not be allowed back into Washington that night. Apparently he opted to stay in Washington and suspend his pursuit.

Certainly he did not have a pass that evening. If that is true, then that is fairly strong evidence that Cobb was allowing traffic across the bridge into Maryland if not back into Washington despite the special order.

wsanto:

A very good point re the strictness of enforcement of the rule being dependent on the direction of the traffic.

John

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(02-02-2013 09:45 AM)Gene C Wrote:  Was Cobb the only guard at the bridge, or just the only one that confronted anyone trying to pass over, and how many guards on the other side?
How long was the bridge?

Gene:

I have no idea how many guards were on the other side, but your reference to the same has caused me to rethink the scenario in which Booth shoots the sentry if he gets a no-passage decision. If he decides to get into a gunfight with Cobb and his comrade(s), he will then also have to deal with sentries on the other side. That fairly well neutralizes that scenario, I believe. There is another difficulty. If Booth had started gunplay on the city side of the river, there is no way Herold would have made it across. Even if Booth had somehow been successful in his forced passage (highly unlikely), he would have been left without a guide in Maryland. I am inclined to believe, therefore, that Booth would have resorted to gunplay only if he had additional help.

I continue to be impressed with the insights of the contributors to this forum, insights which I find very helpful.

John

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(02-02-2013 05:16 PM)John Stanton Wrote:  John "The FOZ" Your acquaintance is enough - I don't drink. Does "Spring for a double" mean that you can do a double back flip? I would enjoy seeing that. I am not a full Lincoln Assassination fan, my interests center on Spies and events in King George County, VA. so I do not participate in the full Assassination Search. I do attend the Friday evening buffet, with my Lady, expressly to meet the likes of you. As "Wild Bill" has put it - right in the middle of everything.Want to see Cawood's Camp? Brogden's Camp? The "Trap. Stay an extra day in March, and I'll give you the "Cawood, no escape Tour". Do you know where Benjamin Arnold lived? (Wilbur Payne, a descendant of Mrs. Quesenberry owns it). I have 1864 maps of this area. Anyway that I can help - I am ready. JOHN

John:

Sorry to hear you don't drink. Well, I can make it a coke or whatever. I am not an alcoholic by any means (thankfully), but I find a cocktail a day one of life's little pleasures, especially toward the end of the day and especially toward the end of a stressful day. I once felt that way about cigarettes, until I realized they were the Grim Reaper in disguise. I finally succeeded in ridding myself of the addiction, but it was probably the hardest thing I ever did. That was about 26 years ago.

Spring for a double means to pay for a double drink, i.e. one that has two jiggers of whatever mixed with the whatever, which makes it twice as costly.

"Cawood"? I vaguely recall that that was the name of a Confederate officer who was enlisted, with Mosby, to facilitate Thomas F. Harney's entrance into Washington in the closing days of the war? Or perhaps it was another mission at or about that time. I think, rather, that it was Thomas Nelson Conrad's mission. Am I on the right track? I will check it out.

Your offer re the tour sounds terrific, but I'm not sure I will be able to swing it. My wife has health issues and I am expected to get back to her quickly for that reason, as I had to do with the last two conferences. Thank you anyway.

John