Military Units at the Arsenal on July 7, 1865

[BettyO]

I hope ya'll aren't getting sick of me yet....!

Since we're on top of the hanging anniversary tomorrow - here is a list of the units I found stationed at the Arsenal on July 7th. I think that a gentleman was looking for that last week?

Here's what I found -

"Early in the morning, guards were stationed along Pennsylvania Avenue south and around the Arsenal ground. The 1st and 4th Regiments of Hancock's Corps, and a large detachment of the 60th Ohio were marched to the prison. The 1st Hancock stationed in the South Yard, the 4th upon the walls and at the doors and the 6th Ohio around the outside." (Special dispatch to the Chicago Tribune and New Orleans Times, July 15, 1865)

[LincolnMan]

Betty: were any family embers of the condemned allowed to be present at the hanging?

[BettyO]

Supposedly, Annie Surratt watched at a window in the upper part of the prison and then fainted dead away when they put the noose around her mother's neck. She was watching from the room of one of the trial recorders. I forget his name, but will try and find the article. As far as I know, Annie was the only family member of any of the condemned present. The others had been taken away shortly before the actual death march. Davey's sisters could have probably still been there in another section of the prison, but there is no record other than that they were "carried in a fainting condition" from Davey's cell right before the march. I don't know about Atzerodt's kin. Dr. Gillette acted more or less in a surrogate father role as well as spiritual guide to Powell.

There were no women present in the yard other than Dr. Mary Walker who, it was sniffed, "rode her horse as a man does when leaving the prison." It was said that Colonel Dodd's wife was with Annie and was also watching from a window.

[RJNorton]

I think I read that Mary Surratt's mother didn't even visit her daughter in prison. Is that true?

[BettyO]

For whatever reason, Mrs. Jenkins did not visit her daughter in prison as far as I know. It was stated elsewhere that a "Gentleman" escorted Annie to prison. I wonder if this was Mary's brother Zadach (sic). It could be that Mrs. Jenkins was too upset. Davey's mother did not visit him in prison either although most of his seven sisters did attend. Mrs. Herold was far too anxious and upset.

[LincolnMan]

Maybe the mothers didn't want to face the potential shame and scorn that might have been falsely directed towards them?

[BettyO]

That could have been as well. I wish Laurie would chime in. I don't think that Mrs. Surratt and her mom were that close. Seems to me that I heard/read something where Mrs. Surratt and her mother didn't have much to do with each other?

Laurie - set me straight on this, please!

[L Verge]

I don't think there was any rift between Mary and her mother, but I do think that Bill is correct that the stigma of what her daughter had done attached itself to her. There is no record that we have found that indicates that Mrs. Jenkins ever visited Mary in jail or corresponded with her in any way. Likewise, no one has ever said that she spoke of the affair in later years. And, she survived her daughter by thirteen years. We have a picture of her in what appears to be her early-60s - I would not want to mess with the lady...

BTW: My mother was friends with a great-niece of Mary Surratt and the family called her "Aunt Lizzie," not "Aunt Mary."

[BettyO]

Wow - I really learning something today! Never heard of that -- and would love to see the photo of her mother. "Aunt Lizzie", eh? Interesting. Sounds almost like (ahem) Lizzie Borden!

Powell's mother survived him by about sixteen years and his father about 18 years. His maternal grandmother survived him by about 5 years.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Supposedly, Annie Surratt watched at a window in the upper part of the prison and then fainted dead away when they put the noose around her mother's neck. She was watching from the room of one of the trial recorders. I forget his name, but will try and find the article.

It was Doster who recorded Annie's watching from the window (see pg. 276).

https://archive.org/stream/lincolnepisod...6/mode/2up

Various reports have Annie accompanied by an unnamed female friend on the day of her mother's execution, first at the White House and later at the prison. Elizabeth Trindal believes the friend was Elizabeth Queen, based on a recollection by Queen's granddaughter in the Hall Research Library, but I vote for Nora Fitzpatrick myself, who remained close enough to the Surratt family to be one of the few invited to Mrs. Surratt's reburial.

[L Verge]

Bessie Jenkins's photo is on one of the display panels in our visitors' center. I believe that I have posted before that my great-grandfather knew Mrs. Surratt's younger brother, James Archibald Jenkins, and extended his sympathies to him on the tragic death of his sister. The man responded with words to the effect that no sympathies were needed. She knew what she was doing and got what she deserved.

By what we can tell of his normal life, he was the black sheep of the family -- illiterate, common law marriage, nothing of means according to his will (which is signed with an X), and buried in an unmarked grave in a Methodist churchyard about three miles from Surratt House and very near to where the Jenkins once lived on lands now within Joint Base Andrews.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Bessie Jenkins's photo is on one of the display panels in our visitors' center. I believe that I have posted before that my great-grandfather knew Mrs. Surratt's younger brother, James Archibald Jenkins, and extended his sympathies to him on the tragic death of his sister. The man responded with words to the effect that no sympathies were needed. She knew what she was doing and got what she deserved.

Goodness, that's coldblooded.

[BettyO]

I most certainly agree! And why would his parents allow him to grow up illiterate? Both Mary and her old brother Zadach (sic! I'm having spelling issues today....) were quite educated for the times - no PhD's of course, but they both could read and write....what was with the younger kid? Just total scroundrel?

[L Verge]

It is my understanding that Mary was the best educated of the children. I have never seen any reference to the oldest son, John Zadoc, receiving a formal education - but likewise there is evidence that he could read and write. Remember that the father, Archibald Jenkins, died when Mary was only two, and his death occurred in the fall of the same year that James Archibald was born, 1825. The parents had only been married four years at the time of his death.

I suspect that Mrs. Jenkins was a forward-thinking woman who knew that her daughter could not inherit the lands, so she made sure that she was educated better than the sons, who would instinctively become farmers. Maybe she also hoped that an education would help Mary rise in society via a good marriage. She herself did fairly well after her husband's death by managing the estate, which included eleven slaves, and buying more land. Maybe Archibald just fell through the cracks?

[LincolnToddFan]

Is it true that Annie Surratt-like Mary Lincoln-sharply deteriorated mentally after the tragedy and was considered insane by the time she died? I read that a few days ago in Wikipedia. I certainly would have gone mad if I'd had to watch a hangman put a noose around the neck of my mother.

Thanks-