Was Frederick Stone a Confederate Agent?

[wpbinzel]

History remembers Frederick Stone as a Charles County, Maryland, attorney who represented Samuel Mudd and David Herold in the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators in 1865. He went on to serve two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1867-1871) and as an associate judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals (1881-1890).

Stone's name is also raised in Richard M. Smoot's Shall We Gather at the River (Randal Berry, ed.): "However, after some little time spent in negotiating with [John, Jr.] Surratt, I [Smoot] finally agreed to sell him the boat for two hundred and fifty dollars, which amount was to be deposited with some third party who was to be mutually satisfactory, to be paid to me when my boat was put to use. I went with Surratt to the office of Ex-Judge [Frederick] Stone in Port Tobacco. There he placed in the hands of Judge Stone one hundred and twenty-five dollars in trust for me, and Judge Stone became personally responsible for the payment of the balance. Under instructions from Surratt I turned the boat over to Andrew Atzerott, who figured so prominently in the assassination plot and who then lived in Port Tobacco." (p. 6)

One has to question how it was that Frederick Stone was so familiar with John Surratt, Jr., that he was willing to be "personally responsible" for the balance of $125 (approximately $1750 in current dollars) for a boat ultimately intended to be used to transport a captured Abraham Lincoln across the Potomac River en route to Richmond.

There is another curious reference to Frederick Stone in George A. Townsend's "How Wilkes Booth Crossed the Potomac," (The Century, April 1884): "Mr. [Thomas A.] Jones himself is a man of hardly medium height, slim and wiry, with one of those thin, mournful faces common to tidewater Maryland, with high cheek-bones, gray-blue eyes, no great height or breadth of forehead, and thick, strong hair.... Judge Frederick Stone told me that he once crossed the [Potomac] river with Jones, when a Federal vessel suddenly loomed up, apparently right above them, and in the twinkling of an eye, the passenger said, he could see the interior of the Old Capitol prison for himself and all his companions; but at that moment Jones was as cool as if he had not noticed the vessel at all, and extricated them in an instant from the danger." (p. 825)

One further has to ask why Stone would be crossing the Potomac River in dire fear of a Union vessel, with a known Confederate agent in whose company Stone "could see the interior of the Old Capitol Prison for himself."

Perhaps Frederick Stone was better connected with Confederate operatives and the government in Richmond than has previously suggested.

[L Verge]

(02-02-2017 06:32 PM)wpbinzel Wrote:  History remembers Frederick Stone as a Charles County, Maryland, attorney who represented Samuel Mudd and David Herold in the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators in 1865. He went on to serve two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1867-1871) and as an associate judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals (1881-1890).

Stone's name is also raised in Richard M. Smoot's Shall We Gather at the River (Randal Berry, ed.): "However, after some little time spent in negotiating with [John, Jr.] Surratt, I [Smoot] finally agreed to sell him the boat for two hundred and fifty dollars, which amount was to be deposited with some third party who was to be mutually satisfactory, to be paid to me when my boat was put to use. I went with Surratt to the office of Ex-Judge [Frederick] Stone in Port Tobacco. There he placed in the hands of Judge Stone one hundred and twenty-five dollars in trust for me, and Judge Stone became personally responsible for the payment of the balance. Under instructions from Surratt I turned the boat over to Andrew Atzerott, who figured so prominently in the assassination plot and who then lived in Port Tobacco." (p. 6)

One has to question how it was that Frederick Stone was so familiar with John Surratt, Jr., that he was willing to be "personally responsible" for the balance of $125 (approximately $1750 in current dollars) for a boat ultimately intended to be used to transport a captured Abraham Lincoln across the Potomac River en route to Richmond.

There is another curious reference to Frederick Stone in George A. Townsend's "How Wilkes Booth Crossed the Potomac," (The Century, April 1884): "Mr. [Thomas A.] Jones himself is a man of hardly medium height, slim and wiry, with one of those thin, mournful faces common to tidewater Maryland, with high cheek-bones, gray-blue eyes, no great height or breadth of forehead, and thick, strong hair.... Judge Frederick Stone told me that he once crossed the [Potomac] river with Jones, when a Federal vessel suddenly loomed up, apparently right above them, and in the twinkling of an eye, the passenger said, he could see the interior of the Old Capitol prison for himself and all his companions; but at that moment Jones was as cool as if he had not noticed the vessel at all, and extricated them in an instant from the danger." (p. 825)

One further has to ask why Stone would be crossing the Potomac River in dire fear of a Union vessel, with a known Confederate agent in whose company Stone "could see the interior of the Old Capitol Prison for himself."

Perhaps Frederick Stone was better connected with Confederate operatives and the government in Richmond than has previously suggested.

Several of us have suspected deeper ties to the Confederacy, Bill. I don't think there is any doubt that he was a strong Confederate sympathizer. He was definitely of the landed gentry class in Southern Maryland and on the same tree with signers of the Declaration of Independence, etc. One of the clan was also a well-known doctor in southern Prince George's County. Dr. Michael Stone lived in Woodville (now Aquasco) and could have just as well been visited by Booth as Dr. Mudd was.

Have you checked the Hall and Tidwell files to see what research they did on Frederick's Confederate leanings?

[wpbinzel]

Several of us have suspected deeper ties to the Confederacy, Bill. I don't think there is any doubt that he was a strong Confederate sympathizer. He was definitely of the landed gentry class in Southern Maryland and on the same tree with signers of the Declaration of Independence, etc. One of the clan was also a well-known doctor in southern Prince George's County. Dr. Michael Stone lived in Woodville (now Aquasco) and could have just as well been visited by Booth as Dr. Mudd was.

Have you checked the Hall and Tidwell files to see what research they did on Frederick's Confederate leanings?
[/quote]

Laurie, no, I have not done any research on Frederick Stone. I remembered that he was the "third party" in the purchase of Smoot's boat, but did not remember any connection he had with Thomas Jones. Last night, I had time on a airline flight and re-read Gath's 1884 article for the first time in years. Stone's reported account of his Potomac crossing with Thomas Jones raised all sorts of questions with me. Hence, my question to the forum: Is there something more to Stone's loyalties than has previously surfaced??

[SSlater]

It appears that the "Stone Family of Maryland" were "true-Blue" defenders of the United States forever and ever. Every one of them was a Governor -a Delegate- a Senator - Judge -Signer of the Declaration of Independence - There must have been a Stone in position of authority - forever. Including Frederick Stone. How could he think of anything - but defend the U. S.? I would suspect him to be a Federal Agent. For example:He knew about the boat "on stand-by", and the Rebs never got to use it - did he talk?
The Federals that occupied Southern Maryland never gave him any "trouble", yet they watched and "bugged" all the rest and gave some a little time in the 'Cooler". Even when everyone learned about the "boat", they still didn't pester him.
His "position" on the war was well rewarded - the Stones continued to be Judges, Representatives, Senators etc. etc.
The worst that he might have done was - he stayed out of itand didn't help anybody.
(As long as he was holding the money - he knew that the boat was not being made-ready.) (SAID BY A TRUE YANKEE)

---

(02-02-2017 11:39 PM)SSlater Wrote:  It appears that the "Stone Family of Maryland" were "true-Blue" defenders of the United States forever and ever. Every one of them was a Governor -a Delegate- a Senator - Judge -Signer of the Declaration of Independence - There must have been a Stone in position of authority - forever. Including Frederick Stone. How could he think of anything - but defend the U. S.? I would suspect him to be a Federal Agent. For example:He knew about the boat "on stand-by", and the Rebs never got to use it - did he talk?
The Federals that occupied Southern Maryland never gave him any "trouble", yet they watched and "bugged" all the rest and gave some a little time in the 'Cooler". Even when everyone learned about the "boat", they still didn't pester him.
His "position" on the war was well rewarded - the Stones continued to be Judges, Representatives, Senators etc. etc.
The worst that he might have done was - he stayed out of itand didn't help anybody.
(As long as he was holding the money - he knew that the boat was not being made-ready.) (SAID BY A TRUE YANKEE)

Another thought - when he was threatened by the Federal Gunboat, he might have worried that they might have mistakenly believed that he was working with the Rebs.

[John Fazio]

Friends:

The premise that the boat was to be used to transport a kidnapped Lincoln is, in my opinion, flawed. By now I trust everyone is familiar with my strongly-held belief that there was no bona fide kidnapping plan; that it was a gigantic ruse to conceal Booth's and his handlers' real purpose, which was multiple assassinations, and to facilitate Booth's recruitment process. As evidence, amounting almost to proof, I offer the fact that when Smoot went to the boardinghouse on Wednesday morning, the 12th of April, inquiring of Mary as to when he might see her son John, so that he could collect the money due him on the boat, Mary, whose demeanor brightened as soon as she understood the purpose of his visit, asked him if the boat was in place and easily accessible, adding that "it might be called into requisition that night". Does anyone believe that Mary thought that Booth and his team were going to kidnap Lincoln that night?

Further, Smoot returned on Friday night and was informed by Mary, who was in a state of "feverish excitement", that she was positive the boat would be used that night and that he would get his money in a day or two. Does anyone believe that Mary thought Lincoln was going to be kidnapped that night, the 14th?

The answer to both questions is obviously "no" and "no". She knew very well the true purpose of the boat, which was to get three fugitive-assassins across the Potomac after they had reached it by horse.

John

[L Verge]

(02-03-2017 03:43 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  Friends:

The premise that the boat was to be used to transport a kidnapped Lincoln is, in my opinion, flawed. By now I trust everyone is familiar with my strongly-held belief that there was no bona fide kidnapping plan; that it was a gigantic ruse to conceal Booth's and his handlers' real purpose, which was multiple assassinations, and to facilitate Booth's recruitment process. As evidence, amounting almost to proof, I offer the fact that when Smoot went to the boardinghouse on Wednesday morning, the 12th of April, inquiring of Mary as to when he might see her son John, so that he could collect the money due him on the boat, Mary, whose demeanor brightened as soon as she understood the purpose of his visit, asked him if the boat was in place and easily accessible, adding that "it might be called into requisition that night". Does anyone believe that Mary thought that Booth and his team were going to kidnap Lincoln that night?

Further, Smoot returned on Friday night and was informed by Mary, who was in a state of "feverish excitement", that she was positive the boat would be used that night and that he would get his money in a day or two. Does anyone believe that Mary thought Lincoln was going to be kidnapped that night, the 14th?

The answer to both questions is obviously "no" and "no". She knew very well the true purpose of the boat, which was to get three fugitive-assassins across the Potomac after they had reached it by horse.

John

You know that I am not in agreement with your premise that Booth's kidnap scheme was always a ruse, so I will continue to disagree.

Also, since none of us now (or in 1865) can/could climb into anyone's mind and know what is/was in it, as much as I understand why the military court sentenced her to death, I will never totally presume that she knew about assassination - kidnap, yes, but...

Sorry, John, I'm one of those stubborn "witnesses" that you cannot break.

P.S. John has left his original publisher of Decapitating The Union, made some revisions to the text, and has the second edition ready for sale at a much more reasonable price of $25 (as opposed to the first edition at $40). Surratt House will be selling both editions at our gift shop and at our conference. John plans on participating in our Authors' Hour at the conference.

---

John Stanton - As for the Stone sympathies, do you have proof that the Union never even suspicioned him? Or, could he have been "untouchable" because of his family's well-known background?

There were also many Marylanders who supported the Union UNTIL it went back on its original pledge that Marylanders could keep their slaves and not have to fight against Southern brethren. The draft, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the withdrawing of a later promise to financially compensate Maryland slaveholders for manumitting their investments swayed a lot of the state's citizens, especially after the summer of 1863. They all did not take up arms and physically rebel (like setting fires, breaking windows, and looting - ala today's rebels), but they gave Confederate assistance in other ways and just flew under the radar. Don't underestimate the influence of Southern Maryland in the Civil War - especially its underground.