The Spur Question

[JMadonna]

Good point Roger. I wonder too if the term 'rearing' the four boys was Sam's or Guthrie's. The fact that he was later a politician only adds to his incredulity.

[Steve]

Ream was in the same company, Thompson’s Battery C, Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery, as Jacob Soles one of the people who claimed to have moved Lincoln's body

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2015/0...1504120093

Does anybody know how accurate or reliable Soles account is?

[L Verge]

(02-11-2018 03:46 PM)Steve Wrote:  Ream was in the same company, Thompson’s Battery C, Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery, as Jacob Soles one of the people who claimed to have moved Lincoln's body

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2015/0...1504120093

Does anybody know how accurate or reliable Soles account is?

We had quite a few discussions about this some time ago. I can't remember who came out the winners in the contest to see how many men could fit around Mr. Lincoln's body...

[JMadonna]

(02-10-2018 06:09 PM)L Verge Wrote:  My apologies for the mix-up in birth date. The first link that you gave said 1814.5, and I guess I skipped through the date supplied by Steve. 1845 is definitely easier to understand. Another clarification to the first article: It states that Ream enlisted at age 19, which would be in 1864 -- short service.

Yes it was short and uneventful according to Steve's post-gazette article on Jacob Stoles. However, he seems to have beefed up his 1890 biography for Steve's "Portrait and Biographical Album".

According to this biography he enlisted at age 15 and participated in the battles of Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg and the Wilderness just to name a few.

He also mentions his attendance at Ford's theatre on the night of the assassination but fails to mention the spur. I wonder why?

[Steve]

(02-11-2018 07:17 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  

(02-10-2018 06:09 PM)L Verge Wrote:  My apologies for the mix-up in birth date. The first link that you gave said 1814.5, and I guess I skipped through the date supplied by Steve. 1845 is definitely easier to understand. Another clarification to the first article: It states that Ream enlisted at age 19, which would be in 1864 -- short service.

Yes it was short and uneventful according to Steve's post-gazette article on Jacob Stoles. However, he seems to have beefed up his 1890 biography for Steve's "Portrait and Biographical Album".

According to this biography he enlisted at age 15 and participated in the battles of Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg and the Wilderness just to name a few.

He also mentions his attendance at Ford's theatre on the night of the assassination but fails to mention the spur. I wonder why?

I've been looking into Ream's military history. He first enlisted on 24 July 1863 at age 18 and was discharged 30 June 1865, which makes his participation in all of the battles listed above (except the Wilderness) impossible. His highest rank acheived was corporal, not sergeant as claimed in the 1890 biography. So Ream definitely exaggerated his military record as a politician.

[JMadonna]

(02-11-2018 09:05 PM)Steve Wrote:  I've been looking into Ream's military history. He first enlisted on 27 July 1863 at age 18 and was discharged 30 June 1865, which makes his participation in all of the battles listed above (except the Wilderness) impossible. His highest rank acheived was corporal, not sergeant as claimed in the 1890 biography. So Ream definitely exaggerated his military record as a politician.

So if you and I can figure out that this guy was full of beans in a very short time, why is this piece of junk still being displayed? One would think that the Naval Academy would have historians on staff who would be somewhat curious about this artifact.

People ask in the Larry Naser case at Michigan State, how he could have gotten away with it for so long? This is an example how. A bureaucracy never investigates nor second guesses itself.

[RJNorton]

(02-11-2018 03:46 PM)Steve Wrote:  Does anybody know how accurate or reliable Soles account is?

I do not think anyone knows with absolute assurance. The answer differs from book to book; some authors accept Soles' account whereas Tim Good writes, "Thus although Dr. Leale, Dr. King, Dr. Taft, and Albert Daggert certainly assisted in carrying Lincoln from the theater to the Petersen house, none of the other members of the entourage can be identified with certainty."

[L Verge]

(02-11-2018 10:01 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  

(02-11-2018 09:05 PM)Steve Wrote:  I've been looking into Ream's military history. He first enlisted on 27 July 1863 at age 18 and was discharged 30 June 1865, which makes his participation in all of the battles listed above (except the Wilderness) impossible. His highest rank acheived was corporal, not sergeant as claimed in the 1890 biography. So Ream definitely exaggerated his military record as a politician.

So if you and I can figure out that this guy was full of beans in a very short time, why is this piece of junk still being displayed? One would think that the Naval Academy would have historians on staff who would be somewhat curious about this artifact.

People ask in the Larry Naser case at Michigan State, how he could have gotten away with it for so long? This is an example how. A bureaucracy never investigates nor second guesses itself.

Do you suppose that the Naval Academy continues to display what I believe to be a hoax in order to recognize the true hero here - the descendant who died in Korea during the horrible conflict around the Chosen Reservoir?

[Rsmyth]

Just because Dr. Leale said later in life that he invented CPR does not make him full of beans about everything else he did and said.

[L Verge]

(02-12-2018 11:49 AM)Rsmyth Wrote:  Just because Dr. Leale said later in life that he invented CPR does not make him full of beans about everything else he did and said.

In your research on various artifacts related to the Lincoln assassination, Rich, what did you determine about the provenance of this spur at the Naval Academy? I know that you and Jim Garrett worked together a lot, and Jim has already posted that a spur expert that he dealt with pooh-poohed the spur as even being of the right era.

---

As a side note: It is amazing the amount of relics/artifacts/antiques that are still out there with families who have inherited them, along with stories. Within the past month, I have corresponded with a very nice gentleman who owns a boot scraper that comes with the story that it was originally at a "house related to the Lincoln assassination." That gives one three possible leads right off the bat -- Petersen House, the Surratt boardinghouse, and the Seward home.

The logical starting place with the best records was Petersen's, so I contacted the collections manager for the NPS at Ford's. After searching the files, she could find only a ca. 1920 postcard showing a boot scraper, but it did not match the one in the photo that the gentleman had sent me. I also found out from her, however, that there had been an incident years ago where a car took off the lower portion of the steps at Petersen's -- where any boot scraper would likely have been.

I do not have any inclination to hunt down the prospects of the boot scraper ever being at the boardinghouse. The Seward home, of course, was demolished many moons ago. It is safe to assume that both sites had boot scrapers, but even if we had photographic proof, it would be nearly impossible to prove that this orphan boot scraper actually belonged to either, imo.

Second case: Last week, I was in communication with a woman out West whose family has passed down a rather fierce looking door knocker - what appears to be jungle cat with a snake in its mouth, the snake being the knocker. Her ancestor participated in the demolition of the old penitentiary where the conspirators were housed during the 1865 trial. He claimed that this door knocker was on Mrs. Surratt's cell door. I immediately said that I was not aware of cells having door knockers, and the lady said that supposedly the doors to female cells did for privacy.

Knowing that Betty O and Barry Cauchon (both of this forum) had worked with the military on the recent restoration of the courtroom at what is now Ft. McNair, I immediately turned to them for help. Betty had never heard anything like this, but Barry went a step further and actually shared some of his research. I was amazed to find out that the penitentiary was the architectural work of Charles Bulfinch, the acclaimed capital city architect of yore. Further, however, Barry supplied the Harper's engraving of the cell block at the time of the trial, and an enlargement showed the cell doors being solid at the bottom half, but open with bars at the top half. He then sent file photos from other early prisons showing the same types of doors, including the famous Sing Sing, but also the penitentiary at Albany, which is where the four conspirators whose lives were spared were originally sentenced to serve their time -- until Sec. Stanton wanted them a little more difficult to get to and changed the destination to Ft. Jefferson.

In a nutshell, I had to disappoint another descendant, but I tried to be nice and suggest that perhaps the knocker came from another building (a residence?) on the old penitentiary grounds. Both owners of these relics were very gracious.

[JMadonna]

(02-12-2018 11:38 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Do you suppose that the Naval Academy continues to display what I believe to be a hoax in order to recognize the true hero here - the descendant who died in Korea during the horrible conflict around the Chosen Reservoir?

No I don't. How could a perpetual hoax honor a man who died for his country? Does the visitor take away the story of sacrifice for a young marine or the BS of his great uncle?

Nope, to me this is classic bureaucracy at work.

---

(02-12-2018 11:49 AM)Rsmyth Wrote:  Just because Dr. Leale said later in life that he invented CPR does not make him full of beans about everything else he did and said.

No it doesn't, but misrepresenting your service record for your own glory is stolen valor from those who made the sacrifice. I draw the line on that behavior. It especially has no place in the Naval Academy.

[Rsmyth]

Laurie, the Naval spur has little provenance. But, the story behind it makes it historically interesting just like the "Lincoln Flag" here in my home town of Milford, PA. I do not believe that it has Lincoln's blood on it nor do I believe that it was ever displayed on the box at Ford's when the President was shot. Still, it is an incredibly interesting story and I do not want it to be taken off display.

[Steve]

For those that are interested, Samuel Ream's military service:

1st enlistment - 24 July 1863 for 6 months in 21st PA Cavalry/182nd Volunteers briefly in Co A before transferring to Co. C. According to the unit history, Co. C had duty in Pottsville PA and Scranton PA during the time period of Ream's enlistment. Discharged 20 Feb. 1864

2nd enlistment - 07 Mar. 1864 in Battery C of Thompson's Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery. Ream joined the unit after it's last battle at Morton's Ford, VA on 06-07 Feb. 1864. For the remainder of the war and during Ream's enlistment, the Battery was one of the defensive units around Washington DC. Reams service record hasn't been uploaded to Fold3 yet, so I don't know if he was temporarily attached to any other units during this time. Promoted to Corporal on 09 June 1865. Mustered out on 30 June 1865. Most of the battles Ream claimed to take part in match the battle history of Battery C before Ream joined the unit according to this unit history:

http://thompsonsbatteryc.org/history-of-...e-battery/

I found an earlier version of Ream's story in the 1889 Kansas State Senate directory, along with the claim that he had been wounded at Gettysburg:

https://books.google.com/books?id=3rnUXb...&q&f=false

I also found these articles mentioning Ream's being charged with stealing two kegs of whiskey from a railroad depot:

   
Topeka Weekly Capital, 05 April 1898 pg. 3

and his acquittal:

   
Lawrence Daily Journal, 19 Jan. 1899 pg. 1

If you look at the photograph in the Naval Academy display, the other man is identified as Daniel Snyder. Snyder was a member of Ream's first company, C co. 21st PA Cav, so that would date the photo from July 1863 - Jan. 1864.

[L Verge]

(02-12-2018 02:35 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  Laurie, the Naval spur has little provenance. But, the story behind it makes it historically interesting just like the "Lincoln Flag" here in my home town of Milford, PA. I do not believe that it has Lincoln's blood on it nor do I believe that it was ever displayed on the box at Ford's when the President was shot. Still, it is an incredibly interesting story and I do not want it to be taken off display.

To me, such items need to be clearly labeled as to their provenance being in question if they are put on public display. "Gracious" wording can cover situations such as this so that the visitor does not walk away believing what is likely fake history.

Rich - I am surprised to learn that you are not a believer in the provenance of the Pike County flag. For me, that is good to know because I have felt sorry for the poor curator who lost his job over it.

[Steve]

(02-12-2018 07:47 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(02-12-2018 02:35 PM)Rsmyth Wrote:  Laurie, the Naval spur has little provenance. But, the story behind it makes it historically interesting just like the "Lincoln Flag" here in my home town of Milford, PA. I do not believe that it has Lincoln's blood on it nor do I believe that it was ever displayed on the box at Ford's when the President was shot. Still, it is an incredibly interesting story and I do not want it to be taken off display.

To me, such items need to be clearly labeled as to their provenance being in question if they are put on public display. "Gracious" wording can cover situations such as this so that the visitor does not walk away believing what is likely fake history.

Rich - I am surprised to learn that you are not a believer in the provenance of the Pike County flag. For me, that is good to know because I have felt sorry for the poor curator who lost his job over it.

For those of you interested in reading an argument skeptical of the authenticity of the Pike Co. Lincoln flag, I would recommend reading this blog post written by the former Treasurer of the Pike Co. Historical Society who resigned after the curator was fired over the flag:

http://civilwar.gratzpa.org/2012/12/the-...flag-hoax/