Booth's comments on Spangler ?

[John E.]

Although being detained in prision, was Spangler even considered as a conspirator by the time of Booth's death? And would Booth have learned this through the newspapers?

Thanks,

Bill C

Yes, he was definitely considered a suspect. He was thought to have helped Booth escape from the theater by clearing an unobstructed path to the door and slapping Rittersbaugh (SP) quiet. Most of the evidence against was circumstantial and/or hearsay but authorities were convinced he was guilty.

Later, when the trial commission took a tour of Ford's Theater, they felt Spangler likely helped Booth carve the divot in the doorway for the post.

[LincolnToddFan]

Is the context of the quote in American Brutus that Booth was sorry Spangler was a suspect in the conspiracy or that he was sorry that he kicked the man he thought was Spangler when mounting his horse?

Bill, this is simply my opinion. The way I read Mike Kauffman's words in AB I think Booth was saying he was sorry that Spangler was a suspect in the conspiracy.

Hi Roger,

Do you know if JWB ever expressed an opinion on the roundup of the other suspects, specifically Mary Surratt? Did he ever say anything about Atzerodt failing to attack Andrew Johnson...did he express disgust, disappointment etc...anything at all?

I find it particularly surprising that he did not speak up on behalf of Surratt, realizing as he must have that she was in grave danger. Maybe he didn't believe that the Gov't would hold her.

Or maybe he did express an opinion on all of the above and it was in the missing diary pages....

[RJNorton]

Personally I have never read that he said anything specifically about Mary Surratt, George Atzerodt, etc. In American Brutus Mike Kauffman writes, "According to Herold, Booth was horrified by the bloodbath at Seward’s, and he said he was 'very sorry for the sons' though he 'wished to God that Seward was killed.' He was especially pained to hear that he had caused so much trouble for Ford’s employee Ned Spangler."

"Booth could not understand how his own recollection of the shooting could differ so much from what the papers described. As Herold later described it, Booth's version was almost surrealistic:

There was a soldier or officer trying to prevent him from going into the box, and the thought struck him to draw a letter from his pocket and show it to the man, which he did. The man let him pass. He was so agitated at the time, that he fastened the door, he thinks. He advanced toward the President, with the letter in one hand and the pistol in the other. He put the pistol to the back of the president's head, shoved it, and hollored "Sic Semper tyrannis." He says it was the President's secretary that caught him by the throat.."

"Booth was surprised to hear that Major Rathbone was wounded in the arm, since he had lunged straight at him, hitting him in "the stomach or belly."

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Toia, I believe Lewis Powell said Mary Surratt was innocent. Betty would know about this.

[BettyO]

Toia, I believe Lewis Powell said Mary Surratt was innocent.

Hello, Toia!

Powell repeatedly expressed to his spiritual advisor, Reverend Gillette as well as to Fathers Walter and Wigit, General Hartranft and Captain Rath that Mrs. Surratt was innocent. The boy stated in the death cell repeatedly that "She may have known something, but he didn't know exactly how much she knew."

It's my opinion that Powell was just displaying chivalry and that he was extremely guilty about being caught at her house; feeling that by being there that he implicated her. He also told Gillette that he would say anything, do anything if Mrs. Surratt could remain together with daughter Annie; "If I had two lives to give, I'd give them both to save that woman. If nothing else, she is a woman and men do not make war on women."

[LincolnToddFan]

Toia, I believe Lewis Powell said Mary Surratt was innocent.

Hello, Toia!

Powell repeatedly expressed to his spiritual advisor, Reverend Gillette as well as to Fathers Walter and Wigit, General Hartranft and Captain Rath that Mrs. Surratt was innocent. The boy stated in the death cell repeatedly that "She may have known something, but he didn't know exactly how much she knew."

It's my opinion that Powell was just displaying chivalry and that he was extremely guilty about being caught at her house; feeling that by being there that he implicated her. He also told Gillette that he would say anything, do anything if Mrs. Surratt could remain together with daughter Annie; "If I had two lives to give, I'd give them both to save that woman. If nothing else, she is a woman and men do not make war on women."

Hi Betty-

I very much want to read your Powell bio, as it's one of the very few books discussed on this Forum(assassination related) that I haven't read yet. I know little about Powell other than that he was(of course) a Confederate sympathizer, tried desperately to save Mrs. Surratt from the gallows, and that he was almost as handsome as JWB in his own way. I also know that he brutally attacked a Black female servant in a fit of rage after he felt she was insolent to him, and of course Seward's wife died of a heart attack a few weeks after Powell's assault on her husband.

So his comment about not making war on women is even more baffling...it's all so sad to me. Maybe if I know more about his life in total I will understand a little better.

Thanks for the info, Roger!

[BettyO]

Powell's assault on the African American servant, Annie was more or less due in part to the fact that she knew of Mary Branson's nighttime visits to Powell's room. And the older Mary was not going up to this viral young man's quarters just to bring him a glass of water and see that he was tucked in for the night ! Very unseemly actions for a "Victorian lady." I think that there was more hanky-panky going on than was let on. The maid, Annie knew of this and apparently threatened to blackmail Powell (or Mary) by telling Mary's father, who was basically one of Powell's superiors in the kidnap plot. Powell flew off the handle and attacked the woman, who then had him arrested. As far as the pieces of the puzzle go together, this is what we have to surmise as their is little or no documentation. I'm still researching this -

[LincolnToddFan]

Well...well...I have always read that young Powell beat and stomped the servant for insolence....she refused to clean his room..not because she had the goods on him and was threatening to spill!

This sounds intriguing indeed. I have to return some books to the library today. Maybe I can check out your Powell bio...thanks again Betty!

[BettyO]

Toia,

Powell had told invesitgators that the maid had been "insolant" towards him. When Doster related this during the trial, Judge Holt abruptly told Doster, "You don't have to relate what when on between that man and that girl...." whether meaning Powell and Mary or Powell and Annie the maid.

After the war, an ex-soldier who boarded at the Branson house reiterated that more was behind Powell's "whipping" of the maid than was told. He had talked to other Branson servants who told him about Mary Branson's midnight visits to Powell's room and her many attentions to Powell. Sounds suspicious to me, I think more went on with Powell's being upset than simply gettin angry over having his room cleaned and some perceived insolance.

[Gene C]

Was the ex-soldier union or confederate? and how much after the war?
is this info in your updated second edition?

[BettyO]

The soldier was a Union soldier and his recollections were written 1866-1867 - so no apparent memory loss. This and more will be in the second edition so stay tuned!

Thanks, Gene -