With Christmas now just weeks away, I am ready to kick off the season with my annual "Conspirator Christmas Tree." I have "improved" it since last year with the addition of a few more conspirators. Also, please note the Union soldier at the bottom of the tree this year-- he is in search of Booth and his associates hiding in the tree!

Please enjoy! This is sure to put any Boothie or Lincolnite in the Christmas spirit!

(11-25-2016 11:49 AM)PaigeBooth Wrote:  With Christmas now just weeks away, I am ready to kick off the season with my annual "Conspirator Christmas Tree." I have "improved" it since last year with the addition of a few more conspirators. Also, please note the Union soldier at the bottom of the tree this year-- he is in search of Booth and his associates hiding in the tree!

Please enjoy! This is sure to put any Boothie or Lincolnite in the Christmas spirit!

Paige:

Please remove Spangler. He was not a conspirator. He was an innocent scene-shifter who was caught up in an 1865 whirlwind. His only "crime" was adulation of a half-made actor. He spent almost four years in hell and had his life shortened because of the whirlwind and because of vast carelessness. Including him now with known conspirators merely adds to the injustice.

John

Mr. Fazio, thanks for your thoughts. However, I consider Spangler to be worthy of a place on my tree.

Have a happy holiday weekend!

Beautiful tree, Paige!

While I agree with John that Spangler did not deserve what he received, I do think he belongs on the conspirator tree to represent how innocent people can often suffer from the misdeeds of others. That's one of the lessons that we try to instill in our visitors - especially children - who visit Surratt House.

(11-25-2016 01:02 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Beautiful tree, Paige!

While I agree with John that Spangler did not deserve what he received, I do think he belongs on the conspirator tree to represent how innocent people can often suffer from the misdeeds of others. That's one of the lessons that we try to instill in our visitors - especially children - who visit Surratt House.

John, Spangler was one of those people who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As for music, let's sing along to some of my favorite songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVNvJoljD0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWCidnkhPtQ

https://boothiebarn.com/tag/carols/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWBUkc3KYKs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYPcclukFdI

It's a beautiful tree, Paige.....

In the spirit of the Season, Spangler, while not a conspirator, DOES indeed deserve to be remembered as a human being - he simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time....

I also agree on Spangler's innocence. Over the years I have enjoyed the Kunhardts' Twenty Days, but one of the few issues I have with the book is lumping Spangler in with the rest of the conspirators below Lincoln at the second inauguration (pp. 34-35). IMO, Powell, Atzerodt, Herold, and Surratt were all misidentified in the picture, but (to me) including Spangler as being part of the group is the most surprising of all. I can go either way on Booth up above, but I don't feel the rest were standing below Lincoln as the Kunhardts claim.

I admire your skill at creating a Christmas Tree, but for criminals, Why?

(11-25-2016 03:02 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  I also agree on Spangler's innocence. Over the years I have enjoyed the Kunhardts' Twenty Days, but one of the few issues I have with the book is lumping Spangler in with the rest of the conspirators below Lincoln at the second inauguration (pp. 34-35). IMO, Powell, Atzerodt, Herold, and Surratt were all misidentified in the picture, but (to me) including Spangler as being part of the group is the most surprising of all. I can go either way on Booth up above, but I don't feel the rest were standing below Lincoln as the Kunhardts claim.

Agreed 100%

Totally agreed!

Great points made by everyone! I created my Conspirator Christmas Tree for fun and enjoyment. Lincoln's assassination is a serious topic, but it is also nice to have some fun with the story once in a while.
And, since Spangler is such a big part of the Lincoln Assassination story, I will allow him his well deserved place on my Conspirator Christmas Tree.

(11-25-2016 10:04 PM)PaigeBooth Wrote:  Great points made by everyone! I created my Conspirator Christmas Tree for fun and enjoyment. Lincoln's assassination is a serious topic, but it is also nice to have some fun with the story once in a while.
And, since Spangler is such a big part of the Lincoln Assassination story, I will allow him his well deserved place on my Conspirator Christmas Tree.

"Touche' " I see your point. I qualify as a "Grump", when we mess with Christmas.

I agree, Paige! Allow me to email you a song which Joan Chaconas and I made up about the conspirators when I was a little bit older than you.... I still think it's good, more than 40 years later! HA!

History ain't fun unless you can have fun with it!

So true-BettyO-You must have FUN!

(11-26-2016 12:39 PM)HerbS Wrote:  So true-BettyO-You must have FUN!

True dat Herb and Betty!