Hello Susan,

Although I haven't purchased your book yet, I do look forward to reading it soon.

After a quick revisit to the burial certificates for Congressional Cemetery, I found there are two separate burials for site 124/26. One is for Gustavus Howell, who died from Billious Typhus in 1836. This certificate also notes "the estate of Gustavus Howell" paid for the burial of his son, Gustavus the 2nd, in the same site 124/26.

When Junior died, the burial certificate shows Mrs. Howell paid a small fee of $2 for his internment above his fathers grave.

Lacking age and date of birth on the certificate makes it somewhat difficult to determine if this is "the Augustus Spencer Howell, tied to the assassination, Are you aware of any obituary or newspapers that mentioned Howell Jr's death in 1869? I not sure, but I think the Howells buried at Congressional lived near Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Joe

(11-22-2020 02:04 PM)McCastle Wrote:  Hello Susan,

Although I haven't purchased your book yet, I do look forward to reading it soon.

After a quick revisit to the burial certificates for Congressional Cemetery, I found there are two separate burials for site 124/26. One is for Gustavus Howell, who died from Billious Typhus in 1836. This certificate also notes "the estate of Gustavus Howell" paid for the burial of his son, Gustavus the 2nd, in the same site 124/26.

Thirty-three years later in 1869 when Junior died, the burial certificate shows Mrs. Howell paid a small fee of $2 of his internment above his fathers grave.

Lacking age and date of birth on the certificate makes it somewhat difficult to determine if this is "the Augustus Spencer Howell, tied to the assassination, Are you aware of any obituary or newspapers that mentioned Howell Jr's death in 1869? I not sure, but I think the Howells buried at Congressional lived near Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Joe

I don't think I've found any obit. Jim Garrett and Richard Smyth in "Where Are They Now?" identify Augustus Spencer Howell as being buried in the 124/26 plot, so they might have some information. In the confession by Atzerodt published in the Baltimore American on January 18, 1869, Howell is named as "Gustavus Howell."

Many thanks to Steve for sending this. Steve writes, "The National Archives actually has a copy of Augustus Howell's discharge from the Confederate Army from July 1862 (which is kind of unusual for an enlisted Confederate soldier)."

(11-25-2020 06:06 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Many thanks to Steve for sending this. Steve writes, "The National Archives actually has a copy of Augustus Howell's discharge from the Confederate Army from July 1862 (which is kind of unusual for an enlisted Confederate soldier)."

Thank you Steve, and to Roger for posting these documents.

They are kind of unusual. These have obviously been altered and duplicated. The last two handwritten lines on the bottom of the page seem to have been added at a later date. Snowden applied for Howell's discharge on July 14, but the last lines on the document show... "Discharge 11th July, 1867", with a type written #7. Also, the name of the Post Commander at the bottom looks like Jn. H Winder. If so, why would the head of Richmond's prisons need to sign off on the discharge of a private in the Maryland Artillery?

Emack, according to Tidwell, was a student of John H. Winder

(11-25-2020 10:36 AM)McCastle Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 06:06 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Many thanks to Steve for sending this. Steve writes, "The National Archives actually has a copy of Augustus Howell's discharge from the Confederate Army from July 1862 (which is kind of unusual for an enlisted Confederate soldier)."

Thank you Steve, and to Roger for posting these documents.

They are kind of unusual. These have obviously been altered and duplicated. The last two handwritten lines on the bottom of the page seem to have been added at a later date. Snowden applied for Howell's discharge on July 14, but the last lines on the document show... "Discharge 11th July, 1867", with a type written #7. Also, the name of the Post Commander at the bottom looks like Jn. H Winder. If so, why would the head of Richmond's prisons need to sign off on the discharge of a private in the Maryland Artillery?

Emack, according to Tidwell, was a student of John H. Winder

The bottom reads "Discharged this 11th day of July 1862 at Richmond" with "11th", "July", "2" (of 1862), and "Richmond" handwritten on a preprinted form. The bottom of the form was written out first at Richmond while the top would presumably have been written three days later by his unit commander confirming the discharge.

(11-26-2020 01:05 AM)Steve Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 10:36 AM)McCastle Wrote:  

(11-25-2020 06:06 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Many thanks to Steve for sending this. Steve writes, "The National Archives actually has a copy of Augustus Howell's discharge from the Confederate Army from July 1862 (which is kind of unusual for an enlisted Confederate soldier)."

Thank you Steve, and to Roger for posting these documents.

They are kind of unusual. These have obviously been altered and duplicated. The last two handwritten lines on the bottom of the page seem to have been added at a later date. Snowden applied for Howell's discharge on July 14, but the last lines on the document show... "Discharge 11th July, 1867", with a type written #7. Also, the name of the Post Commander at the bottom looks like Jn. H Winder. If so, why would the head of Richmond's prisons need to sign off on the discharge of a private in the Maryland Artillery?

Emack, according to Tidwell, was a student of John H. Winder

The bottom reads "Discharged this 11th day of July 1862 at Richmond" with "11th", "July", "2" (of 1862), and "Richmond" handwritten on a preprinted form. The bottom of the form was written out first at Richmond while the top would presumably have been written three days later by his unit commander confirming the discharge.

Steve,
Thank you for the clarification of the dates. Here is what Gen. William Tidwell wrote on the subject of Emack and Winder.

On October 22, 1861, Emack was ordered to a special school near Richmond which operated under the command of General John W. Winder of Maryland. General Winder was the Provost Marshal General and Inspector of Military Prisons. Winder's activity was heavily involved with intelligence work. He employed a number of Marylanders as detectives charged with combatting penetration by Union agents. The prisoners of war were also important intelligence targets. Not only do prisoners know useful information which may be revealed through interrogation, but it is also possible to recruit potential agents from among prisoners of war.

There is no indication of the subjects taught at Winder's school, but in view of George Emack's later assignment at Libby prison, it is probable that his subjects included control and interrogation of prisoners of war.

Looking through the examples, it appears that John H. Winder had a unique signature which stayed relatively the same for many years. His signature is written as Mr H Winder with his rank below his name. Also found on nearly every Winder signature is a break between the letter n and d in the last name.

I could be wrong, but I think Howell's discharge was signed by Brig. Gen. John H. Winder.

https://www.historyforsale.com/brigadier...3/dc265798

https://www.historyforsale.com/brigadier...2/dc283555

https://www.flickr.com/photos/littlejohn...713700935/

On a side note, I highly recommend that those on this thread google Richard Snowden Andrews, the Captain who signed the discharge document. His personal story is truly remarkable. The shell jacket he was wearing when he was so gravely wounded is in the collection of the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore. Andrews is laid to rest in Green Mount, along with many notables from the assassination.

Some may agree that the change from Gustavus to Augustus Howell resulted from George Atzerodt's statement that "Gustavus" Howell was involved in the kidnapping plot. Is it possible this name change occurred with the creation of the (certificate of disability) document? According to records in the Maryland Archives and DAR, the soldiers name was Gustavus Howell. Congressional Cemetery records also list father and son as Gustavus Howell.

https://congressionalcemetery.org/records-search/

According to the disability certificate, this Gustavus is pulled from his unit due to illness, and under the care of a doctor, deemed unfit for duty. However, the name written on the certificate is Augustus with the name misspelled by the doctor ( Agustus?) This in addition to the signature of John Winder is unusual, but not surprising, considering Andrews and Winder were both in the spy business.

https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/sp...--270.html

---

One of the last people to see Augustus Howell before his arrest on March 24, 1865 was former Confederate soldier David C. Barry. Early the next morning, March 25, Mary Surratt, her son John and rebel spy Sarah Slater left Washington City in a carriage rented from Brooke Stabler. Arriving in Prince George's County, they were met at Surratt's Tavern by David Barry. Did he inform the Surratt's about the arrest of Augustus Howell?

Barry told his story during the 1867 trial of John Surratt, claiming he rode from Surratt's Tavern to Port Tobacco with John and a "Mrs. Brown", who were on their way to Richmond, Va. (Mrs. Brown was Sarah Slater.) He also saw Mary Surratt, who remained behind at the tavern. Barry's story was that he had two sons in the rebel army and wanted to get information about them from a man, Charles (Keyworth) Cawood, who was in Port Tobacco. On March 24, the day of his arrest, Augustus Howell supposedly gave this information to David Barry. John Surratt also told him "yes" (Keyworth) Cawood is there in Port Tobacco. Barry testified that he forgot where Surratt got his information from.

On March 25, the trio arrived in Port Tobacco, where Barry said they had spent the night. This may have been the last known sighting of Confederate spy Sarah Slater. Surratt claimed that he had to take this woman to Richmond, but Barry does not indicate whether Surratt and Slater went across the Potomac River together. There is no clear indication that Sarah Slater went any further than Port Tobacco.

The following morning, March 26, Barry testified that before running the blockade to Richmond, John Surratt wrote two letters for him to take back to Washington. One letter was to Brooke Stabler, who rented out the carriage that Surratt was using, telling him the carriage would not be needed after all because "he had women on his brain". The other letter was to his mother Mary, who he left behind at Surrattsville the day before, informing her that he would return on the stagecoach if he could not run the blockade.

If Surratt could not run the blockade, why would he need to take the stage back home? He could have used the carriage he was driving. Meanwhile, Mary Surratt took the stage from Surrattsville back to Washington where she called on Louis Weichmann to inform Booth and Atzerodt that "Mrs. Surratt" wanted to see them at her house on H Street..

John Surratt told Barry that if he was able to cross the Potomac (on his way to Richmond) he (Barry) could use the carriage to return home. On March 26, Barry took the carriage back to Brooke Stabler at Howard's Livery Stable, just around the corner from Mary Surratt's house. After delivering the horses and the letter to Brooke Stabler, Barry claims he went to Mrs. Surratt's house where he was introduced to John Wilkes Booth, George Atzerodt and Louis Weichmann. Barry left shortly afterwards, but gives no statements regarding his trip back home to Surrattsville. He returned the horse & buggy before he went to see Mary Surratt.

His story seems somewhat contradicting. Barry also seems to have gone well out of his way to help the Surratt's. What originally was supposed to be a short trip to Port Tobacco in order to " inquire about his sons", turned into a two day, 75 mile affair for David Barry.

Meanwhile, John Surratt had given several different reasons for rushing down to Richmond immediately after the arrest of Augustus Howell. He told David Barry that he had to take the woman in his charge to Richmond, although there is no evidence at this point that Sarah Slater went any further than Port Tobacco. Mary Surratt told Louis Weichmann that John was going to Richmond for a clerkship. George Atzerodt had a letter and claimed Surratt told him "he was in trouble."

The latter may hold some truth. John Surratt arrived in Richmond, and according to the clerk, checked into the Spottswood House around suppertime on March 29,1865 and left on April 1.

From the Trial of John Surratt;

Testimony of J.B. Tinley;

Q. Where were you employed in March, 1865?
A. At the Spottswood House.
Q. Look at the name Harry Sherman on that register, and from memory state whether he was there
A. Yes Sir, he was.
Q. Now state how long he was there?
A. He came on the 29th for supper and left on the 1st after breakfast.

Testimony of David H. Bates;

Q.I now ask you to look at the handwriting shown you ( Harry Sherman) on the register of the Spottswood House, Richmond, March 29, 1865 and state whose handwriting it is?
A. I believe the signature to have been written by Surratt.
Q. By John H. Surratt?
A, Yes sir, John H. Surratt

Testimony of Henry Brouden;

Q. Where were you employed for the months of March and April, 1865?
A. In Richmond, up to 2nd of April
Q. Were you there from the 29th of March until the 2nd of April?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see the prisoner (Surratt) there?
A .I did.
Q, Under what name did he pass?
A. He passed under the name Sherman.
Q. You knew who he was?
A. I knew who he was. That was the name he passed under there.
Q. State whether you were with him and saw Mr. Benjamin?
The question is objected to as having no relevancy.

From the prosecution;

Let the principle be once established that such evidence as this register as it now stands is admissible, and the proof of an alibi will be the easiest thing made that could possibly be conceived of. For instance a crime may be committed here, the guilty party may escape to Canada, registering himself in an assumed name wherever he may stop, and will only have to travel back again, write his true name at or near the bottom of the appropriate page of the hotel register wherever he stops on his return, with one or two of his friends to write their names under his, and the defense of the alibi is complete.

Augustus Howell, by his own admission went to Richmond in February 1865, and was arrested weeks later on March 24, at Surrattville. The very next morning at 8:00am, John Surratt was on his way to Richmond, Virginia.

Why... to get a clerkship? or for the company of a woman?..... to deliver Sarah Slater, when there is no evidence that she went any further than Port Tobacco, Maryland?

As John Surratt tells it...

" I accordingly left home for Richmond, and arrived there safely on the Friday before the evacuation of that city. On my arrival I went to the Spottswood Hotel.. " .

" I left Richmond on Saturday morning (April 1,1865) before the evacuation of that place."

J. Surratt
Rockville, Maryland 1867

Curiously.....

The register at the Spottswood Hotel, under the date April 2, 1865, bears this entry, the last ever made while Richmond was in Confederate possession.

" Major George M. Emack, Ist Maryland (Rebel) Cavalry" and opposite, in the clerks hand is written....."NO STAY", which is significant.

Richmond Whig

(12-11-2020 11:26 AM)McCastle Wrote:  Meanwhile, John Surratt had given several different reasons for rushing down to Richmond immediately after the arrest of Augustus Howell. He told David Barry that he had to take the woman in his charge to Richmond, although there is no evidence at this point that Sarah Slater went any further than Port Tobacco. Mary Surratt told Louis Weichmann that John was going to Richmond for a clerkship. George Atzerodt had a letter and claimed Surratt told him "he was in trouble."

Joe, in Come Retribution it says, "At the same time that Harney and his men left Richmond, John H. Surratt was in the city. He arrived there on 29 March with Sarah Slater who had come from Montreal with dispatches from Jacob Thompson and Edwin G. Lee for Secretary of State Benjamin."

Do you feel Slater's alleged presence in Richmond is just an assumption on the part of the authors (as you indicate there is no proof)? Thanks, Joe.

(12-12-2020 09:58 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(12-11-2020 11:26 AM)McCastle Wrote:  Meanwhile, John Surratt had given several different reasons for rushing down to Richmond immediately after the arrest of Augustus Howell. He told David Barry that he had to take the woman in his charge to Richmond, although there is no evidence at this point that Sarah Slater went any further than Port Tobacco. Mary Surratt told Louis Weichmann that John was going to Richmond for a clerkship. George Atzerodt had a letter and claimed Surratt told him "he was in trouble."

Joe, in Come Retribution it says, "At the same time that Harney and his men left Richmond, John H. Surratt was in the city. He arrived there on 29 March with Sarah Slater who had come from Montreal with dispatches from Jacob Thompson and Edwin G. Lee for Secretary of State Benjamin."

Do you feel Slater's alleged presence in Richmond is just an assumption on the part of the authors (as you indicate there is no proof)? Thanks, Joe.

I do Roger. I think it is an assumption that may have originated with statements by Louis Weichmann and David Barry in which John Surratt was to accompany Sarah Slater to Richmond. Taken at face value, it made sense to believe that Sarah Slater stayed with Surratt for the entire journey to Richmond. David Barry claimed he, along with Sarah and John, stayed overnight at Port Tobacco. and although he says Surratt ran the blockade, he never said that Sarah went with him.

When John Surratt returned to his mothers house in Washington on April 3rd, he seems to have returned alone. He asked Weichmann to exchange some gold pieces for greenbacks saying he was going to New York, but in Surratt's lecture he insisted that he did not go to his mothers house but rather to a hotel, which probably led some to believe that Surratt had Sarah stashed somewhere before going to New York. It's just a guess though. There is simply no evidence that she was with Surratt when he returned to Washington, let alone when he crossed the Potomac on his way to Richmond.

I could be mistaken, but I think Confederate spy Olivia Floyd of Port Tobacco, who was also thought to have been Sarah Slater, once took dispatches to Popes Creek that Sarah Slater later delivered.

If the dispatches were delivered directly into the hands of Sarah Slater at Popes Creek, is it possible that David Berry left Sarah in Port Tobacco because she was a local?

Perhaps a smitten George Atzerodt was trying to throw authorities off her trail by claiming she was from North Carolina.

(12-12-2020 05:52 PM)McCastle Wrote:  

(12-12-2020 09:58 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(12-11-2020 11:26 AM)McCastle Wrote:  Meanwhile, John Surratt had given several different reasons for rushing down to Richmond immediately after the arrest of Augustus Howell. He told David Barry that he had to take the woman in his charge to Richmond, although there is no evidence at this point that Sarah Slater went any further than Port Tobacco. Mary Surratt told Louis Weichmann that John was going to Richmond for a clerkship. George Atzerodt had a letter and claimed Surratt told him "he was in trouble."

Joe, in Come Retribution it says, "At the same time that Harney and his men left Richmond, John H. Surratt was in the city. He arrived there on 29 March with Sarah Slater who had come from Montreal with dispatches from Jacob Thompson and Edwin G. Lee for Secretary of State Benjamin."

Do you feel Slater's alleged presence in Richmond is just an assumption on the part of the authors (as you indicate there is no proof)? Thanks, Joe.

I do Roger. I think it is an assumption that may have originated with statements by Louis Weichmann and David Barry in which John Surratt was to accompany Sarah Slater to Richmond. Taken at face value, it made sense to believe that Sarah Slater stayed with Surratt for the entire journey to Richmond. David Barry claimed he, along with Sarah and John, stayed overnight at Port Tobacco. and although he says Surratt ran the blockade, he never said that Sarah went with him.

When John Surratt returned to his mothers house in Washington on April 3rd, he seems to have returned alone. He asked Weichmann to exchange some gold pieces for greenbacks saying he was going to New York, but in Surratt's lecture he insisted that he did not go to his mothers house but rather to a hotel, which probably led some to believe that Surratt had Sarah stashed somewhere before going to New York. It's just a guess though. There is simply no evidence that she was with Surratt when he returned to Washington, let alone when he crossed the Potomac on his way to Richmond.

I could be mistaken, but I think Confederate spy Olivia Floyd of Port Tobacco, who was also thought to have been Sarah Slater, once took dispatches to Popes Creek that Sarah Slater later delivered.

If the dispatches were delivered directly into the hands of Sarah Slater at Popes Creek, is it possible that David Berry left Sarah in Port Tobacco because she was a local?

Perhaps a smitten George Atzerodt was trying to throw authorities off her trail by claiming she was from North Carolina.

Sarah was from NC, by marriage, anyway. She was born in Connecticut and ended up in NC, where she married Rowan Slater in Goldsboro, NC.

Susan,

While I agree that the extensive work on Sarah Slater done by author and historian John Stanton is impressive, I have to ask the same question I posed to John many years ago... what if the name Sarah Slater was an alias?

Years ago, long before his passing, he took me on the "Cawood No Escape Tour" near his home at Mathias Point Va.

A good man, and I always enjoyed his company.

(12-12-2020 07:15 PM)McCastle Wrote:  Susan,

While I agree that the extensive work on Sarah Slater done by author and historian John Stanton is impressive, I have to ask the same question I posed to John many years ago... what if the name Sarah Slater was an alias?

Years ago, long before his passing, he took me on the "Cawood No Escape Tour" near his home at Mathias Point Va.

A good man, and I always enjoyed his company.

I suppose it's possible that "Slater" was an alias, but Weichman's trial testimony that Mrs. Slater was from North Carolina, spoke French, and could apply to the French consul for aid if needed coincides nicely with the background of the actual Sarah Slater.

(12-12-2020 07:15 PM)McCastle Wrote:  Susan,

While I agree that the extensive work on Sarah Slater done by author and historian John Stanton is impressive, I have to ask the same question I posed to John many years ago... what if the name Sarah Slater was an alias?

Years ago, long before his passing, he took me on the "Cawood No Escape Tour" near his home at Mathias Point Va.

A good man, and I always enjoyed his company.

John is one of the people on this forum that I wanted to meet in person, but was never able to do so. We shared comments through the forum and a few emails.
I looked forward to his post. I'm a bit envious of those of you who got to know him

(12-12-2020 09:52 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(12-12-2020 07:15 PM)McCastle Wrote:  Susan,

While I agree that the extensive work on Sarah Slater done by author and historian John Stanton is impressive, I have to ask the same question I posed to John many years ago... what if the name Sarah Slater was an alias?

Years ago, long before his passing, he took me on the "Cawood No Escape Tour" near his home at Mathias Point Va.

A good man, and I always enjoyed his company.

I suppose it's possible that "Slater" was an alias, but Weichman's trial testimony that Mrs. Slater was from North Carolina, spoke French, and could apply to the French consul for aid if needed coincides nicely with the background of the actual Sarah Slater.

I'm beginning to think that Weichmann's information may have come from George Atzerodt, who said Sarah was from "South" Carolina. Mary Surratt was already upset with Atzerodt for telling Weichmann too much. Again, this is just a guess.

I do agree that John Stanton's piece coincides nicely, but the dates being ten years off, leaves it somewhat questionable. Not wrong, just questionable.

I have seen only two eyewitness descriptions of Sarah Slater. I'm adding a third description of a female blockade runner, given by a fellow blockade runner on the Potomac River. I believe she had a solid French connection in Canada.

This should be an easy one to guess..

George Atzerodt
Slender / Medium Size
Black Hair
Black eyes
Age 20-21
Good Looking

David Barry
Slim / Delicate in Size
Dark Hair
Black eyes
age Under 30

????
Medium Height
Black Hair
Dark Eyes
Age 23-24
Remarkably Pretty
She loved the Confederacy with an "ardor" so intense...