Laurie,

In "The unwritten history of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln" (thank you BettyO for the link to all those wonderful free books on Lincoln) Smoot says that Atzerodt told him that arrangements had been made with a man named Hunt (1 T) for three horses that would be needed by men making a fast trip from Washington. From what you have said in the past this Hunt sounds like your great grandfather. Smoot assumed that Atzerodt and 2 others would need those horses.

Does your family's oral traditions support this account? Was your great grandfather supposed to supply THREE horses?

Joe

Joe,

When I was brave enough to pose this question to my grandmother (when I was a teenager and she was in her late-80s), all I got as a response was, "No such thing!" My grandmother idolized her father and would never admit that he did anything wrong.

My mother, on the other hand, just said that she had never heard that part about the horses - only the story of Davey spending the night of April 13 with my great-grandparents. She did say that she did not believe that the family had horses "to give away." Their horses were only for riding and pulling carriages. After the CW, they acquired farms that required work horses.

However, about a hundred yards away from the Huntt house was the T.B. Hotel run by John Chandler Thompson, and across the street from there was a livery stable that supplied fresh teams of horses for the stage lines. That hotel is where Davey spent the night on March 17 after the failed kidnap.

John Chandler Thompson was also the one who warned my great-grandfather to keep his mouth shut about Davey staying at our house the night before the assassination. The quote I heard was, "Keep this quiet. There will be lots of trouble, and they will be hanging people higher than a Georgia pine."

I have suspected that Mr. Thompson was part of the Secret Line.

Thanks Laurie. Was your grandmother alive during that time?

(07-19-2012 08:42 AM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  Joe,

When I was brave enough to pose this question to my grandmother (when I was a teenager and she was in her late-80s), all I got as a response was, "No such thing!" My grandmother idolized her father and would never admit that he did anything wrong.

My mother, on the other hand, just said that she had never heard that part about the horses - only the story of Davey spending the night of April 13 with my great-grandparents. She did say that she did not believe that the family had horses "to give away." Their horses were only for riding and pulling carriages. After the CW, they acquired farms that required work horses.

However, about a hundred yards away from the Huntt house was the T.B. Hotel run by John Chandler Thompson, and across the street from there was a livery stable that supplied fresh teams of horses for the stage lines. That hotel is where Davey spent the night on March 17 after the failed kidnap.

John Chandler Thompson was also the one who warned my great-grandfather to keep his mouth shut about Davey staying at our house the night before the assassination. The quote I heard was, "Keep this quiet. There will be lots of trouble, and they will be hanging people higher than a Georgia pine."

I have suspected that Mr. Thompson was part of the Secret Line.

Laurie,

I would disagree with your grandmother and say to her that had her father been ready to supply horses as Smoot said, that he indeed did nothing wrong.

Rick

Joe,

My grandmother was the youngest of four children of Eli and Laura Huntt and wasn't born until 1874. They had a four-year-old daughter in 1865 and a son who had just been born in February. They were up feeding the infant about an hour after midnight when they heard several horses galloping through the village of T.B. That was evidently Booth and Herold because they left Surrattsville around midnight, and T.B. is just about five miles south of the tavern.

Mrs. Huntt lived until 1914, dying just before my mother was born. However, my uncle was born in 1902, and remembered the same stories being told by his grandmother that his mother had related also.

Rick,

In Southern Maryland after April 14, 1865, it was a lot more prudent to declare yourself a Lincoln man - no matter what your feelings had been before that date. Also, being in on the conspiracy in any form or fashion was not a fun fact to pass on to your children.

Now, when I came along, I was thrilled to think of my ancestors possibly playing a role in one of the greatest crimes in American history. Just call me weird. When I was teaching, I always made a point of telling the family story to my students. Their resopnse was, "Too bad your great-grandfather didn't tell what he knew. They'd have hanged him too, and we wouldn't have to put up with you." They were joking, I'm sure...

(07-19-2012 03:08 PM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  Joe,

My grandmother was the youngest of four children of Eli and Laura Huntt and wasn't born until 1874. They had a four-year-old daughter in 1865 and a son who had just been born in February. They were up feeding the infant about an hour after midnight when they heard several horses galloping through the village of T.B. That was evidently Booth and Herold because they left Surrattsville around midnight, and T.B. is just about five miles south of the tavern.

Mrs. Huntt lived until 1914, dying just before my mother was born. However, my uncle was born in 1902, and remembered the same stories being told by his grandmother that his mother had related also.

Rick,

In Southern Maryland after April 14, 1865, it was a lot more prudent to declare yourself a Lincoln man - no matter what your feelings had been before that date. Also, being in on the conspiracy in any form or fashion was not a fun fact to pass on to your children.

Now, when I came along, I was thrilled to think of my ancestors possibly playing a role in one of the greatest crimes in American history. Just call me weird. When I was teaching, I always made a point of telling the family story to my students. Their resopnse was, "Too bad your great-grandfather didn't tell what he knew. They'd have hanged him too, and we wouldn't have to put up with you." They were joking, I'm sure...

Laurie,

Aint it so. We Sothrons from the Washington area would have all been wearing mourning bands on our arms for our protection.

Whatever did happen, I will continue to think of your Great Grandaddy waiting up that night listening for the sound of horsemen approaching from Surratt's.

Like Bill Richter says, "If it didn't happen that way, it should have."

Rick

Does Bill have a copyright on that quote? I like it so much that over the past year I have used it regarding various questions I have received through my website. If Bill wants payment for my use of his words, please so advise. It's one of the coolest quotes I've heard in years.

As Laurie and several others here know, I bet Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby. Did he win? Well, "If it didn't happen that way, it should have."

(07-20-2012 04:34 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Does Bill have a copyright on that quote? I like it so much that over the past year I have used it regarding various questions I have received through my website. If Bill wants payment for my use of his words, please so advise. It's one of the coolest quotes I've heard in years.

As Laurie and several others here know, I bet Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby. Did he win? Well, "If it didn't happen that way, it should have."

Roger,

I ascribed the quote to Bill since I first heard it from him. I believe that he had it from one of the professors in his PhD program.

It is a fine and useful quote.

Rick