Tangled Webs

[MaddieM]

...or just confused.

Did the conspirators get stripped or not? The below is lifted off this site. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ance...ap_12b.htm

All of the bodies were stripped naked (the clothes were given to charity), wrapped in sheets, and placed in simple pine coffins with a glass vial containing their names to help identify the bodies. They were all then buried in shallow graves next to the prison walls. Several pieces of the rope that had ended Mary E. (Jenkins) SURRATT's life and locks of her hair were sold as souvenirs.
Four years later Dau Anna (Surratt) TONRY made a successful plea to the government for her mother's remains. Today, Mary E. (Jenkins) SURRATT is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C., 1300 Bladensburg Road, NE. Her headstone reads simply "Mrs. SURRATT." Anna (Surratt) TONRY and brother Isaac SURRATT were buried on each side of their mother. Son Johnny SURRATT was buried in Baltimore.
John Lloyd, whose testimony possibly sealed Mary's fate, is buried less than 100 yards south of her in the same cemetery. (His simple tombstone is marked John M. Lloyd).

[L Verge]

The first paragraph of this needs to be rewritten. The bodies were not stripped of their clothing. When Mrs. Surratt was re-interred in 1869, there was mention made of her clothing still being intact - right down to the gators on her feet.

John Elliott might know how shallow the graves were, and the fact that the Penitentiary was pretty much on a peninsular, the water level might have determined how deep the graves could be. There are pieces of rope and locks of hair reportedly from Mrs. Surratt supposedly making the auction and sale rounds now. Personally, I think most of them are fake.

The rest of the information is accurate. Anna's husband, Dr. William Tonry, and several of their children are also buried in the plot with Mrs. Surratt. Their graves are not marked - neither are Anna's and Isaac's.

[BettyO]

Absolutely horrendous! There is also one account of a coffin being opened at Holmead's when it was excavated and it was described as containing bones and a pair of trousers....

No, they were NOT buried naked by a long shot.....

[ReignetteC]

When it comes to gleaning the "facts" from internet sites, buyer beware!

[L Verge]

Internet sites are notorious for being the bearer of bad information. However, we can't rely on books either. There is so much misinformation out there that every source has to be checked and re-checked with other sources and independent research with primary sources.

Right now, my gift shop manager and I are reviewing a book for possible gift shop sales. We have found glaring errors from page one on. Vanity presses and computer programs that allow pseudo-historians to print on demand aren't helping the situation either. As far as publishing houses are concerned, I'm not even sure that some of them employ good editors anymore.

[Jim Garrett]

I agree with Laurie and Betty. The conspirators were indeed buried in the clothing that they died in. They were buried almost immediately after the hanging, with crowds probably staying until the last shovel of dirt was patted down. It would have been absolutely horrific to strip the bodies down. On a side note, the Smithsonian has an original piece of Henry Wirz's coffin, from his burial along side the conspirators.

[Hess1865]

Where is Wirz buried now??

[Dave Taylor]

Mount Olivet, I believe. The same cemetery Mary Surratt is in. His body was released at the same time as the conspirators'.

Here's the piece of his coffin, Jim mentioned:

[Rsmyth]

Wirz is actually buried not far from Lloyd.

[Jim Garrett]

Wirz is front and center at Mt. Olivet. His attorney, Louis Schade (also the purchaser of the Petersen house in 1878) was responsible for his final resting place. Wirz is not far from John Lloyd and only about 20 feet from Thomas Harbin! Look for information on John Lloyd and Thomas Harbin's grave in the upcoming book by Rich Smyth and............