Countdown to July 7

[Linda Anderson]

Betty, as the author of Alias "Paine": Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy, can you tell us what was happening to the conspirators in the days leading up to their executions on July 7, 1865?

[BettyO]

(07-04-2012 04:59 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Betty, as the author of Alias "Paine": Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy, can you tell us what was happening to the conspirators in the days leading up to their executions on July 7, 1865?

On July 4th, according to various reports, the "boys" got another haircut (anyone know what happened to the locks of hair shorn off? As avid as most of the soldiers/staff were for "souvenirs", you just KNOW that the cut hair was not just swept away). Lew Powell was pretty much given a "crew cut" on June 13 and then according to the Letter Book, another hair cut was given to them on July 4.

On that afternoon, Powell and the rest of the male conspirators were given a bit of exercise in the yard, where Powell engaged in quoits games with Spangler and Rath.

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Thanks, Linda!

[Linda Anderson]

Thanks, Betty. Powell, Herold, Atzerodt and Mrs. Surratt were not told of their death sentences until right before they were executed. The others may have had some hope during the trial but I think Powell knew all along that he would be executed.

[BettyO]

(07-04-2012 05:45 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Thanks, Betty. Powell, Herold, Atzerodt and Mrs. Surratt were not told of their death sentences until right before they were executed. The others may have had some hope during the trial but I think Powell knew all along that he would be executed.

Right, Linda. He had previously told a guard that he wished that they would "hang him quick, that they were tracking him pretty close and that he was tired of coming into the court room every day."

Supposedly, the "boys" who were not hanged had heard the construction of the gallows and were pretty much in a panic as they knew what was going on - Spangler for one was pretty scared at what transpired and thought that he would be called for any day and hanged....

[RJNorton]

Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

[BettyO]

(07-05-2012 09:49 AM)rjnorton Wrote:  Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

It must have been horrible for ALL concerned, but especially for those (Spangler, O'Laughlen, Arnold, Mudd, et. al.) who did NOT know yet just what their fate was....
Bad enough for the condemned four, two of whom were extremely young, as well as for Mrs. Surratt and poor Atzerodt. I honestly believe that Mrs. Surratt did NOT think that she would hang.....

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(07-05-2012 10:20 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

(07-05-2012 09:49 AM)rjnorton Wrote:  Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

It must have been horrible for ALL concerned, but especially for those (Spangler, O'Laughlen, Arnold, Mudd, et. al.) who did NOT know yet just what their fate was....
Bad enough for the condemned four, two of whom were extremely young, as well as for Mrs. Surratt and poor Atzerodt. I honestly believe that Mrs. Surratt did NOT think that she would hang.....

When those conspirators who were condemned were read their sentences, there was mixed reaction. This according to the Baltimore National Aegis for July 8, 1865:

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There are some errors in this report inasmuch as Powell requested the services of Reverend Augustus P. Stryker - an Episcopal Minister, but also wanted a Baptist minister as well. Eckert, who came to see the condemned youth, suggested the Reverend Dr. Abram Dunn Gillette, whom Powell stated he had heard preach once and was impressed with his sermon.

[BettyO]

(07-05-2012 10:20 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

(07-05-2012 09:49 AM)rjnorton Wrote:  Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

It must have been horrible for ALL concerned, but especially for those (Spangler, O'Laughlen, Arnold, Mudd, et. al.) who did NOT know yet just what their fate was....
Bad enough for the condemned four, two of whom were extremely young, as well as for Mrs. Surratt and poor Atzerodt. I honestly believe that Mrs. Surratt did NOT think that she would hang.....

---

(07-05-2012 10:20 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

(07-05-2012 09:49 AM)rjnorton Wrote:  Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

It must have been horrible for ALL concerned, but especially for those (Spangler, O'Laughlen, Arnold, Mudd, et. al.) who did NOT know yet just what their fate was....
Bad enough for the condemned four, two of whom were extremely young, as well as for Mrs. Surratt and poor Atzerodt. I honestly believe that Mrs. Surratt did NOT think that she would hang.....

When those conspirators who were condemned were read their sentences, there was mixed reaction. This according to the Baltimore National Aegis for July 8, 1865:

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There are some errors in this report inasmuch as Powell requested the services of Reverend Augustus P. Stryker - an Episcopal Minister, but also wanted a Baptist minister as well. Eckert, who came to see the condemned youth, suggested the Reverend Dr. Abram Dunn Gillette, whom Powell stated he had heard preach once and was impressed with his sermon.

About 9 am 147 years ago today, Powell, Surratt, Herold and Atzerodt were notified of their sentences....

[Gene C]

I am currently reading Sam Arnold's, "Confessions of a Lincoln Conspirator". For those who were sentenced to prison, they had no knowledge of their sentence until soon before the hangings. They could hear the scafolding being built, but did not know if they were going to be hung or not. Arnold, at that time, did not believe Mrs. Surratt would be sentenced to death. He thought Powell would.

[Rick Smith]

Hello All,

Good to be back with you. Roger, thanks very much for the work you have done to set up this forum.

I did not know that the conspirators who were not hanged, such as Ned Spengler, were unaware of their sentences.

No wonder Ned was unable to eat supper.

Rick

[Linda Anderson]

(07-06-2012 03:02 PM)Rick Smith Wrote:  Hello All,

Good to be back with you. Roger, thanks very much for the work you have done to set up this forum.

I did not know that the conspirators who were not hanged, such as Ned Spengler, were unaware of their sentences.

No wonder Ned was unable to eat supper.

Rick

From the Evening Star - 7/7/1865

PETITIONS FOR CLEMENCY

"Immediately upon the announcement of the sentences a rush was made for the Executive Mansion by friends and relatives of the conspirators to plead for a brief respite. Among the applicants were the counsel for Mrs. Surratt, a sister of Herold, the wife of Dr. Mudd and the spiritual advisers of the condemned, and a number of parties whose sympathies got the better of their judgment and afforded the only apologies for their officiousness. All applicants were referred to Judge Advocate General Holt, but he, like the President, was inexorable. At night the throng of applicants increased and the entreaties were most importunate. Many expressed belief that in consideration of her sex, the sentence of Mrs. Surratt might be commuted to imprisonment for life, and her case was the most strongly urged. Even down to the hour for the execution the hope of clemency was entertained by some, and not a few were sanguine to the last."

Anna Surratt returned to her home on H Street to find that a crowd had gathered around the boarding house. Anna "appeared perfectly crushed with grief."
"From early in the evening until a late hour at night, hundreds of persons-old and young, male and female-visited the vicinity of Mrs. Surratt's residence, stopping upon the opposite side of the street, glancing over with inquiring and anxious eyes upon the house in which the conspirators met, commenting upon the fate of the doomed woman and the circumstances connected therewith. Even the casual passerby was attracted to the spot, while the residents of the neighborhood sat quietly at their doors and windows watching the movements of those whose approached the house in which the conspiracy was concocted. During the evening not less than 500 persons visited the spot."

[BettyO]

Last Hours -

The four condemned were offered breakfast - and according to some accounts, Powell partook of it, but Dr. Gillette, who had spent the night with the condemned youth, stated that Powell neither ate nor drank anything that day and steadily refused Dr. Porter's repeated offers of Wine of Valerian. Valerian is an herb which is supposed to soothe and calm; basically it induces sleep, but I would think that four half-asleep victims carried to the scaffold and then shot into eternity was the last thing that Hartranft, Rath or Porter wanted to see.... Supposedly Atzerodt was also offered this stuff but decided that Brandy was more to his taste -

I conducted an internet search on this, and believe it or not, Wine of Valerian is still around and you can buy it on the internet. Personally I, like Powell, wouldn't touch this stuff with a ten foot pole! No telling what it tastes like or what it does, although one person said that it had a "quieting effect and induced sleep"..... No thank you! I'd rather count sheep!

July 7 was a scorching day and the temperature was climbing steadily towards the triple digits - much like today is going to be.

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[Linda Anderson]

Anna returned to the prison from the boarding house and spent the night weeping and praying with her mother. The next morning, July 7, Anna went to the White House to plead for her mother's life.

"Anna had been rebuffed by Johnson's secretary, General Muzzey, and refused an audience with the President. This made her hysterical. General Muzzey had no idea who Anna was when she begged and pleaded with him to let her see the President. According to Johnson, Muzzey told him 'there was a crazy woman...downstairs [who] wanted to see me and she wouldn't give her name, but she was crying and tearing her hair out and exhibiting all the evidence of insanity.' Anna was forced out of the building and left on the White House steps... Later, David Herold's sisters also tried to see the President, but as with Anna, they too, were refused." Kate Clifford Larson, The Assassin's Accomplice.

"By one o'clock, most of the reporters had filed through the door and moved into the fiery yard. In the windows surrounding the enclosure as well as on top of a nearby building, the onlookers were densely packed. Several hundred soldiers had also taken their places and formed ranks around the scaffold...All speculation [about a reprieve] abruptly ceased shortly after 1 P.M., when General Hartranft appeared in the yard. Behind him, trudging along in a row, came the condemned, including Mary Surratt...Slowly, solemnly the condemned scaled the stairs to the platform, their chains clanking with every step...Stepping quickly to the front of the scaffold, General Hartranft read the order of execution in a loud voice heard throughout the yard...When Hartranft had finished, Abram Gillette [Powell's spiritual adviser] knelt beside Lewis Powell and prayed aloud...Powell's eyes briefly filled with tears...At length it was the Lutheran minister's turn...While the prayer was in progress, Dr. George Porter watched the condemned closely. 'Mrs. Surratt was very feeble and leaned her head upon alternate sides of her armchair in nervous spasms. Her general expression was that of acute suffering, vanishing at times as if by the conjuration of her pride, and again returning in a paroxysm as she looked at the dangling rope before her. [Powell], the strongest criminal of our history, was alone dignified and self-possessed...He looked at death as for one long expected; not a tremor of a shock stirred his long stately limbs...Herold, although whimpering, showed more grit than was anticipated...Atzerodt was the picture of despair.'"

The ropes were placed around the prisoners' necks. "...at 1:25 P.M., Christian Rath silently motioned to General Hartranft that all was ready." General Hartranft clapped his hands. "At Hartrant's third clap, William Coxshall and the others 'with all our might' pushed their poles and shoved out the props. Instantly the trap floors fell with a heavy slam." Thomas Goodrich, The Darkest Dawn.

After the bodies were cut down, they were placed into boxes and buried next to the scaffold in freshly dug graves.

[BettyO]

(07-07-2012 09:07 AM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Anna returned to the prison from the boarding house and spent the night weeping and praying with her mother. The next morning, July 7, Anna went to the White House to plead for her mother's life.

"Anna had been rebuffed by Johnson's secretary, General Muzzey, and refused an audience with the President. This made her hysterical. General Muzzey had no idea who Anna was when she begged and pleaded with him to let her see the President. According to Johnson, Muzzey told him 'there was a crazy woman...downstairs [who] wanted to see me and she wouldn't give her name but she was crying and tearing her hair out and exhibiting all the evidence of insanity.' Anna was forced out of the building and left on the White House Steps... Later David Herold's sisters also tried to see the President, but as with Anna, they too, were refused." Kate Clifford Larson, The Assassin's Accomplice

"By one o'clock, most of the reporters had filed through the door and moved into the fiery yard. In the windows surrounding the enclosure as well as on top of a nearby building, the onlookers were densely packed. Several hundred soldiers had also taken their places and formed ranks around the scaffold...All speculation [about a reprieve] abruptly ceased shortly after 1 PM, when General Hartranft appeared in the yard. Behind him, trudging along in a row, came the condemned, including Mary Surratt...Slowly, solemnly the condemned climbed the stairs to the platform, their chains clanking with every step...Stepping quickly to the front of the scaffold, General Hartranft read the order of execution in a loud voice heard throughout the yard...When Hartranft had finished, Abram Gillette [Powell's spiritual adviser] knelt beside Lewis Powell and prayed aloud...Powell's eyes briefly filled with tears...At length it was the Lutheran's minister's turn...While the prayer was in progress, Dr. George Porter watched the condemned closely. 'Mrs. Surratt was very feeble and leaned her head upon alternate side of her armchair in nervous spasms. Her general expression was that of acute suffering, vanishing at times as if by the conjuration of her pride, and again returning in a paroxysm as she looked at the dangling rope before her. [Powell], the strongest criminal of our history, was alone dignified and self-possessed...He looked at death as for one long expected; not a tremor of a shock stirred his long stately limbs...Herold, although whimpering, showed more grit than was anticipated...Atzerodt was the picture of despair.'"

The ropes were placed around the condemned necks. "...at 1:25 PM, Christian Rath motioned to General Hartranft that all was ready." General Hartranft clapped his hands. "At Hartrant's third clap, William Coxshall and the others 'with all our might' pushed their poles and shoved out the props. Instantly the trap floors fell with a heavy slam." Thomas Goodrich, The Darkest Dawn.

After the bodies were cut down, they were placed into boxes and buried next to the scaffold in freshly dug graves.

I had heard that Anna spent the night with her mother....but interesting all the same. She DID actually get a statement from Lew Powell that her mother was innocent; he also reiterated the same to Hartranft and Gillette....

Dr. Stryker made it just in time to see/speak with Powell, finally arriving at 12:00 noon.

Stryker never wrote anything that I can find, but it would be very interesting to see if he wrote down at least something....

[BettyO]

Last minute scenes on the gallows:

The Seat of Honor:

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Far End of the Scaffold:

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Last Prayer for Lew:

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[Linda Anderson]

Thanks, Betty. I have never seen such close-ups before. In The Seat of Honor, Mrs. Surratt is under the umbrella and Powell is next to her wearing a straw hat. In "the Far End of the Scaffold" someone is leaning towards Herold and Atzerodt is next sitting next to him wearing a white cloth on his head. Do you know who is talking to Herold?