Thomas Jones - Wash. Navy Yard

[John E.]

Many people assisted John Wilkes Booth during his escape but perhaps none more than Thomas Jones. The Maryland native provided food and newspapers to the fugitive and helped him cross the Potomac in to Virginia.

Jones was eventually arrested on suspicion of aiding JWB but was released for lack of evidence. Years later, he wrote a book detailing his efforts to help JWB and his accomplice.

In 1887, at the recommendation of Maryland Congressman Compton, Jones was given a position in the tool-room of the Washington Navy Yard. ** The same Navy Yard where six of the eight conspirators were temporarily confined aboard Navy ships.

For three years he did a good job and was not hassled by anyone. Eventually, his past caught up to him and he was fired by the commandant of the Navy Yard who had been unaware of his ties to the assassination.

Coincidentally, one of the men who opposed Jones working at the Navy Yard was Maryland Congressional candidate Sydney Mudd of Charles County. He challenged Congressman Compton for his seat and eventually beat him out. Mudd ran as a Republican.

[Jim Garrett]

It's interesting where these people wind up. Thomas Jones at the Navy Yard, Thomas Harbin at the National Hotel. These are the things that make the story so incredible. Thank you John for the post.

[L Verge]

Sydney Mudd actually married a daughter of Walter Griffin, a plantation owner who lived about two miles south of Surrattsville and one of those that David Herold mentioned as a friend/acquaintance. Historic inventories done in our county around 1970 listed the home as belonging to Mudd, so I guess that his marriage earned him ownership. Bob Summers of this forum can probably tell you more about Sydney Mudd.

Congressman Barnes Compton was one of the wealthiest men in Charles County, Maryland, before the Civil War. I believe I'm correct that he owned the largest amount of slaves, followed closely by Henry Lowe Mudd and his children. That information was given to me several years ago by a member of the Charles County Historical Society. Compton married a daughter of Col. John Sothoron of St. Mary's County who, in 1863, had to flee across the river after shooting a Union officer who came on his plantation, The Plains, to recruit his slaves into the army. The officer was getting ready to shoot Sothoron's son.

Mrs. Sothoron and her children were placed under house arrest without food sources until friends and family took them in. The plantation was seized under the Confiscation Act and became a government farm. Freed slaves from Virginia were brought there to grow crops and to live in the house. Compton sought help from President Lincoln, who reportedly sent a letter to Stanton; but nothing happened. It was not until the spring of 1866, that then-President Johnson returned the property to the Sothorons.

Col. Sothoron had fled to Canada after Lee's surrender and then returned and was indicted for manslaughter in November of 1867. It was a very short trial of his peers, and he was found not guilty. He then filed a claim against the U.S. government for nearly $100,000 in losses to his property, furnishings, etc. That claim dragged on until 1875, when it was finally rejected.

That story is one of those told in the current exhibit at Surratt House - Between the Lines: Southern Maryland in the Civil War.

[LincolnMan]

John: great back story. I have his book. He offers an apology of sorts for his involvement with Booth.

[GARY POPOLO]

I know most of you have probably have read Blood on the Moon. Hearing so much about it on this forum I am now reading the book. To me it seems to me to be an excellent book on Lincoln's Assassination. That brings me to my question. I don't know if it has been brought up before but does anyone know the back ground of one Thomas Harbin? I have read that he was an secret agent for the Confederacy and a friend of Dr. Mudds. I believe he was responsible for moving the mail and documents for the confederate goverment. Would love to know more about this man and his actions that helped Booth during his attempted escape. Anyone?

[John Stanton]

I know most of you have probably have read Blood on the Moon. Hearing so much about it on this forum I am now reading the book. To me it seems to me to be an excellent book on Lincoln's Assassination. That brings me to my question. I don't know if it has been brought up before but does anyone know the back ground of one Thomas Harbin? I have read that he was an secret agent for the Confederacy and a friend of Dr. Mudds. I believe he was responsible for moving the mail and documents for the confederate goverment. Would love to know more about this man and his actions that helped Booth during his attempted escape. Anyone?

Gary, give me some time to finish my current project, and I can fill you in. I have a picture of him and his full Family tree. He was pretty much the King Pin of Confederate activities in Southern MAryland and No. Virginia. I have been in touch with one of his descendants.

[Jim Garrett]

I know most of you have probably have read Blood on the Moon. Hearing so much about it on this forum I am now reading the book. To me it seems to me to be an excellent book on Lincoln's Assassination. That brings me to my question. I don't know if it has been brought up before but does anyone know the back ground of one Thomas Harbin? I have read that he was an secret agent for the Confederacy and a friend of Dr. Mudds. I believe he was responsible for moving the mail and documents for the confederate goverment. Would love to know more about this man and his actions that helped Booth during his attempted escape. Anyone?

Gary, give me some time to finish my current project, and I can fill you in. I have a picture of him and his full Family tree. He was pretty much the King Pin of Confederate activities in Southern MAryland and No. Virginia. I have been in touch with one of his descendants.

Talk about being under the radar. Our esteemed collegues, Rick Smith, with Bill Richter wrote a book available at the Surratt Society titles "In The Shadows of The Lincoln Assassiantion".

I think it's time to start a Harbin thread.

[bob_summers]

Regarding Sydney Mudd, my source for information is Dr. Richard Mudd's "Mudd Family of the United States," which devotes several pages to him. Very briefly, he was born in Gallant Green, Maryland on February 12, 1858, and married Mary Ida Griffin on March 5, 1882. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1896 until his death in 1911. His son, Sydney Mudd, Jr., was elected to his father's seat in the U.S. House in 1915 and served there until his death in 1924. No info on Thomas Jones.

Regarding the Sothoron story, here is some info on Lieutenant Eben White, 7 USCT, who was killed by John Sothoron:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fwibisee9ro8dr9/eben_white.pdf

[Bill Richter]

Rick Smith's and my book is entitled In the Shadows of the Lincoln Assassination and is available through the Surratt Society. Thanks for the plug, John Stanton! I would also like to refer those interested to John Stewart's Confederate Spies at Large, who led the way in modern writing about Harbin. Try Amazon for this one.

Harbin is an important and much neglected figure in the Booth escape and in creating the Maryland division of the Doctors' Line through Surrattsville.

[John E.]

Regarding Sydney Mudd, my source for information is Dr. Richard Mudd's "Mudd Family of the United States," which devotes several pages to him. Very briefly, he was born in Gallant Green, Maryland on February 12, 1858, and married Mary Ida Griffin on March 5, 1882. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1896 until his death in 1911. His son, Sydney Mudd, Jr., was elected to his father's seat in the U.S. House in 1915 and served there until his death in 1924. No info on Thomas Jones.

Thanks Bob. Was Sydney a cousin of Sam's?

[Laurie Verge]

Thank you for the follow-up information, Bob - especially Eben White's papers.

Somewhere, I have seen a photo of Sydney Mudd behind the wheel of a car, but I suspect that might be his son.

[GARY POPOLO]

I know most of you have probably have read Blood on the Moon. Hearing so much about it on this forum I am now reading the book. To me it seems to me to be an excellent book on Lincoln's Assassination. That brings me to my question. I don't know if it has been brought up before but does anyone know the back ground of one Thomas Harbin? I have read that he was an secret agent for the Confederacy and a friend of Dr. Mudds. I believe he was responsible for moving the mail and documents for the confederate goverment. Would love to know more about this man and his actions that helped Booth during his attempted escape. Anyone?

Gary, give me some time to finish my current project, and I can fill you in. I have a picture of him and his full Family tree. He was pretty much the King Pin of Confederate activities in Southern MAryland and No. Virginia. I have been in touch with one of his descendants.

John, Thank you in advance for your future help with information on Mr. Harbin. Any information you have will be most welcome. As you stated he was the main King Pin for the confederate goverment I also agree with Jim Garrett. We should start a thread on one Thomas Harbin. Best Gary P

[bob_summers]

Regarding Sydney Mudd, my source for information is Dr. Richard Mudd's "Mudd Family of the United States," which devotes several pages to him. Very briefly, he was born in Gallant Green, Maryland on February 12, 1858, and married Mary Ida Griffin on March 5, 1882. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1896 until his death in 1911. His son, Sydney Mudd, Jr., was elected to his father's seat in the U.S. House in 1915 and served there until his death in 1924. No info on Thomas Jones.

Thanks Bob. Was Sydney a cousin of Sam's?

These Southern Maryland relationships are complicated, so I use the Relationship Calculator in my Family Tree Maker program to figure them out. According to FTM, Sydney Mudd, Sr., was Dr. Mudd's 2nd cousin.

Sydney's father was Jeremiah T. Mudd, who testified at the assassination trial about his and Dr. Mudd's trip to Washington in December 1864. Dr. Richard D. Mudd's genealogy of the Mudd family says that Jeremiah T. Mudd was, on 12-9-1864, "authorized and empowered to arrest deserters from the service of the U.S. and drafted men failing to report. All persons arrested to be brought to Provost Marshall's office 5th District Maryland, at Ellicotts Mills. The only compensation will be that provided by law for the arrest of deserters… (signed John C. Holland)."

[L Verge]

Interesting that the former Southern sympathizer, Jeremiah Mudd, became a federal agent of sorts after the new constitution went into effect in Maryland on November 1, 1864. I guess when you see the handwriting on the wall, it is safer to side with those who have the power.

Mary Surratt's brother, Zadoc Jenkins done something similar.