What Was The Role of David Herold

[John Fazio]

(02-06-2013 08:20 AM)JMadonna Wrote:  

(02-06-2013 02:47 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  Laurie:

Truly, I am not over-reaching, nor am I re-writing the whole story. Sorry if I give that impression. But it remains true that Booth never intended to kidnap anyone. It was his cover story for recruiting members of his action team, in the same way that the "oil business" was his cover story for their source of funds. The evidence for this is, in my opinion, clear and convincing. Thomas Nelson Conrad (who probably intended to assassinate Lincoln himself) even wrote that "a child would know there was nothing to be gained by kidnapping the President". Davis vetoed what he later said was the only real kidnapping plot that was brought to him for approval (the Walker Taylor plot). Grant had resumed prisoner exchange in January, 1865, and was exchanging 3,000 POW's a week. That fact prompted Arnold to tell Booth he was crazy to proceed. But he did proceed, because "kidnapping" the Presdient to hold him for ransom of Confederate POW's was not his true purpose. Does anyone suppose he would show up in Richmond with Lincoln in handcuffs and say "Look what I have brought you, President Davis?" What would Davis have done with him? Does anyone suppose the Federal Government would have negotiated with a Confederate Government that held Lincoln against his will? A kidnapping would have destroyed all possibility of recognition by a foreign country. &c.

John

John, you're going to really stir up the pot with that theisis. I like it.
But, if that was his true purpose - Why did he wait until April to strike? Do you think he was not 'authorized' to do so until later? Was Davis waiting for the end of the peace talks?


Jerry

Jerry:

Sorry for the delay. This one got by me.

I believe he waited until April because his handlers told him to. He was always under orders from Richmond. The plan was multiple assassinations by Thomas F. Harney, the explosives expert from the Torpedo Bureau, who was going to blow up a wing of the White House with Lincoln in it, together with as many other Federal office-holders as they could lure there with a pretense of having a celebration or "serenade", per Atzerodt's May 1 confession and Ripley's Memoir. When Harney was captured on the 8th at Burke's Station (a loss described by one of Baylor's men as "irretrievable" or "irreplaceable"), the contingency plan took effect. The contingency plan was Booth and his action team. It was weak, yes, but the Confederacy had to make do with what it had, and by then it didn't have much left. Recall that Booth contacted Surratt, in Montreal, on April 10, two days after Harney was captured, telling him to return to Washington forthwith because their "plans had changed". Recall, too, that pursuant to that message, Surratt left Montreal on the 12th. He claims he went to Elmira to check out a prison there, pursuant to instructions from General Edwin Lee, who was by this time running the Canadian Cabinet, Jacob Thompson having been relieved. Why would he do that with the war all but over and Grant exchanging 3,000 prisoners a week? Fourteen witnesses at his trial put him in Washington on the 14th; four put him in Elmira.

The only thing Davis was waiting for was word as to the success or failure of Booth's effort to decapitate the government, because it was their last hope. He received that word as he was making his way south, in Charlotte. He is reported to have smiled upon reading the telegram and then to have said: "If it were to be done, it were better if it were well done. And if the same thing had happened to Stanton and to Andy Johnson, the beast, the job would have been complete." Curious how he already knew that the plot had succeeded only as to Lincoln and possibly Seward, who is not mentioned, but not as to Stanton and Johnson.

John