Lincoln's non pardon

[Jim Woodall]

How would a strong Union man from Ohio rendering this story play into the interpretation of Booth's motive?

How would it be if that person was a member of the Union Light Guard?

How about if he was the de facto commander of the Union Light Guard?

Well, his name is James Jamison. In an article written about a trip he made up to Pennsylvania to see Philadelphia City Treasurer George D. McCreary, he related tales of his Lincoln days and the assassination which are reported in the Philadelphia Times of 29 August 1893 pg 4 cols. 4 & 5.

Some things of note regarding what he said:

Jamison was assigned to Ohio governor, David Todd, prior to being assigned by him to the unit which became the Union Light Guard. The captain and 1st lieutenant of the Union Light Guard were court-martialed and dismissed from service shortly after arriving in Washington. Jamison succeeded to command of the unit and maintained such without promotion until unit was disbanded.

He was ordered by Stanton to have the unit act as bodyguard to Lincoln. After back and forths between Stanton and Lincoln, Lincoln eventually excepted the unit as bodyguards.

He also discusses the night of the assassination, guarding the door of Petersen House and escorting the body back to the White House.

Then he tells an interesting tale about Booth and his reason for killing Lincoln:

"I have seen in print many stories of the plot against Lincoln's life, many of them blaming the South, but never the true one. The facts are that Booth had a very dear actor friend named Anderson, who wa condemned to be shot as a spy. Prior to that time Booth and Lincoln had been friends. A strong effort was made in Anderson's behalf, so strong that a Cabinet meeting was held, and in some way Booth managed to appear at the meeting and plead with tears in his eye for his friend's life.

"He left the meeting with the understanding that the sentence would be commuted to imprisonment. Anderson was shot the following morning at sunrise. Booth was frenzied with rage and it was as a result of this that the plot to kill not only Lincoln but the entire Cabinet was formed. There was more than one man prepared to shoot that night, and if the courage of the man to whom was intrusted the duty of turning out the theatre lights had not failed him there would have been a general slaughter.

"The South had nothing to do with President Lincoln's assassination, and, moreover, Mrs. Surratt, who was hanged for complicity in the crime, was an innocent woman. I know it to be a fact that Chief of Secret Service Baker on his deathbed confessed to Secretary Stanton that Mrs. Surratt was hanged on perjured evidence."

He goes on to discuss another occasion dealing with spies who were to be shot where he ignored standing orders. The standing orders were to "never permit anyone to see President Lincoln after nightfall without an order from the Secretary of War, and not to permit any letter to go to the President until it had passed through Secretary Stanton's hands." On this occasion regarding two brothers named Lampertines and a man named Ross, he let them see the President. As far as Jamison knew, they were successful and the sentences were "suspended until further notice."

It is to be noted that he says the issue was with Anderson and not John Yates Beall. Personally, I think he was mistaken. Beall was caught with a fellow rebel by the name of George Smith Anderson who turned evidence against Beall. Is it that perhaps he overheard some of the conversation that took place between Booth and Lincoln and heard the reference to Anderson and mistook him as the spy being talked about? Although, he does say that Anderson was an actor friend of Booth which John Yates Beall does not appear to be.

Of further notes, the article goes on to indicate that he collected Lincoln memorabilia including the following:

- dress coat worn by Lincoln at his first inauguration
- autographic letters addressed to himself from the Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln, and Robert T. Lincoln
- a carved cane symbolizing the proclamation of emancipation, bearing the inscription: "Presented by Mrs. Lincoln to J. B. Jamison, commanding President's escort, April 25, 1865."

Unfortunately for Jamison, his life would take a turn for the worse a couple weeks after the publishing of this article. While still in Pennsylvania, his Florida house was robbed, his wife murdered, and the house burned down to cover the crime. The individual that did this was a neighbor who was originally from Kentucky. This is discussed in another article in the Philadelphia Times of 13 December 1893 pg. 3, cols. 1 & 2.

Looking at a site that traced the Jamison genealogy, a relative (perhaps an uncle or granduncle - the site is confusing) Horatio Gates Jameson Jr., was married to Sarah McCulloh Porter, a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln. Jameson site

So, what are your thoughts on James Buchanan Jamison's stories? Furthermore, are the artifacts that he talks about accounted for?