The Assassin’s Accomplice

[L Verge]

Toia, the comparison you just made over what history would have dwelt on if Mary's husband had been alive to do the deeds that she was accused of hits in the same vein as a discussion that some of us have over and over again with each other and the public: DR MUDD HAS BECOME A HOUSEHOLD WORD AMONG PEOPLE WITH ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION. HE FAILED TO HANG BY ONE VOTE. MRS. SURRATT DID HANG, DESPITE A CLEMENCY PLEA -- THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE EXECUTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND YET, IN THE ANNALS OF HISTORY, SHE IS FAIRLY OBSCURE COMPARED TO THE GOOD DOCTOR. WHY?

My personal opinion is sort of multi-sided. First, Mudd was a doctor, and until the dawn of malpractice suits, doctors were looked upon with a higher degree of respect. Second, he lived through his ordeal and "inspired" his youngest daughter to write of his tribulations. Therefore, he got wider and faster publicity. But most importantly (at least to me), he got one of the best manipulators of the press on his side when his grandson took up the cause in the 1920s and went on a national and international crusade to "Free Dr. Mudd" -- no matter the fate of historical fact. It was not until near the end of the 20th century that historians started to analyze the case of the not-so-innocent Dr. Mudd and report his transgressions.

On the other hand, the Surratt family went quietly underground after the debacle of the trial and later attempts at speechifying by John, Jr. If one of the later generations of Surratts or Tonrys had started a "Remove Mrs. Surratt from the Gallows" campaign, perhaps Mary's name would be more widely recognized today. We would probably still understand how she got embroiled in and trapped by the maneuverings of Mr. Booth, but it would help history to realize that she was so representative of the women of the Civil War era, who left their chimney corners because of the war and never went back again. We have Kate Larson (and the late-Bettie Trindal) to thank for producing good histories of Mary Surratt -- each on a different side of the fence. Their writings sure beat the Victorian prose of David Miller DeWitt -- do I have his three names in proper order???