Decapitation of the Union

[John Fazio]

(06-30-2015 04:30 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Rick Stelnick (god rest his soul) caused me many a sleepless night about five or six years ago, but yes, I think you should check out Dixie Reckoning. While he and I had different views on a variety of things, I can truthfully say that I don't think all of his work should be trashed. You and he remind me a lot of each other - especially now that you are bringing in the New York money and the Peace Democrats.

We are on the same page as far as Fernando Wood is concerned, however. I have asked so many people what they think of him - and never gotten an answer. He and that Texas Senator or (Congressman?) who hung around the halls of Congress for so long as a Confederate before resigning his seat (can't think of the name) have always bugged me.

As for Herold, I'm not sure he ever made it to St. Mary's County, Maryland, let alone Canada. You cite Dr. James B. Merritt as placing Herold in Canada, but I thought that Dr. Merritt was one of the "gentlemen" who, along with Charles Dunham (aka Sanford Conover) and Richard Montgomery, was later proven to have perjured himself during the 1865 Conspiracy Trial?? Didn't he testify later before some committee that he had been paid a good sum of money to lie in order to implicate the Canadian Cabinet?

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(06-30-2015 04:30 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Rick Stelnick (god rest his soul) caused me many a sleepless night about five or six years ago, but yes, I think you should check out Dixie Reckoning. While he and I had different views on a variety of things, I can truthfully say that I don't think all of his work should be trashed. You and he remind me a lot of each other - especially now that you are bringing in the New York money and the Peace Democrats.

We are on the same page as far as Fernando Wood is concerned, however. I have asked so many people what they think of him - and never gotten an answer. He and that Texas Senator or (Congressman?) who hung around the halls of Congress for so long as a Confederate before resigning his seat (can't think of the name) have always bugged me.

As for Herold, I'm not sure he ever made it to St. Mary's County, Maryland, let alone Canada.

Louis Wigfall is the Texas Senator I was trying to think of. I have always thought he managed to bungle both Union and Confederate governments, but I know very little about him.

Laurie and Herb:

OK, I'll pick up a copy of Stelnick's book, not that I need more stimulation. I just finished Burkhardt's Confederate Rage, Yankee Wrath, which knocked my socks off. I knew the war was bad, but I didn't realize how bad.

The evidence for Herold in Canada is far from conclusive, but not because it came from Merritt, but because he was uncertain himself ("I think..."). Yes Merritt, Montgomery and Dunham were exposed as perjurers, but they mixed truth with their perjury (they had to, or be laughed out of court) and we now know that their appearances were arranged by Sanders and their perjury was planted for the purpose of being exposed as such, thereby causing the case against the Confederate leadership (principally Davis) to collapse, which was its purpose. Ask Tidwell and Hall, when you get to heaven, and Gaddy, Hanchett and Winkler. You can ask me too.

John