Will the real Thomas F. Harney, PLEASE STAND UP!

[L Verge]

Here we go, Roger, you pushed my "start" button. I love it.

John, thank you very much for posting Snyder's statement. I am now definitely less skeptical after reading it. Still, I am confused as to Atzerodt's statement as he implies it was the "Northern crowd" which was behind the whole idea.

Your research is terrific, John - much appreciated!

Is it possible that the "Northern crowd" provided the financing to the Confederacy to pull off the scheme? "Northern" to me could mean money bags in New York City, Copperheads in upstate New York and elsewhere. Or, it could refer to the Confederate Cabinet in Canada, which was receiving money from Judah Benjamin et al.

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How would you plant land mines at the White House lawn and have no one catch you?

Why the White House lawn?
It's not like Lincoln spent a lot of time on the lawn.

I've got to pull out my copy of Come Retribution.
This makes about as much sense to me as trying to kill Lincoln in a crowded theater.

It's embarrassing to get out smarted and out stupided at the same time

I'm still going on the theory that the explosives, coal torpedoes, or even barrels of gunpowder made it into the White House via the large sewage pipes under the building. I trust William Seales's research. Speaking of coal, how was the White House heated? Coal burning furnaces by any chance? Coal wagons pulling up to an outside chute?

Found my own answer to the source of heat: Central furnace with coal-fueled hot water and hot air system installed in 1853 during the presidency of Franklin Pierce. Could not find the name of the furnace operator during Lincoln's time, but he was paid $600/year.

If coal bombs could take out steamboats, etc., wouldn't they be able to do some kind of damage to the White House and, with lots of luck, take out a President? And, no one would have to plant them on the lawn. Just send a delivery of coal peppered with explosives.