Ruggles. Bainbridge and Jett at the River

[SSlater]

This reply will not address Ruggles, Bainbridge and Jett, but this is where it belongs.
We are now talking about Booth and Canada, OK?
I have a theory about the late months of the Confederate Commission in Canada, but I don't talk about it often because the subject matter is so iffy. But I am using facts, mostly from Jacob Thompson's memoirs. (he didn't keep a Diary but he dictated to his granddaughter and she wrote them up). So from the facts that are available, here are my thoughts.

In late 1864, this is what was going on in Canada. A problem developed between Canada and the Confederate Government. Canada accused the Bebel Gov. of formulating war plans in Canada. That's the Number 1 "No-No in a neutral country. I think we can safely accuse the Confederate Gov. of just that, and they even had more war plans in the making.
It all started with the St. Albans Raid. Jacob Thompson and Clement C. Clay were equal partners in the operation of the Commission. When the Raid was proposed - Thompson said NO!, and Clay said Yes! and the Raid was started. Thompson was than accused of making the plans. Canada wanted to close the Commission.
To appease Canada, Richmond sent a new man to run the Commission, Brig. Gen. Edwin G. Lee. He was the "biggest name" that the South could manage. That should have taken care of the uproar.
(Aside) The truth is - Lee was trying to raise an Army, which he would head, made up of escaped Prisoners of War, which is why the first thing he did in Canada was send Surratt and Slater to Elmira to "Case the Joint" as a source of fighting men.
Thompson was invited to return to Richmond for a new assignment.

There is much more to this story, but it does not apply to Booth's effort to talk to someone in Canada.
The Commission in Canada was in such a turmoil they didn't have time for him. The Confederate might have told Booth stay out of here, we can't do anything for you. So, he stopped in Boston, and apparently developed another plan. You know the rest.