New Eyewitness Account?

[John Fazio]

On the other hand, do we not have evidence of her dress being bloodied? Yes, we do. If she did not cradle Lincoln's head in her lap, from whence did the blood come? I would conclude by saying that it is probable that she cradled his head.

John, my issue with this is in attempting to reconcile these two accounts:

Attorney Seaton Munroe said, "Her hair and dress were in disorder, and not only was her gown soaked with Lincoln’s blood, but her hands, ever her cheeks where her fingers had strayed were bedaubed with the sorry stains."

Dr. Charles Sabin Taft reported, "The wound in the head had been found before leaving the box, but at that time there was no blood oozing from it."

Roger:

It is more than these two accounts that need to be reconciled. A quick Google will bring forth dozens of accounts, some claiming that at no time was she even in the box! It comes down to whom one believes. I believe Dr. Charles Leale. He was otherwise an excellent witness, being the first doctor in the box and writing his accounts from notes he had made contemporaneously with the events. He said she was in the box and that she did ask for his permission to cradle Lincoln's head and that he gave it. Further, she allegedly said that while she cradled the president's head, she bathed it in the water she had brought with her. That would account for the blood stains even though bleeding was minimal at the time. Apparently, whenever Leale removed the clot at the surface of the wound, some blood did ooze out. There are many references to her bloodied dress. I favor the conclusion that she was there, most likely escorted by Thomas Gourlay (the actress's husband) by the back ("circuitous") route, rather than through the crush of people in the dress circle, that she did cradle Lincoln's head and that her dress was in some degree bloodied as a consequence, though one man's "soaked" might be another man's "discolored" or another man's "stained", etc.

John

---

On the other hand, do we not have evidence of her dress being bloodied? Yes, we do. If she did not cradle Lincoln's head in her lap, from whence did the blood come? I would conclude by saying that it is probable that she cradled his head.

John, my issue with this is in attempting to reconcile these two accounts:

Attorney Seaton Munroe said, "Her hair and dress were in disorder, and not only was her gown soaked with Lincoln’s blood, but her hands, ever her cheeks where her fingers had strayed were bedaubed with the sorry stains."

Dr. Charles Sabin Taft reported, "The wound in the head had been found before leaving the box, but at that time there was no blood oozing from it."

Roger:

It is more than these two accounts that need to be reconciled. A quick Google will bring forth dozens of accounts, some claiming that at no time was she even in the box! It comes down to whom one believes. I believe Dr. Charles Leale. He was otherwise an excellent witness, being the first doctor in the box and writing his accounts from notes he had made contemporaneously with the events. He said she was in the box and that she did ask for his permission to cradle Lincoln's head and that he gave it. Further, she allegedly said that while she cradled the president's head, she bathed it in the water she had brought with her. That would account for the blood stains even though bleeding was minimal at the time. Apparently, whenever Leale removed the clot at the surface of the wound, some blood did ooze out. There are many references to her bloodied dress. I favor the conclusion that she was there, most likely escorted by Thomas Gourlay (the actress's husband) by the back ("circuitous") route, rather than through the crush of people in the dress circle, that she did cradle Lincoln's head and that her dress was in some degree bloodied as a consequence, though one man's "soaked" might be another man's "discolored" or another man's "stained", etc.

John

Roger:

Thomas Gourlay was Jeannie's father, not her husband.

Sorry.

John