What Was The Role of David Herold

[Dennis Urban]

(04-28-2022 08:00 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(04-28-2022 05:19 AM)Steve Wrote:  

(04-27-2022 10:20 PM)AussieMick Wrote:  John Fazio ( https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussi...#pid49738) is convinced that Herold was the messenger who went to Julia Grant and tried to tell her that the Lincolns would be expecting her and the General to go to the theatre on April 14.

That's a really interesting idea, Mick (and John)! Really interesting. One counterargument against that notion might be Julia not identifying the messenger as Herold, especially in the days immediately following the assassination with Herold and the other conspirators' photos.

Reading the thread Mick linked to just gave me a thought. Does anybody think it's possible that John Surratt was in New Jersey on the night of the 14th, instead of Elmira? Stalking Grant for a possible attack that night around the right time? But then concluding it wasn't feasible and then heading to Canada?

In his book John Fazio briefly explores the idea that Surratt may have been on the Grants' train with the intention of assassinating the general. A day or two after Lincoln's assassination Grant received the following note:

“General Grant, thank God, as I do, that you still live. It was your life that fell to my lot and I followed you on the cars. Your car door was locked and thus you escaped me, thank God!”

In the book John discounts the possibility that this note came from John Surratt as "he was too much of a cold-blooded killer to express regret for failure." (p. 259)

Whoa, wait a minute. John Surratt may have been many things but there is no evidence that he was a "cold-blooded killer." I've never seen it written that he killed anyone or contemplated doing so. He may not have known of Booth's change from kidnapping to killing. I am not a John Surratt defender, just noting that he was no killer. Coward, yes. His testimony at the conspiracy trial could have saved his mother, but would likely have hung him. I don't understand how he could live with that.