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Jim Garrett · 12-14-2012, 07:13 AM

(12-14-2012 06:07 AM)RJNorton Wrote:
(12-13-2012 10:10 PM)John Stanton Wrote: I forgot to add one other important thing - How did GEORGE ATZERODT know about these people? I assume that Georgie was not as stupid, as we might think he was.

Does anyone think Booth was embellishing when he told Chester there were between 50 and 100 people in the plot?

John, in Atzerodt's handwritten statement of July 6, 1865, he wrote:

"Booth told me that Surratt was in the Herndon House on the night of the murder, the 14th of April, we were not all together at the Herndon House. Booth told me that Surratt was to help at the box, that he expected others in the box. I saw Surratt a few moments ago."

Surratt was in Elmira, so we know Booth was lying to Atzerodt. Maybe this is another example of Booth lying or embellishing to Atzerodt. I think the reference to the New York crowd was simply something Booth told Atzerodt to make Atzerodt feel he was part of something "big."

I remain unconvinced that the plot may have included up to 100 people, and many of these were in New York. I am open on it, though, but right now I feel Booth was lying/embellishing regarding what we are calling the New York crowd. This is not to say Booth didn't meet with members of the KGC, Confederate operatives, and others and talked "anti-Lincoln talk" with them. But, at least at this point, I remain unconvinced all these folks were involved in a huge, organized plot to kill the president.

"Dark Union" is a morass. It is very hard to follow and you have to continually question the veracity of the information. Full of alot of big leaps.

There may have been 50 people involved in plots, but not the Booth plot. If we extend the number of plots out as far as including Mosby, the number of 50 is not out of the question.

If you look at "Come Retribution", after Harbin, who was suppose to be the next "handler"? Could Thomas H. Williamson (my grt grt grt uncle) been on the Northern Neck for some other reason than stopping by to see former students from VMI? And let's not forget Enoch Mason. "Come Retribution" qualifies and doesn't make the great leaps.