Tarbell on Otto Eisenschiml

[RJNorton]

Rob, this isn't really a direct reply, but I will comment on the Northern opposition. Regarding the Northern opposition to Lincoln, on September 20, 1864, Thurlow Weed wrote to William Seward that opposition against Lincoln "was equally formidable and vicious, embracing a larger number of leading men than I supposed possible." At the conspiracy trial, Samuel Chester, a friend of Booth's, testified Booth told him "there were from fifty to one hundred persons engaged in the conspiracy." In his Lost Confession George Atzerodt stated, "Booth said if he did not get him quick the N. York crowd would. Booth knew the New York party apparently by a sign. He saw Booth give some kind of sign to two parties on the Avenue who he said were from New York."

In Neff's ciphers, Baker allegedly wrote, "There were at least eleven members of Congress involved in the plot, no less than twelve Army officers, three Naval officers and at least twenty-four civilians, of which one was a governor of a loyal state. Five were bankers of great repute, there were nationally known newspapermen and eleven were industrialists of great repute and wealth."

The $64,000 question: were all these Northern people REALLY involved in some sort of gigantic conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln?

My personal opinion is "no," although I do think it's true that significant Northern opposition to Lincoln was very real. Because of the assassination, I think folks sometimes tend to forget how ardent the opposition in the North was.

I agree with Laurie on the possibility of Benjamin's involvement. To me, anyway, that seems more feasible than a Northern conspiracy involving literally hundreds of people. Generally speaking I believe in the simple conspiracy theory; my second favorite theory involves Benjamin and other Confederate operatives (whom Booth is known to have met with) who may have been working with some Northerners, but not huge numbers of people. I think JWB probably did some embellishing in his talk with Chester.