Surratt - "WHo" was he?

[SSlater]

(07-29-2015 07:31 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I agree with Roger that this is a great bone for us to chew on! I am one of the guilty parties who has often referred to John Surratt as the "second in command" IN THE ORIGINAL PLOT TO KIDNAP (sorry, John Fazio, I think there was such a plot). However, I see him as a facilitator.

Once Dr. Mudd led Booth to Thomas Harbin, I think Harbin was the link between Booth and the Confederate underground and that Surratt was recruited because he was good at what he did (basically courier/escort duties) and had flown under the Union radar for nearly two years. Every member of Booth's merry, little band had specific skills, and none of them caused bells and whistles to go off in the authorities' heads prior to April 14.

After March 18, I think Surratt was pulled back into duty on the Secret Line because it was obvious that kidnapping wasn't going to work. He then gets assigned to work with Gen. E.G. Lee on getting POWs freed faster than what the Union's piddling little releases were accomplishing. At this point, wasn't Surratt also working with William Norris? Is Norris the one who assigns him to Lee's projects? After the war, John Surratt turned to Norris for financial assistance, so there had to be ties there somewhere.

Strictly my opinion, but I do believe that the assassination was a surprise to Surratt when he heard about it in New York. I also believe that he never thought a trail would lead to his mother - that the government was indeed using her as a decoy -- because he did not realize that Booth had continued to include Mary in the plans (knowingly or unknowingly in her case).

P.S. John, I love the comparison of John Surratt to a Confederate UPS man!

Strangely - Surratt was the only one in the crowd who had any sense. Also. Surratt contributed immediately, the others were waiting to get paid. Then , where were they when they were needed. MAYBE, just maybe, Surratt was # uno. He got them to do the dirty work, while he watched from afar. He was smart enough to walk away CLEAN. good thinking!
PS, Being the Confederate -Ups man, would have been a promotion.