New Eyewitness Account?

[kerry]

(05-21-2018 01:36 AM)Steve Wrote:  The newspapers that were published immediately after simply just got Major Potter's role wrong, carrying Lincoln's body instead of escorting Mary. Errors always creep into the earliest accounts of a breaking news story by the media.

It turns out Potter did write an account of his experiences during the Civil War entitled "Recollections of a Paymaster of the Army During the Civil War" in 1896. As far as I can tell it's never been published; either an unfinished manuscript or an account written for his family. It's held by the Rhode Island Historical Society and was only cataloged in 1999. From the description of Potter written by the society, it looks like they are unaware of Potter's role in the events following Lincoln's assassination:

http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss629-6.htm

Is there any researcher here who lives in the Rhode Island area and would be willing to find out what Potter said?

I live somewhat nearby and can try and look into it - good find!