Lewis Powell: The conspirator who was "different."

[michiganmoon]

(10-12-2012 07:26 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Yes, Powell was a human being - and a good person, really. People don't see that unfortunately as they only concentrate on the crime and not on the boy himself - who he was and WHY he did what he did. Everyone who knew him was impressed with his gentle attitude, friendliness and good natured personality. He was described as gallant to ladies, a true gentleman - yet a lover of practical jokes and as with most young men, a mischief maker who wasn't above a dare if egged on by his comrades. I only hope I can convey that he was truly human and was a decent human being, even though he did commit this horrid crime in light of viewing it as "his duty to his country." He was truly horrified afterwards by what he did.

Every person has a mixture of positives and negatives of varying degree and scope. Have you ever read James L. Swanson's book Manhunt, which portrays him in a worse light?

I think you are correct to point out that he had positives and potential, but I think there is truth to how Swanson and others portray Lewis Powell as well.

He was a 20 year old man that was arrested for violently beating a black maid at a Baltimore boardinghouse for not promptly following his orders. According to a witness Powell threw the lady on the ground, stomped on her while she was on the ground, punched her in the head and then told her that he was going to kill her. The attack was so savage that it was described as nearly killing her. This seems to me to be extreme and violent behavior that can not be written off as normal for a white southerner of the time period.

Swanson also seems to portray Powell as slavishly loyal to Booth and not that smart. Powell accepts a mission with minimal chance for him to fulfill and actually escape. When his pistol misfires, he doesn't do the smart thing and try to fire, he uses his pistol as a club - breaking Seward's skull and the pistol in the process. He stabs or cracks the skull of 5 different people - only one of which was a solider. He then gets lost trying to escape the city, hides, then foolishly gets caught in the process incriminating Mary.

Some have only shown his negative side and that is a disservice as he did have a positive side, but I don't think we should forget his negative side either. I appreciate your insights and knowledge of Lewis Powell and am curious to your response.