Thomas F. Harney

[RJNorton]

(10-10-2014 07:25 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Most of us are aware of the failed Confederate mission to send explosives expert Thomas Francis Harney into Washington in April of 1865, for the specific purpose of blowing up the White House. A chance encounter with a Union cavalry unit halted that mission.

Harney was arrested, but soon agreed to take the oath of allegiance and went south to New Orleans. Does anyone know what happened to him after the war? Did he ever write anything on his mission? Where is he buried? Are there descendants?

As I have said before I know very little about the Confederate underground, so please excuse if my questions seem a little simple-minded.

Why would a person coming to blow up the White House and then captured be released? My initial reaction would be that more should (could) have been done.

Is there any primary source proof that he was going to blow up the White House? Specifically, how do we know that he was going to try to do this?

In his "lost confession" Atzerodt said, "Booth said he had met a party in N. York who would get the Prest. certain. They were going to mine the end of the pres. House, near the War Dept. They knew an entrance to accomplish it through. Spoke about getting friends of the Presdt. to get up an entertainment & they would mix it in, have a serenade & thus get at the Presdt. & party."

Is there more evidence than this (I do not know if Harney was the party Atzerodt was referring to) that Harney's goal was to blow up the White House?

Many thanks to any folks who can add information on Harney's secret mission. Basically what I am saying is that I see the Harney mission to blow up the White House in a lot of books, but is there definitive proof that this is really true?