Was John Surratt engaged to Miss Roose?

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(02-18-2016 08:28 AM)BettyO Wrote:  I have a newspaper transcript somewhere in my files which mentions Johnny Surratt being engaged "pre-Mary Victorine" - I'll have to look for it -

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Please try to find that article, Betty. The timeline related to Johnny and the possibility of a previous engagement is driving me bananas (and it doesn't take much now).

John was born in April of 1844, so he was 17 when the war began, and within a year or so, he was doing a lot of traveling on behalf of the Confederacy. Not much time to socialize - except perhaps with Sarah Slater.

From 1865-1867, he was in hiding in Europe. By 1868, he was back home and on trial. We know that he was also in South America for awhile in 1869 (while his mother was being reinterred in Mt. Olivet). The next year, he spent time on the lecture circuit. Then by 1872, he had met, courted, been engaged to (probably for at least six months or more), and married to Mary Victorine Hunter.

To me, the chances that he and Miss Roose met, fell in love, and became engaged would have to be between 1870 and 1871. What am I missing?