https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:21:47 +0000 MyBB https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5192.html Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:57:28 +0000 SofiJan]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5192.html Oliver H. Powell (1840–1863) is best known as the older brother of Lewis Thornton Powell.¹ His surviving records allow a somewhat fuller portrait.

Powell enlisted in 1861 and served as a private in Company C, 4th Florida Infantry.² During a period of illness and absence in Florida the following year, he married Hanna Marie Lucetta Campbell on September 17, 1862. The ceremony was performed by Oliver’s father, Rev. George Cader Powell.³
Soon afterward, Powell returned to military service. By January 1863 he was again with the 4th Florida near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

No account survives of Powell’s personal experience at Stones River. His Compiled Military Service Record can, however, be read alongside the reports of his regimental and brigade commanders to establish the action in which his company and regiment were involved.
On the afternoon of January 2, 1863, Breckinridge’s division was ordered forward in an assault intended to drive Federal forces back across Stones River. Brigadier General William Preston commanded the brigade that included the 4th Florida Infantry, Colonel W. L. L. Bowen commanded the regiment, and Powell’s Company C was under First Lieutenant J. B. Parramore.⁴

The 4th Florida advanced in the second Confederate line. After the troops ahead of it withdrew through its position, the regiment engaged the Federal forces and remained in place for a time while the Confederate line around it began to break down. During the withdrawal, the 4th Florida rallied around Wright’s Tennessee Battery in an effort to help save the guns. Bowen placed the regiment’s greatest losses in this stage of the fighting.⁴
The casualty return for January 2 records 28 men killed, 79 wounded, and 30 missing from the 4th Florida, an aggregate loss of 137.⁵
Oliver Powell was among the missing. His Company C muster roll carried him as missing from January 2. At that point, the Confederate record effectively loses him as an individual soldier.

Federal records pick up the trail. Powell was captured at Stones River and entered Federal custody as a prisoner of war. He died at Murfreesboro on January 6, 1863, four days after the fighting, from a gunshot wound. One of the Federal records also refers to a Department of the Cumberland hospital roll, but the surviving material does not identify the specific place where he was treated.⁶
His CMSR contains a few complications. A casualty card associates Powell with the January 2 action and describes a slight wound to the leg. On that same card, however, the typed unit designation places him in Company E, 3rd Florida Regiment, while the rest of his service record consistently identifies him with Company C, 4th Florida Infantry.⁷
Beyond that, the trail stops. The surviving records do not tell us where on the battlefield Powell was wounded, at what point he became a prisoner, where precisely he was treated, or where he was buried.

During field research at Stones River in September 2026, I followed portions of the 4th Florida’s movements with a battlefield guide. Much of the battlefield has been lost to later development, but the river itself remains one of the most tangible features in a landscape described repeatedly in the contemporary reports.


  Stonesriver2.jpg (Size: 462.38 KB / Downloads: 3)

Stones River, September 2026. Photo taken by me during the visit.

There is one final connection worth noting. Nearly twenty years after Oliver’s death, his widow Hanna M. L. Powell married William L. Carruth (1839–1915) on December 28, 1882, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The marriage record identifies her by the Powell name she had retained from her first marriage.⁸ Carruth had also served as a private in Company C of the 4th Florida, the same company in which Oliver had served.⁹

Notes

1. Powell family Bible, reproduced in Betty J. Ownsbey, Alias “Paine”: Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy, 2nd ed. (McFarland, 2015), 127.
   
2. Compiled Military Service Record of Oliver H. Powell, private, Company C, 4th Florida Infantry, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.
   
3. Florida, County Court (Madison County), marriage license and return for Oliver H. Powell and Hannah M. L. Campbell, license issued September 15, 1862, marriage solemnized September 17, 1862, image 212 of 1149, Image Group No. 007246400, digital image, “Madison, Florida, United States records,” FamilySearch, accessed September 23, 2026, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...view=index. The marriage return bears the signature of G. C. Powell, M.G.
   
4. William Preston, report, January 12, 1863, in U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, ser. I, vol. 20, pt. 1 (Government Printing Office, 1887), 812–13; W. L. L. Bowen, report, February 12, 1863, 816–17.
   
5. U.S. War Department, “Return of Casualties in the Confederate Forces—Continued,” The War of the Rebellion, ser. I, vol. 20, pt. 1, 779.
   
6. Powell CMSR, RG 109, NARA. The file includes the Company C muster-roll material, Federal prisoner-of-war records, a Federal record of his death at Murfreesboro, and the reference to the Department of the Cumberland hospital roll.
   
7. Powell CMSR, casualty card, RG 109, NARA.
   
8. Florida, County Court (Hillsborough County), marriage license and return for William L. Carruth and Hanna M. L. Powell, license issued December 23, 1882, marriage solemnized December 28, 1882, image 764 of 883, Image Group No. 007621823, digital image, “Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States records,” FamilySearch, accessed September 23, 2026, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...w=fullText.
   
9. William L. Carruth grave marker, Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida, photograph added by Christa Cadman, February 26, 2020, Find a Grave, Memorial ID 17123618.
   

Bibliography

Carruth, William L. Grave marker. Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida. Photograph added by Christa Cadman, February 26, 2020. Find a Grave, Memorial ID 17123618.

Florida. County Court (Hillsborough County). Marriage license and return for William L. Carruth and Hanna M. L. Powell, December 1882. Digital image. “Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States records.” FamilySearch. Image 764 of 883, Image Group No. 007621823. Accessed September 23, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...w=fullText.

Florida. County Court (Madison County). Marriage license and return for Oliver H. Powell and Hannah M. L. Campbell, September 1862. Digital image. “Madison, Florida, United States records.” FamilySearch. Image 212 of 1149, Image Group No. 007246400. Accessed September 23, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...view=index.

National Archives and Records Administration. Compiled Military Service Record of Oliver H. Powell, Private, Company C, 4th Florida Infantry. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida. War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109. Washington, DC.

Ownsbey, Betty J. Alias “Paine”: Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy. 2nd ed. McFarland, 2015.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, vol. 20, pt. 1. Government Printing Office, 1887.]]> Oliver H. Powell (1840–1863) is best known as the older brother of Lewis Thornton Powell.¹ His surviving records allow a somewhat fuller portrait.

Powell enlisted in 1861 and served as a private in Company C, 4th Florida Infantry.² During a period of illness and absence in Florida the following year, he married Hanna Marie Lucetta Campbell on September 17, 1862. The ceremony was performed by Oliver’s father, Rev. George Cader Powell.³
Soon afterward, Powell returned to military service. By January 1863 he was again with the 4th Florida near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

No account survives of Powell’s personal experience at Stones River. His Compiled Military Service Record can, however, be read alongside the reports of his regimental and brigade commanders to establish the action in which his company and regiment were involved.
On the afternoon of January 2, 1863, Breckinridge’s division was ordered forward in an assault intended to drive Federal forces back across Stones River. Brigadier General William Preston commanded the brigade that included the 4th Florida Infantry, Colonel W. L. L. Bowen commanded the regiment, and Powell’s Company C was under First Lieutenant J. B. Parramore.⁴

The 4th Florida advanced in the second Confederate line. After the troops ahead of it withdrew through its position, the regiment engaged the Federal forces and remained in place for a time while the Confederate line around it began to break down. During the withdrawal, the 4th Florida rallied around Wright’s Tennessee Battery in an effort to help save the guns. Bowen placed the regiment’s greatest losses in this stage of the fighting.⁴
The casualty return for January 2 records 28 men killed, 79 wounded, and 30 missing from the 4th Florida, an aggregate loss of 137.⁵
Oliver Powell was among the missing. His Company C muster roll carried him as missing from January 2. At that point, the Confederate record effectively loses him as an individual soldier.

Federal records pick up the trail. Powell was captured at Stones River and entered Federal custody as a prisoner of war. He died at Murfreesboro on January 6, 1863, four days after the fighting, from a gunshot wound. One of the Federal records also refers to a Department of the Cumberland hospital roll, but the surviving material does not identify the specific place where he was treated.⁶
His CMSR contains a few complications. A casualty card associates Powell with the January 2 action and describes a slight wound to the leg. On that same card, however, the typed unit designation places him in Company E, 3rd Florida Regiment, while the rest of his service record consistently identifies him with Company C, 4th Florida Infantry.⁷
Beyond that, the trail stops. The surviving records do not tell us where on the battlefield Powell was wounded, at what point he became a prisoner, where precisely he was treated, or where he was buried.

During field research at Stones River in September 2026, I followed portions of the 4th Florida’s movements with a battlefield guide. Much of the battlefield has been lost to later development, but the river itself remains one of the most tangible features in a landscape described repeatedly in the contemporary reports.


  Stonesriver2.jpg (Size: 462.38 KB / Downloads: 3)

Stones River, September 2026. Photo taken by me during the visit.

There is one final connection worth noting. Nearly twenty years after Oliver’s death, his widow Hanna M. L. Powell married William L. Carruth (1839–1915) on December 28, 1882, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The marriage record identifies her by the Powell name she had retained from her first marriage.⁸ Carruth had also served as a private in Company C of the 4th Florida, the same company in which Oliver had served.⁹

Notes

1. Powell family Bible, reproduced in Betty J. Ownsbey, Alias “Paine”: Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy, 2nd ed. (McFarland, 2015), 127.
   
2. Compiled Military Service Record of Oliver H. Powell, private, Company C, 4th Florida Infantry, Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida, War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.
   
3. Florida, County Court (Madison County), marriage license and return for Oliver H. Powell and Hannah M. L. Campbell, license issued September 15, 1862, marriage solemnized September 17, 1862, image 212 of 1149, Image Group No. 007246400, digital image, “Madison, Florida, United States records,” FamilySearch, accessed September 23, 2026, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...view=index. The marriage return bears the signature of G. C. Powell, M.G.
   
4. William Preston, report, January 12, 1863, in U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, ser. I, vol. 20, pt. 1 (Government Printing Office, 1887), 812–13; W. L. L. Bowen, report, February 12, 1863, 816–17.
   
5. U.S. War Department, “Return of Casualties in the Confederate Forces—Continued,” The War of the Rebellion, ser. I, vol. 20, pt. 1, 779.
   
6. Powell CMSR, RG 109, NARA. The file includes the Company C muster-roll material, Federal prisoner-of-war records, a Federal record of his death at Murfreesboro, and the reference to the Department of the Cumberland hospital roll.
   
7. Powell CMSR, casualty card, RG 109, NARA.
   
8. Florida, County Court (Hillsborough County), marriage license and return for William L. Carruth and Hanna M. L. Powell, license issued December 23, 1882, marriage solemnized December 28, 1882, image 764 of 883, Image Group No. 007621823, digital image, “Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States records,” FamilySearch, accessed September 23, 2026, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...w=fullText.
   
9. William L. Carruth grave marker, Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida, photograph added by Christa Cadman, February 26, 2020, Find a Grave, Memorial ID 17123618.
   

Bibliography

Carruth, William L. Grave marker. Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida. Photograph added by Christa Cadman, February 26, 2020. Find a Grave, Memorial ID 17123618.

Florida. County Court (Hillsborough County). Marriage license and return for William L. Carruth and Hanna M. L. Powell, December 1882. Digital image. “Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States records.” FamilySearch. Image 764 of 883, Image Group No. 007621823. Accessed September 23, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...w=fullText.

Florida. County Court (Madison County). Marriage license and return for Oliver H. Powell and Hannah M. L. Campbell, September 1862. Digital image. “Madison, Florida, United States records.” FamilySearch. Image 212 of 1149, Image Group No. 007246400. Accessed September 23, 2026. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/...view=index.

National Archives and Records Administration. Compiled Military Service Record of Oliver H. Powell, Private, Company C, 4th Florida Infantry. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida. War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109. Washington, DC.

Ownsbey, Betty J. Alias “Paine”: Lewis Thornton Powell, the Mystery Man of the Lincoln Conspiracy. 2nd ed. McFarland, 2015.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, vol. 20, pt. 1. Government Printing Office, 1887.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5191.html Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:22:44 +0000 Gene C]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5191.html   https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/09/...on-gloves/

We've discussed this subject in various threads, for some background information search "gloves" to view prior discussions.

A big thank you to David for his time and research.]]>   https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/09/...on-gloves/

We've discussed this subject in various threads, for some background information search "gloves" to view prior discussions.

A big thank you to David for his time and research.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5189.html Sun, 06 Sep 2026 15:28:38 +0000 ReignetteC]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5189.html Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association  (Winter 2013), I was struck by their mention of three nearly identical contemporary copies of the report that "have surfaced since the discovery of the report." As noted in the article, these copies are held in the collections of the National Archives and the New York Public Library.

To clarify the timeline of these documents, I would welcome your insights on the following questions: 

1.    What are the precise circumstances and specific dates when these three clerk-written copies were identified in the immediate wake of the May 2012 breakthrough? 

2.        To what extent, if any, were these clerk-written copies recognized or cited by Civil War scholars prior to 2012? (I have not found any thus far.)

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/262986...w=fulltext

Thanks,
Reignette

P.S. I am researching this topic for an upcoming article. ]]> Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association  (Winter 2013), I was struck by their mention of three nearly identical contemporary copies of the report that "have surfaced since the discovery of the report." As noted in the article, these copies are held in the collections of the National Archives and the New York Public Library.

To clarify the timeline of these documents, I would welcome your insights on the following questions: 

1.    What are the precise circumstances and specific dates when these three clerk-written copies were identified in the immediate wake of the May 2012 breakthrough? 

2.        To what extent, if any, were these clerk-written copies recognized or cited by Civil War scholars prior to 2012? (I have not found any thus far.)

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/262986...w=fulltext

Thanks,
Reignette

P.S. I am researching this topic for an upcoming article. ]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5188.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:39:41 +0000 Jim Woodall]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5188.html
He is descdent of Talberts including Talberts I am related to.  His relationship to my clan of Anderson goes back further to Margaret Riley, sister to Mary Riley who married my 4th great grandfather, Jesse Anderson.  So looks to be that he is cousin to me.  And related to the Talberts associated with the Jenkins line and related to Sarah Talbert who married Richard Neale who raised John Harrison Surratt Sr.

Although he was born in Baltimore, and moved to Anacostia, his family roots were east of the Anacostia.  The people he wrote about, and often skipped into alleghory when talking about the troubles surrounding the folks east of the Anacostia, were kin.  So, he was protecting the secrets.

It is intriguing that he didn't really do a deep dive east of the Anacostia until near the end of his life.  He seemed very protetive of those people.

Oh, the secrets people knew.]]>
He is descdent of Talberts including Talberts I am related to.  His relationship to my clan of Anderson goes back further to Margaret Riley, sister to Mary Riley who married my 4th great grandfather, Jesse Anderson.  So looks to be that he is cousin to me.  And related to the Talberts associated with the Jenkins line and related to Sarah Talbert who married Richard Neale who raised John Harrison Surratt Sr.

Although he was born in Baltimore, and moved to Anacostia, his family roots were east of the Anacostia.  The people he wrote about, and often skipped into alleghory when talking about the troubles surrounding the folks east of the Anacostia, were kin.  So, he was protecting the secrets.

It is intriguing that he didn't really do a deep dive east of the Anacostia until near the end of his life.  He seemed very protetive of those people.

Oh, the secrets people knew.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5187.html Sun, 30 Aug 2026 01:29:05 +0000 J. Beckert]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5187.html https://www.thehenryford.org/collections...coln-chair]]> https://www.thehenryford.org/collections...coln-chair]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5186.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:50:14 +0000 RJNorton]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5186.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0_3IdFT4LY]]> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0_3IdFT4LY]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5185.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:01:02 +0000 Linda Anderson]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5185.html My 3rd great uncle was there that night.  He was on injured reserve, having recently been in the hospital, visited by Lincoln.  He participate in several searches and  guarding of others."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFJuKgRTMw4

Here's the link to the thread on the bloody dress.

https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussi...oody+dress]]> My 3rd great uncle was there that night.  He was on injured reserve, having recently been in the hospital, visited by Lincoln.  He participate in several searches and  guarding of others."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFJuKgRTMw4

Here's the link to the thread on the bloody dress.

https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussi...oody+dress]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5181.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:52:31 +0000 J. Beckert]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5181.html Lincoln's deathbed in color

Much more detail.]]> Lincoln's deathbed in color

Much more detail.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5180.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:32:56 +0000 Dave Taylor]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5180.html recent post in the "Who is this person?" thread, I do not believe the woman historically identified as Helen Western to be correct. Two years ago, I shared my concerns with Michael Kauffman, Tom Bogar, Steve Miller, and Scott Schroeder, and all four agreed that the veiled woman image found on Booth's body does not match known images of Western.

In my new post, I discuss how the photographs were originally identified, explain my doubts about the Helen Western identification, and finally delve into the life of the woman I believe this photograph actually shows: Laura Redden Searing.

Laura Redden was a deaf poet, journalist, and author. She lived quite an amazing life, especially during the Civil War years. She was friendly with the Lincolns, General Grant, countless Congressmen, and also John Wilkes Booth. I believe that I have built a strong and convincing case that Redden presented her photograph to John Wilkes Booth in February of 1865, two months before he assassinated Lincoln.

The piece is long (unsurprising when it comes to me), but I hope you will give it a read if you have a chance:

Under the Veil: Revealing the True Identity of John Wilkes Booth's Photograph]]> recent post in the "Who is this person?" thread, I do not believe the woman historically identified as Helen Western to be correct. Two years ago, I shared my concerns with Michael Kauffman, Tom Bogar, Steve Miller, and Scott Schroeder, and all four agreed that the veiled woman image found on Booth's body does not match known images of Western.

In my new post, I discuss how the photographs were originally identified, explain my doubts about the Helen Western identification, and finally delve into the life of the woman I believe this photograph actually shows: Laura Redden Searing.

Laura Redden was a deaf poet, journalist, and author. She lived quite an amazing life, especially during the Civil War years. She was friendly with the Lincolns, General Grant, countless Congressmen, and also John Wilkes Booth. I believe that I have built a strong and convincing case that Redden presented her photograph to John Wilkes Booth in February of 1865, two months before he assassinated Lincoln.

The piece is long (unsurprising when it comes to me), but I hope you will give it a read if you have a chance:

Under the Veil: Revealing the True Identity of John Wilkes Booth's Photograph]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5170.html Sat, 23 May 2026 15:56:13 +0000 RJNorton]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5170.html
https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/05/...pelganger/]]>
https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/05/...pelganger/]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5161.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:14 +0000 jbarry]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5161.html
In case you have not visited Dave Taylor's site recently, I have started a project to list all known attendees at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Yes, it's ambitious, but thanks to the great work of previous authors, the spreadsheet has nearly 500 names, including the theater employees.

My aim is to have a single location to summarize or evaluate eyewitness accounts, for example: how many people heard Booth utter which phrase, and at which part of the theater; how many people claimed to carry Lincoln across the street, etc.

Much work remains to fill in the details, as I have prioritized listing the names with basic sourcing info. I wanted to publish this sooner rather than later, in hopes others can contribute. To that end, please let me know if you're aware of additional attendees, or errors in the list. In time, this can be a valuable source for genealogy and research.

For more info, and the link to the spreadsheet, visit here: https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/04/...joe-barry/]]>
In case you have not visited Dave Taylor's site recently, I have started a project to list all known attendees at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Yes, it's ambitious, but thanks to the great work of previous authors, the spreadsheet has nearly 500 names, including the theater employees.

My aim is to have a single location to summarize or evaluate eyewitness accounts, for example: how many people heard Booth utter which phrase, and at which part of the theater; how many people claimed to carry Lincoln across the street, etc.

Much work remains to fill in the details, as I have prioritized listing the names with basic sourcing info. I wanted to publish this sooner rather than later, in hopes others can contribute. To that end, please let me know if you're aware of additional attendees, or errors in the list. In time, this can be a valuable source for genealogy and research.

For more info, and the link to the spreadsheet, visit here: https://lincolnconspirators.com/2026/04/...joe-barry/]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5159.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:06:15 +0000 GGGDaughter]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5159.html
I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth "Elsabet" Kaplan. I am both Dr. Mudd's great-great-granddaughter and first cousin, six times removed, of President Lincoln's Aunt Mary (Mudd) Lincoln; she was Mordecai Lincoln's wife.

I joined the Symposium a couple days ago. When I did so, I wrote to Roger and told him who I am because I wanted to be certain he admitted me. I'm not just some weirdo, although my husband Brian might beg to differ.

This morning, I received Roger's request, asking me to post what I'd written to him. Here is the substantive portion of my email:

"I registered with the Symposium a moment ago. You won't have heard of me before, most likely. Stella (Mudd) Thelen is my mother. Tom Mudd is obviously my uncle. Richard Mudd was my grandfather, and I primarily grew up at his home. So obviously Sam Mudd was my great-great-grandfather. I am writing a book about what it has been like being part of this family.

When I was about 12, I learned Dr. Mudd had slaves. I didn't really want to know much more than that. But I loved my grandpa, so I sometimes went to his speeches. I was living in Virginia and working in DC when the DC appellate court heard the case on the ABCMR review. So I went with my family to the hearing. My experience of that situation was a bit different; I was in the Pentagon Metro station trying to go to work when the plane hit the building on 9/11. I well-understood the government's need to end terrorism in DC as promptly as possible. I was torn, as you can imagine.

Last September, 2025, I was nearly done writing a memoir about overcoming amnesia from a traumatic assault in 1987. I decided to investigate my great-great-grandfather's situation, certain of his guilt. I'd passed the Ohio bar and worked for a short time as a criminal defense attorney. I'd also worked for a US inventor who supplies engineering services to NASA and the USAF; I took charge of helping them stop an international criminal conspiracy and was successful. So I bring something new to the table.

I am currently conducting my own investigation into my ancestor's story, unbiased as much as possible because I truly do want to know what happened. I want to understand my family's penchant for hiding secrets because I believe that led, in part, to my amnesia."

---

That was my email. I was sure of Dr. Mudd's guilt when I started reading about him in an investigative fashion last September. I thought it might take me about a day or so to learn all I needed to know. I started out by reading "Blood on the Moon" because I figured that was a good intro to the other side of the story. But it left me with more questions than answers. I'm now well into my third read-through of the trial transcripts and numerous writings. I hope to be done with that this month. I'll probably be done with this umpteenth draft around June. So I'll have a somewhat completed manuscript sometime this fall. Hopefully!

I'm scheduled to speak at the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table in May of 2027.

I look forward to meeting each of you. Please feel free to introduce yourself. If you have a story to share about my family, I'd love to hear it. Also, if you want to tell me your opinion, I'm open to that too. I'm expecting some people to hate me, some people to be proud of me, and most people to be in the middle.]]>
I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth "Elsabet" Kaplan. I am both Dr. Mudd's great-great-granddaughter and first cousin, six times removed, of President Lincoln's Aunt Mary (Mudd) Lincoln; she was Mordecai Lincoln's wife.

I joined the Symposium a couple days ago. When I did so, I wrote to Roger and told him who I am because I wanted to be certain he admitted me. I'm not just some weirdo, although my husband Brian might beg to differ.

This morning, I received Roger's request, asking me to post what I'd written to him. Here is the substantive portion of my email:

"I registered with the Symposium a moment ago. You won't have heard of me before, most likely. Stella (Mudd) Thelen is my mother. Tom Mudd is obviously my uncle. Richard Mudd was my grandfather, and I primarily grew up at his home. So obviously Sam Mudd was my great-great-grandfather. I am writing a book about what it has been like being part of this family.

When I was about 12, I learned Dr. Mudd had slaves. I didn't really want to know much more than that. But I loved my grandpa, so I sometimes went to his speeches. I was living in Virginia and working in DC when the DC appellate court heard the case on the ABCMR review. So I went with my family to the hearing. My experience of that situation was a bit different; I was in the Pentagon Metro station trying to go to work when the plane hit the building on 9/11. I well-understood the government's need to end terrorism in DC as promptly as possible. I was torn, as you can imagine.

Last September, 2025, I was nearly done writing a memoir about overcoming amnesia from a traumatic assault in 1987. I decided to investigate my great-great-grandfather's situation, certain of his guilt. I'd passed the Ohio bar and worked for a short time as a criminal defense attorney. I'd also worked for a US inventor who supplies engineering services to NASA and the USAF; I took charge of helping them stop an international criminal conspiracy and was successful. So I bring something new to the table.

I am currently conducting my own investigation into my ancestor's story, unbiased as much as possible because I truly do want to know what happened. I want to understand my family's penchant for hiding secrets because I believe that led, in part, to my amnesia."

---

That was my email. I was sure of Dr. Mudd's guilt when I started reading about him in an investigative fashion last September. I thought it might take me about a day or so to learn all I needed to know. I started out by reading "Blood on the Moon" because I figured that was a good intro to the other side of the story. But it left me with more questions than answers. I'm now well into my third read-through of the trial transcripts and numerous writings. I hope to be done with that this month. I'll probably be done with this umpteenth draft around June. So I'll have a somewhat completed manuscript sometime this fall. Hopefully!

I'm scheduled to speak at the Southern Maryland Civil War Round Table in May of 2027.

I look forward to meeting each of you. Please feel free to introduce yourself. If you have a story to share about my family, I'd love to hear it. Also, if you want to tell me your opinion, I'm open to that too. I'm expecting some people to hate me, some people to be proud of me, and most people to be in the middle.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5152.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 16:09:27 +0000 wpbinzel]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5152.html
Rich Hill was the home of Samuel Cox, a Confederate agent in southern Maryland. It is where JW Booth and his accomplice, David Herold, went after leaving the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd after Lincoln's assassination. Cox secreted the assassins, and waited for an opportunity to get them across the Potomac (and that is another conversation). For years, Rich Hill was on private property, viewable only from afar, and the house was about ready to fall down. Mike Mazzeo seized the opportunity to rescue and restore the house.

Another piece of the Lincoln assassination and the Booth escape has been restored. This is the press release:


The Historical Society of Charles County and the Friends of Rich Hill are excited and proud to announce that Historic Rich Hill is finished!



Rich Hill will be opened beginning the first weekend in April, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm, and every weekend thereafter through the first weekend in December!



IT TOOK A VILLAGE



First and foremost, we could not have finished this project without our phenomenal Steering Committee: Michael J. Mazzeo, Jr., Mary Pat Berry, Ronald G. Brown, Joyce Candland, Carol Donohue, Edward B. Edelen, Jr., Thomas Pike (deceased), Debra Scoggins, Dave Taylor, Cathy Hardy Thompson, Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management; Esther Doyle Read, Charles County Archaeologist; and Laurie Verge, (deceased) of the Surratt House Museum.



To our remarkable contractors who made things happen, thank you: The Ottery Group, Inc.; Robert Silman Associates; Garner Construction, LLC; SE Davis Construction, LLC (Sue Davis, Jeff Holt, Joe Rieman); Lawrence Abell & Associates LTD, (Lawrence Abell, Doug Norway); Chuck DiNatale; Tim Gilbert; Next Level Contracting, LLC, (Tony Catena); TMG Capitol Construction, LLC, (Tyler Gallo); and Edinger’s Carpet & Flooring.



We could not have funded this project without a Bond Bill from the State of Maryland sponsored by Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., (deceased), the Historical Society of Charles County, Inc., many donations from the Friends of Rich Hill and funding from the following grants: Charles County Heritage Commission, Charles County Tourism, Civil War Roundtable of the District of Columbia, Commissioners of Charles County, the Maryland Historical Trust, the Maryland Humanities, Preservation Maryland, Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, the Society of Colonial Wars in Maryland and the General Society of Colonial Wars.



Grateful appreciation to our partners for their continued support: Advanced Architectural General Contracting, the African American Heritage Society of Charles County, Charles County Antique Arts Association, the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, the Charles County Garden Club, the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission, Charles County Tourism, Commissioners of Charles County, Dr. Samuel Mudd Society, Farm Heritage Conservancy, General Society of Colonial Wars, Lady Jane Sewell Chapter, Colonial Dames of the XVII Century, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriots Park, Port Tobacco Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Preservation Maryland, Shore United Bank, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland, Southern Maryland Civil War Roundtable, Southern Maryland Heritage Areas Consortium, the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, the Surratt Society, the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco, the Thomas Stone Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution and the Wallace Bowling Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans.



To Jessica Jennings of the Baynet, thank you for the incredible publicity for Rich Hill. Your articles are amazing!



And a very special heartfelt thanks to all those volunteers who worked diligently for four days and more to make Rich Hill ready to open to the public: Kevin Barry, Rick Boggs, Polly Boggs, Debra Bowling, Garth Bowling, Carol Donohue, Ned Edelen, Joe Gleason, Lee Gootee, Denise Grote, Sandy Harrison, Karl Hense, Kim Hense, Jackie Holson, Benjamin Martinez, Mike Mazzeo, Kathy Quimby, Debra Scoggins, Barbara Spears, Dennis Spears, Mary Vance, Brian Wedding, Terri Wedding; Brandon Burton and his team with Charles County Parks & Grounds.





And finally, with grateful appreciation to the person who had the vision of restoring Rich Hill and who initiated the entire project: Dr. Brad Gottfried, then President of the College of Southern Maryland, (now retired). Thank you!








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Rich Hill was the home of Samuel Cox, a Confederate agent in southern Maryland. It is where JW Booth and his accomplice, David Herold, went after leaving the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd after Lincoln's assassination. Cox secreted the assassins, and waited for an opportunity to get them across the Potomac (and that is another conversation). For years, Rich Hill was on private property, viewable only from afar, and the house was about ready to fall down. Mike Mazzeo seized the opportunity to rescue and restore the house.

Another piece of the Lincoln assassination and the Booth escape has been restored. This is the press release:


The Historical Society of Charles County and the Friends of Rich Hill are excited and proud to announce that Historic Rich Hill is finished!



Rich Hill will be opened beginning the first weekend in April, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm, and every weekend thereafter through the first weekend in December!



IT TOOK A VILLAGE



First and foremost, we could not have finished this project without our phenomenal Steering Committee: Michael J. Mazzeo, Jr., Mary Pat Berry, Ronald G. Brown, Joyce Candland, Carol Donohue, Edward B. Edelen, Jr., Thomas Pike (deceased), Debra Scoggins, Dave Taylor, Cathy Hardy Thompson, Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management; Esther Doyle Read, Charles County Archaeologist; and Laurie Verge, (deceased) of the Surratt House Museum.



To our remarkable contractors who made things happen, thank you: The Ottery Group, Inc.; Robert Silman Associates; Garner Construction, LLC; SE Davis Construction, LLC (Sue Davis, Jeff Holt, Joe Rieman); Lawrence Abell & Associates LTD, (Lawrence Abell, Doug Norway); Chuck DiNatale; Tim Gilbert; Next Level Contracting, LLC, (Tony Catena); TMG Capitol Construction, LLC, (Tyler Gallo); and Edinger’s Carpet & Flooring.



We could not have funded this project without a Bond Bill from the State of Maryland sponsored by Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., (deceased), the Historical Society of Charles County, Inc., many donations from the Friends of Rich Hill and funding from the following grants: Charles County Heritage Commission, Charles County Tourism, Civil War Roundtable of the District of Columbia, Commissioners of Charles County, the Maryland Historical Trust, the Maryland Humanities, Preservation Maryland, Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, the Society of Colonial Wars in Maryland and the General Society of Colonial Wars.



Grateful appreciation to our partners for their continued support: Advanced Architectural General Contracting, the African American Heritage Society of Charles County, Charles County Antique Arts Association, the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, the Charles County Garden Club, the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission, Charles County Tourism, Commissioners of Charles County, Dr. Samuel Mudd Society, Farm Heritage Conservancy, General Society of Colonial Wars, Lady Jane Sewell Chapter, Colonial Dames of the XVII Century, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriots Park, Port Tobacco Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Preservation Maryland, Shore United Bank, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland, Southern Maryland Civil War Roundtable, Southern Maryland Heritage Areas Consortium, the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, the Surratt Society, the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco, the Thomas Stone Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution and the Wallace Bowling Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans.



To Jessica Jennings of the Baynet, thank you for the incredible publicity for Rich Hill. Your articles are amazing!



And a very special heartfelt thanks to all those volunteers who worked diligently for four days and more to make Rich Hill ready to open to the public: Kevin Barry, Rick Boggs, Polly Boggs, Debra Bowling, Garth Bowling, Carol Donohue, Ned Edelen, Joe Gleason, Lee Gootee, Denise Grote, Sandy Harrison, Karl Hense, Kim Hense, Jackie Holson, Benjamin Martinez, Mike Mazzeo, Kathy Quimby, Debra Scoggins, Barbara Spears, Dennis Spears, Mary Vance, Brian Wedding, Terri Wedding; Brandon Burton and his team with Charles County Parks & Grounds.





And finally, with grateful appreciation to the person who had the vision of restoring Rich Hill and who initiated the entire project: Dr. Brad Gottfried, then President of the College of Southern Maryland, (now retired). Thank you!








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"I have some articles to post to the Forum in a new post. The first one is from the 26 Feb. 1903 edition of the Enid Wave newspaper which reprints a letter sent to the mayor on the 18th of Feb. The letter was sent by an N. H. George asking for information to locate David E. George, not knowing David had died. N. H. doesn't say if he is a relative of David. But I think this could be a possible lead on the identity of David E. George. Using the address from the letter I was able to identify N. H. as Nelson Harley George a nightime railroad yardmaster in Arkansas City, Kansas. Here's his Find A Grave page:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7302...ley-george

I checked and David wasn't a brother of Nelson, so if they were familiarly related I can't figure out how, even after looking at online trees of Nelson's family. Nelson paid for one of those biographies of himself printed in 1918, I've attached images of that in case some future person comes along this Forum thread and want to do a little research into Nelson's family tree to find a connection if they can. Coincidentally, Nelson's widow would die in Enid herself in 1945 while visiting their daughter."







]]>
"I have some articles to post to the Forum in a new post. The first one is from the 26 Feb. 1903 edition of the Enid Wave newspaper which reprints a letter sent to the mayor on the 18th of Feb. The letter was sent by an N. H. George asking for information to locate David E. George, not knowing David had died. N. H. doesn't say if he is a relative of David. But I think this could be a possible lead on the identity of David E. George. Using the address from the letter I was able to identify N. H. as Nelson Harley George a nightime railroad yardmaster in Arkansas City, Kansas. Here's his Find A Grave page:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7302...ley-george

I checked and David wasn't a brother of Nelson, so if they were familiarly related I can't figure out how, even after looking at online trees of Nelson's family. Nelson paid for one of those biographies of himself printed in 1918, I've attached images of that in case some future person comes along this Forum thread and want to do a little research into Nelson's family tree to find a connection if they can. Coincidentally, Nelson's widow would die in Enid herself in 1945 while visiting their daughter."







]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5136.html Sat, 17 Jan 2026 22:02:25 +0000 Steve]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5136.html
https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/43835]]>
https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/43835]]>