Events of April 1, 1865

[wpbinzel]

In reading Mr. Loux’s book over the weekend, I was reminded of question that first come to mind when I read Come Retribution some years ago. It’s authors and Mr. Loux both point out that on Saturday, April 1, 1865: (1) John Surratt and Sarah Slater left Richmond for Canada (by way of Washington and New York); (2) J.W. Booth left Washington, telling “George Atzerodt he was going to Canada” [CR, p. 416]; and (3) Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, “who was probably the most trusted and effective scout in the Army of Northern Virginia” [CR, p. 411], and who had been sent to Washington personally by Jefferson Davis in early March on an undercover intelligence mission, “suddenly” left Washington. Stringfellow had spent weeks developing a cover as a dentist, but appears to have abruptly abandoned his mission. Of further interest is that this is about the same time that Thomas F. Harney set out for Washington “to mine the Executive Mansion to kill Lincoln and others.” [CR, p. 418] According to Mr. Loux, when Surratt and Slater arrived in New York on April 5, they inquired at Edwin Booth’s house for J.W. Booth, but were told that he had left for Boston [JWB Day by Day, p. 207].

At the ever-present danger of suggesting more conspiracy than may have actually existed, has anyone come across (or done) research on why both J.W. Booth and Stringfellow abruptly left Washington on April 1, 1865? Is there a connection between the two? Likewise, is the departure of either or both connected to the Surratt and Slater mission and/or the Harney mission? Sometimes coincidences are only that, but this one suggests that there may have been a connection between the departures and the missions.

[L Verge]

I know that James O. Hall was constantly flirting with Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow and trying to connect the dots with the other goings-on, but I don't think the triumvirate of Tidwell, Hall, and Gaddy ever got solid evidence. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I believe that there is a reference to Stringfellow being assisted in some way by the Surratts; but the mind will not regurgitate the facts right now. Stringfellow should be one of the sections in the Tidwell Papers at the Hall Research Center.

[wpbinzel]

(09-29-2014 06:47 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I believe that there is a reference to Stringfellow being assisted in some way by the Surratts; but the mind will not regurgitate the facts right now. Stringfellow should be one of the sections in the Tidwell Papers at the Hall Research Center.

According to Come Retribution, Jefferson Davis solicited Stringfellow for materials for Davis' memoirs in 1880. Included in what Stringfellow provided was the sentence: "Leaving the City of Washington [on April 1] by the aid of a person whose name is linked with in the history of these last dark days, I went some twelve miles the first evening." [p. 412] It is referenced that is the distance to Surratt's Tavern. General Tidwell et al mention that Booth left town the same day. According to Louis Weichmann, Mrs. Surratt made a trip to the Tavern on April 1 and returned in a buggy driven by her brother, Zadoc. On April 2, Weichmann asked Powell to borrow a horse to take Zadoc home; Powell refused and Zadoc had to walk back to his home in Prince George's County.

I only know about the Surratt connection because you wrote an article from Mr. Hall's research for the September 1999 Surratt Courier entitled "Could it have been Mrs. Surratt?", raising the questions of: (1) was she the "person" that Stringfellow referenced?, and (2) did she make the trip to vouch for Stringfellow to John Lloyd?

[SSlater]

I vaguely recall an extensive exchange on the activities of Stringfellow, Harney, Surratt, Slater, et al ,on and about April 1, in earlier postings, but I don't know how to find it and see if it still makes sense to us. We talked about "How they were to pace the Bombs etc.", together with lots of interesting guesses. Anyone know how to bring it up?

[RJNorton]

John, please start here and see if that is the discussion you are thinking of.

[L Verge]

Bill, that shows you how muddled my brain is - can't even remember something that I wrote an article on! The description of the distance of twelve miles from the city would definitely put Stringfellow very near, if not at, Surratt Tavern. Mary Surratt's brother, Zadoc Jenkins, was a fine piece of work in his own right. He was supposedly a "good" Union man until Mr. Lincoln made it clear that Maryland's days of holding slaves were marked. He also got into a few altercations with some of the men in the neighborhood.

[wpbinzel]

(09-30-2014 10:18 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Bill, that shows you how muddled my brain is - can't even remember something that I wrote an article on! The description of the distance of twelve miles from the city would definitely put Stringfellow very near, if not at, Surratt Tavern. Mary Surratt's brother, Zadoc Jenkins, was a fine piece of work in his own right. He was supposedly a "good" Union man until Mr. Lincoln made it clear that Maryland's days of holding slaves were marked. He also got into a few altercations with some of the men in the neighborhood.

Laurie - It was something you did 15 years ago; I have a hard time remembering what I did 15 minutes ago....

For those who are interested in reading (or re-reading) the article, it can be found in Volume 1 of From the pages of The Surratt Courier, p. I-23. If Weichmann's testimony (i.e., that Mrs. Surratt went to Surrattsville on April 1) is true -- and there seems no reason to doubt it -- then, as you speculated, it would seem highly probable that Stringfellow accompanied her. She would not have gone alone. And since Stringfellow's trip was one-way, Mrs. Surratt imposed on her brother to drive her back to Washington. Stringfellow was captured by a Union patrol in Charles County the next day, but managed to escape on April 4 and made his way to Canada for an extended stay.

Which brings me back to my original question: What compelled Stringfellow (and Booth) to hustle out of Washington on April 1? (I have seen the suggestion that Stringfellow blew his cover by refusing to drink a toast to Lincoln, but that seems too improbable.)

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(09-30-2014 05:09 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  John, please start here and see if that is the discussion you are thinking of.

Roger - This is a fascinating thread and I recommend it to anyone who is especially interested in the role of John H. Surratt. My compliments to all who contributed to it. One word of warning, however; it is like a bowl of peanuts, once you start, you will keep going until the end....