November Surratt Courier

[L Verge]

I just got my courier on Monday. The USPS here in upper Montgomery County Md runs a bit slow. Susan, I hope you can stand a little constructive accolade. I think you really shouldn't leave us hanging! This is a superb piece of research that is authoritatively written and entertaining. I've said it before and will say it again, researcher/historians like Susan, Betty Ownsbey, and Rich Smyth and countless others are the people who bring history alive.....or in Rich's case, to death.
Susan, your biggest problem is that now we will expect more. Great article.

We're getting lots of praise on the article - and also some whining because it had to run in two parts. As those of you who have been longtime members of the Surratt Society know, our newsletter has grown in size over the past few years because the new "magazine" format allows it. However, I am holding it to 16 pages or less because of postage costs.

What you may not know is that the government agency which owns Surratt House pays the first class postage each month for us to mail to over 1600 members nationwide. They also pay air mail class for our 15 overseas members. One 16-page newsletter costs $1.19. I don't want to run the bills up any higher by increasing the size of the newsletter.

[STS Lincolnite]

I just got my courier on Monday. The USPS here in upper Montgomery County Md runs a bit slow. Susan, I hope you can stand a little constructive accolade. I think you really shouldn't leave us hanging! This is a superb piece of research that is authoritatively written and entertaining. I've said it before and will say it again, researcher/historians like Susan, Betty Ownsbey, and Rich Smyth and countless others are the people who bring history alive.....or in Rich's case, to death.
Susan, your biggest problem is that now we will expect more. Great article.

We're getting lots of praise on the article - and also some whining because it had to run in two parts. As those of you who have been longtime members of the Surratt Society know, our newsletter has grown in size over the past few years because the new "magazine" format allows it. However, I am holding it to 16 pages or less because of postage costs.

What you may not know is that the government agency which owns Surratt House pays the first class postage each month for us to mail to over 1600 members nationwide. They also pay air mail class for our 15 overseas members. One 16-page newsletter costs $1.19. I don't want to run the bills up any higher by increasing the size of the newsletter.

Laurie,
Have you ever considered offering the newsletter in either the printed format (as we receive now) or in a pdf format via email? I would be willing to receive the newsletter in electronic format if that would save a wonderful organization like the Surratt House Museum money in printing and mailing costs - I would guess others might as well. Scott

[Jill Mitchell]

What a great article on Honora Fitzpatrick ... my only disappointment was to reach the end to see that we have to wait for Part II. The depth of the research is amazing, with detail I would have never thought possible, and the article very well written. I appreciated the inclusion of the extensive endnotes, too. And David's article was interesting for drawing a parallel never before considered but in hindsight all-too-obvious and one that would provide immediacy to Surratt House visitors. Well done!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Like Scott I would be willing to receive the newsletter in electronic format if that reduced costs! Despite I agree - fascinating article, Susan!!!

[L Verge]

I just got my courier on Monday. The USPS here in upper Montgomery County Md runs a bit slow. Susan, I hope you can stand a little constructive accolade. I think you really shouldn't leave us hanging! This is a superb piece of research that is authoritatively written and entertaining. I've said it before and will say it again, researcher/historians like Susan, Betty Ownsbey, and Rich Smyth and countless others are the people who bring history alive.....or in Rich's case, to death.
Susan, your biggest problem is that now we will expect more. Great article.

We're getting lots of praise on the article - and also some whining because it had to run in two parts. As those of you who have been longtime members of the Surratt Society know, our newsletter has grown in size over the past few years because the new "magazine" format allows it. However, I am holding it to 16 pages or less because of postage costs.

What you may not know is that the government agency which owns Surratt House pays the first class postage each month for us to mail to over 1600 members nationwide. They also pay air mail class for our 15 overseas members. One 16-page newsletter costs $1.19. I don't want to run the bills up any higher by increasing the size of the newsletter.

Laurie,
Have you ever considered offering the newsletter in either the printed format (as we receive now) or in a pdf format via email? I would be willing to receive the newsletter in electronic format if that would save a wonderful organization like the Surratt House Museum money in printing and mailing costs - I would guess others might as well. Scott

We have considered the email routine, but as long as the government is willing to pay the postage, it is less work on us. It is their way of saying thank you for the thousands of hours that our volunteers donate to the museum - hours that they would otherwise have to pay for (and likely could not or would not).

We also have had people tell us that they save every issue and put them in folders or notebooks.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Re: "We also have had people tell us that they save every issue and put them in folders or notebooks."
Yes, of course - can't imagine someone would throw all this info away (one wouldn't do that with good books either)!!!

[RJNorton]

I just read Part II of Susan's Nora Fitzpatrick article in the current Courier - all I can say is that folks who have been waiting for the second part will NOT be disappointed. Once again the depth of research is astounding - Susan, kudos on all the work you put into this phenomenal effort.

[Jane Singer]

Thanks so much, Betty! Coming from you that means a lot. I do need to correct one thing in the article (I thought I had done so, but evidently not)--Nora was released from prison on May 22, 1865, the day she testified for the prosecution, not when the trial began as stated by the article.

Great article! Meticulously sourced! I learned so much from it!

[Susan Higginbotham]

Thanks, Roger and Jane! I really enjoyed researching it.

[Hess1865]

Great article Susan!
So sad to see how Nora's life turned out

[Jenny]

Wow, Susan! Excellent job - I was tearing up by the end!

[HerbS]

I am still anxiously waiting for my issue to arrive!

[BettyO]

Fantastic research and story, Susan! Thanks ever so very much -
I went online and found the photo of son John A. Whelan - handsome dude!

[L Verge]

Susan had also solved a mystery about Peanuts having the last name of Borrows (not so) when she uncovered information on the Borrows family having a daughter being treated at St. Elizabeth's Hospital and having a cottage constructed just for her. Coincidentally, one of my volunteers at Surratt House just went back to his old job at St. E's, and looked up information on Miss Borrows, her cottage (which still exists), and even a period photo showing the lady out on the lawn of her cottage. It seems true that every story has other stories tucked inside.

[HerbS]

Great research Susan!