Booth's Note to Johnson

[Susan Higginbotham]

Did Johnson have a reputation as a philanderer? Given its timing, and the men's disparate personalities, the story of him and Booth swanning around Nashville with their sister mistresses just doesn't strike me as very likely.

[LincolnToddFan]

Susan, I knew all about JWB's reputation for promiscuity but this is the first time I've ever heard anything like that about Andrew Johnson. I'm floored.

[Craig Hipkins]

If anyone has a copy of Andrew Johnson's memoirs it might say where he was when John Wilkes Booth was in Nashville. I know that the Mecklenburg County library has a copy here in Charlotte but I won't have a chance to get over there for at least a week to look.

I too find it hard to believe that Johnson would have shared Booth's proclivities with him. First of all, the two men were political opposites. Secondly, Johnson was 30 years older than Booth which may or may not matter.

Craig

[Jim Garrett]

If anyone has a copy of Andrew Johnson's memoirs it might say where he was when John Wilkes Booth was in Nashville. I know that the Mecklenburg County library has a copy here in Charlotte but I won't have a chance to get over there for at least a week to look.

I too find it hard to believe that Johnson would have shared Booth's proclivities with him. First of all, the two men were political opposites. Secondly, Johnson was 30 years older than Booth which may or may not matter.

Craig

It seems that sex and politics have been linked together for a long long time. The personal traits and personality that many politicians exude seem to go hand in hand with a lack of fidelity and sometimes discretion. While a lack of fidelity doesn't have a party affiliation, it seems more democratic politicians have more affairs than republicans.

[STS Lincolnite]

If anyone has a copy of Andrew Johnson's memoirs it might say where he was when John Wilkes Booth was in Nashville. I know that the Mecklenburg County library has a copy here in Charlotte but I won't have a chance to get over there for at least a week to look.

I too find it hard to believe that Johnson would have shared Booth's proclivities with him. First of all, the two men were political opposites. Secondly, Johnson was 30 years older than Booth which may or may not matter.

Craig

Craig, what is Johnson's memoir titled? The University Library in the town where I live may have copy. If so I will go over and take a look.

[LincolnToddFan]

If anyone has a copy of Andrew Johnson's memoirs it might say where he was when John Wilkes Booth was in Nashville. I know that the Mecklenburg County library has a copy here in Charlotte but I won't have a chance to get over there for at least a week to look.

I too find it hard to believe that Johnson would have shared Booth's proclivities with him. First of all, the two men were political opposites. Secondly, Johnson was 30 years older than Booth which may or may not matter.

Craig

It seems that sex and politics have been linked together for a long long time. The personal traits and personality that many politicians exude seem to go hand in hand with a lack of fidelity and sometimes discretion. While a lack of fidelity doesn't have a party affiliation, it seems more democratic politicians have more affairs than republicans.

I think most politicians fool around at some point. The Democrats are simply dumber about covering their tracks than the Republicans.

[Craig Hipkins]

Craig, what is Johnson's memoir titled? The University Library in the town where I live may have copy. If so I will go over and take a look.
[/quote]

I wish that I could remember the exact title. It was multiple volumes and was either Memoirs or Papers of Andrew Johnson. I can remember thumbing through it a while back in the genealogy room at the library. I will have to take a trip over there and see.

Craig

[Gene C]

This may be what you are looking for

http://www.amazon.com/PAPERS-ANDREW-JOHN...on+memoirs

[L Verge]

A former Secret Service agent and trainer (LBJ through Clinton, I believe) has contributed two articles about the Secret Service that will appear in the February issue of the Surratt Courier. In one of the articles, he notes that the controversial Lafayette Baker lost his job after going up against one of President Andrew Johnson's lady friends -- I believe her name was Lucy Cobb.

Lucy was (at least) one of the brokers who flourished after the Civil War in getting paroles, etc. Baker did not care for her kind and ordered her off the premises. She let him know that the President would have something to say about her treatment. She won, and Baker rode off into the sunset. Our member cautions that one of the rules of training for presidential protective services is to ignore the boss' affairs.

[Wild Bill]

I am not so sure that Johnson and Booth were that far apart in thought. Both were cooperationists, although Booth became secession its late in the war. But on race they were about the same. I kind of play with this theme in the two sections on their meet in Nashville in Last Confederate Heroes. The Johnson of Reconstruction was very close to what I imagine Booth would have been had he lived.

[Craig Hipkins]

This may be what you are looking for

http://www.amazon.com/PAPERS-ANDREW-JOHN...on+memoirs

Gene,
That's it!
Craig