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04-01-2015, 03:24 PM

The c-span.org site contains a ton of lectures and programs on a variety of topics including Lincoln's assassination. It has a search feature where you can enter subject keywords or search by the name of the person speaking. There are some wonderful lectures by respected authors and students of the assassination such as James Swanson that I would invite you to check out for yourself.

I found this speech from Terry Alford given at the Ford's Theater symposium just in March. The speech was very similar to the one Alford gave at this year's Surratt Conference (which was excellent as usual despite my [deserving] placement on the receiving end of some chastisement from Ms. Chaconus for my failure to alert her that I would not need my seat on the bus to the Smithsonian on Friday. My dad, who attended with me as a last minute replacement for my brother, Josh, and who does not share my deep interest (or "obsession" if you ask my wife) with the events of 150 years ago, but who nicely tagged along from SC so that I wouldn't have to make the drive alone, remarked after we were "put in our place" by Ms. Chaconus in the lobby of the Lincoln Center on 10th St. Sunday morning, "boy, that lady doesn't put up with any ******, does she?" Indeed, she does not! haha.)

http://www.c-span.org/video/?324113-6/di...lkes-booth

The only disappointment I had at the conference was missing the Booth escape tour guided by Mr. Swanson due to his illness. Having already been on the tour twice, he was the ONLY reason that I planned to attend again and had looked forward to meeting him for months. If you have never read Manhunt or Bloody Crimes (or for that matter, his JFK assassination book, End of Days, then you are missing out, as he is, in my opinion, THE most gifted writer of history and particularly of the Lincoln assassination, to ever put pen to paper. If you doubt this, please take a moment and read Chapter 4 of Bloody Crimes and I believe that you will agree with me that it is the single best chapter ever written on Lincoln's assassination.

Anyway, c-span has several good talks from Swanson on the assassination that you may enjoy, including these two:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?301645-31/b...ody-crimes

http://www.c-span.org/video/?285248-1/as...am-lincoln

I hope that everyone is well. Take care.

Heath

L Verge · 04-01-2015, 07:29 PM

(04-01-2015 03:24 PM)Rhatkinson Wrote: The c-span.org site contains a ton of lectures and programs on a variety of topics including Lincoln's assassination. It has a search feature where you can enter subject keywords or search by the name of the person speaking. There are some wonderful lectures by respected authors and students of the assassination such as James Swanson that I would invite you to check out for yourself.

I found this speech from Terry Alford given at the Ford's Theater symposium just in March. The speech was very similar to the one Alford gave at this year's Surratt Conference (which was excellent as usual despite my [deserving] placement on the receiving end of some chastisement from Ms. Chaconus for my failure to alert her that I would not need my seat on the bus to the Smithsonian on Friday. My dad, who attended with me as a last minute replacement for my brother, Josh, and who does not share my deep interest (or "obsession" if you ask my wife) with the events of 150 years ago, but who nicely tagged along from SC so that I wouldn't have to make the drive alone, remarked after we were "put in our place" by Ms. Chaconus in the lobby of the Lincoln Center on 10th St. Sunday morning, "boy, that lady doesn't put up with any ******, does she?" Indeed, she does not! haha.)

http://www.c-span.org/video/?324113-6/di...lkes-booth

The only disappointment I had at the conference was missing the Booth escape tour guided by Mr. Swanson due to his illness. Having already been on the tour twice, he was the ONLY reason that I planned to attend again and had looked forward to meeting him for months. If you have never read Manhunt or Bloody Crimes (or for that matter, his JFK assassination book, End of Days, then you are missing out, as he is, in my opinion, THE most gifted writer of history and particularly of the Lincoln assassination, to ever put pen to paper. If you doubt this, please take a moment and read Chapter 4 of Bloody Crimes and I believe that you will agree with me that it is the single best chapter ever written on Lincoln's assassination.

Anyway, c-span has several good talks from Swanson on the assassination that you may enjoy, including these two:
http://www.c-span.org/video/?301645-31/b...ody-crimes

http://www.c-span.org/video/?285248-1/as...am-lincoln

I hope that everyone is well. Take care.

Heath

On behalf of my staff member, Joan Chaconas, I apologize to both you and your dad, Heath. I suspect she was upset because we had a lengthy waiting list of people wanting to go on that particular tour to see the Lincoln carriage have lunch, and also attend the patriotic musical at Ford's that afternoon. If we had known the day before, we could have found two substitutes. As it was, we paid for lunches that were not eaten and two seats at Ford's that were not enjoyed.

04-02-2015, 01:04 PM

Ms. Verge,

I can't apologize enough if my post was read to even suggest that we are owed an apology. As I wrote, I DESERVED any rebuke given, and Ms. Chaconus did nothing wrong. I realize our reservation affected others and I should have done more than I did to let her know our plans. I apologized to her for my use of poor manners (as I will to you as well), and she was very gracious and kind while accepting it.

The Surratt Society has no greater fan in South Carolina than me, and I only told that story as a humorous note about our trip, not at all to be critical of anyone except for myself for deserving any "rebuke" I received. Having grown up under the guidance of a southern grandmother, mama, and now wife, trust me when I say that I am quite experienced at being on the receiving end of deserved (and sometimes not!) "reminders," so I was most certainly not offended, and I certainly intended none.

Again, my apologies.

Heath

L Verge · 04-02-2015, 02:01 PM

You just sent half my staff into spasms of laughter! We all had southern grandmothers and mamas (we're all female, so no wives) and remember well being on the receiving end of southern "reminders." My mom has been dead for five years, and there are still times when I do or say something and expect to hear a gentle reminder from her lips.

One of the most trying times of my life was a year-and-a-half interval when I had my 85+ mother living with me and my 21-year-old daughter at home after college and before marriage. I am of the firm belief that no two women - let alone three - should live in the same house once they are over 21. And when they are all "trained" Southerners, it is even worse!