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BettyO · 02-06-2016, 06:03 PM

We're always glad to point out new books, articles and information for our forum members.

Today I worked at Fort McNair as a tour guide in the restored Grant Hall Arsenal Trial Room. A very nice lady who is with the Montgomery Maryland Historical Society, Susan C. Soderberg, visited us and showed us a wonderful article on George Atzerodt which she authored for the historical society magazine. It can be purchased at the Historical Society Shop:

http://montgomeryhistory.org/montgomerycountystory/

This is a "must have" for any assassination library as there is so little on Atzerodt!

DanielC · 02-06-2016, 06:16 PM

Thank you for passing this along Betty! Smile

Thomas Kearney · 02-06-2016, 06:24 PM

I second! Hopefully I will make it to the courtroom someday.

L Verge · (This post was last modified: 02-06-2016 07:21 PM by L Verge.)

Joan Chaconas and I worked with Susan to put that piece of history together. Much of the work came from the research of James O. Hall, who had assisted Ed Steers years ago when we conned Ed into doing an Atzerodt Escape Route bus tour. The tour was a great success. Unfortunately, the Richter house (where Atzerodt was finally captured) burned shortly thereafter -- and the surrounding area is now very built-up. This is in Jim Garrett's neck of the woods.

I have a cute story from my adventures today: My 15-year-old grandson and I spent four hours doing a dry-run of the Charles County bus tour that we are offering as part of the Surratt conference. One of the stops along the route will be Newport and St. Mary's Catholic Church where Chief Confederate Signal Agent Thomas Jones is buried. I had never been to the grave or the church before today. I knew that Jones has a fairly new Confederate tombstone (engraved with the Southern Cross of Honor) under a large tree that is literally growing out of his grave. I also knew that SCV members keep a Stars and Bars flag on his grave.

Luckily, the old church's remains are still there, so one gets a feel for what is the new graveyard and what is the old. My days of walking graveyards are over, but believe it or not, I did not have to shove my grandson out the car door! With camera/phone in hand, he started searching. First time - wrong area. Second time - he started running at the same time I saw something red fluttering in the breeze. Both of us spotted the Stars and Bars at the same time. I swear it was just like Mr Jones was back to his old Signal Corps days and alerting us where to find him...

And the best part of the day was grandma and grandson sharing history together!

RJNorton · 02-07-2016, 05:46 AM

(02-06-2016 06:16 PM)DanielC Wrote: Thank you for passing this along Betty!

Dan, I still look forward to your hopes of writing a George Atzerodt biography. Are you still considering writing one?

DanielC · 02-07-2016, 06:28 AM

(02-07-2016 05:46 AM)RJNorton Wrote:
(02-06-2016 06:16 PM)DanielC Wrote: Thank you for passing this along Betty!

Dan, I still look forward to your hopes of writing a George Atzerodt biography. Are you still considering writing one?

Someday Roger, maybe someday. There are much more qualified folks out there than yours truly. I'll keep digging for information regarding George and his family, in the hopes of finding at least new information to share with everyone.

Jim Garrett · 02-07-2016, 03:36 PM

Susan Soderberg is regarded as a a very fine historian and THE person for Germantown history. Most of the sights regarding George Atzerodt are long gone including the Richter farm, Metz farm, Purdom home. The Fireplace mantel from the Metz house and numerous foundation stones from the Purdom house have found new lodging at the Garrett's.

The Clopper Mill where Atzerodt slept on the Saturday night of April 15th, is in ruins and part of a state park.

The graves of Hartman Richter, Nathan Page, William Gaither and James Leaman are not far.

Dennis Urban · 02-15-2016, 02:55 PM

Though not a part of Lincoln lore as I recall, there is a CSA soldier buried near the entrance to the old St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church on Clopper Road. There is an interesting story behind his death and burial at St. Rose. I have it somewhere in my old records. The present Clopper Road is probably the route Atzerodt took to his uncle's place.

RJNorton · 02-15-2016, 03:16 PM

(02-15-2016 02:55 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote: Though not a part of Lincoln lore as I recall, there is a CSA soldier buried near the entrance to the old St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church on Clopper Road. There is an interesting story behind his death and burial at St. Rose. I have it somewhere in my old records. The present Clopper Road is probably the route Atzerodt took to his uncle's place.

Dennis, I think there is information here.

Dennis Urban · 02-15-2016, 04:40 PM

Yes, that is a cool piece. Thanks for posting it. When the current "old church" was remodeled, I was a member of the parish and helped clean out the old church. When the current brick entrance walkway was constructed, old bricks from the original church which burned in the 1880s were used to fill in the cross in the walkway. I am unsure if any of the old brick remain on the property but they might.

L Verge · 02-15-2016, 06:36 PM

What a beautiful article and beautiful photos.

Jim Garrett · 02-16-2016, 08:54 PM

The church is less than a mile from the Clopper Mill where George spent Saturday night.

Dennis Urban · 02-17-2016, 01:22 PM

If my mind is not failing me, I believe the ruins of the Clopper Mill are on the south side of Clopper Road about 1/4 mile west of the church and prior to the entrance to the state park. Other than the recent article Betty mentions above, can you folks provide any other sources in which Atzerdot's travels beyond Georgetown are written?

L Verge · 02-17-2016, 01:54 PM

Much of Susan Soderberg's material came from a booklet put together decades ago by James O. Hall, Ed Steers, and Joan Chaconas as a hand-out for a bus tour the Surratt Society conducted (with Ed at the mic) over Atzerodt's escape route. At tht time, Ed was living in Rockville and working at NIH.

Dennis Urban · 02-25-2016, 09:08 AM

(02-16-2016 08:54 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote: The church is less than a mile from the Clopper Mill where George spent Saturday night.

Jim, can you provide attribution for George spending Saturday night before Easter at the Clopper Mill. I am not questioning the veracity of this, I just don't think I have seen such a reference in the past. Thanks.