Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

This is the beginning of a letter. Who wrote it?

[Steve]

It's Annie Surratt's letter to President Johnson requesting that she be able to move her mother's remains.

[RJNorton]

Excellent, Steve. You are absolutely correct!

The entire text reads:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"His Excellency the President of the United States"

"The undersigned most earnestly and respectfully addresses your excellency on a matter which has been for more than three years to her a source of great affliction. She seeks the privilege of removing the remains of her deceased mother, to have them interred in consecrated ground.

She fondly hopes that your excellency will not allow your authority in the premises to expire without granting this request, prompted only by filial love and devotion to the memory of her dear Mother."

Anna E. Surratt

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The request was granted by Andrew Johnson.

[RJNorton]

The following story comes from a young Gettysburg resident named Charles McCurdy. On the night of November 18, 1863, (the day before Lincoln's Gettysburg Address) Secretary of State William Seward stepped outside from the Harper home where he was staying. He found himself in a crowd. He was recognized, and the crowd called for a speech.

Seward said, "Sure, sure, I'll make a speech." He began by saying:

"My very good friends from this grand and glorious state of ________________."

Fill in the blank --> what is the next word that Secretary Seward said?

[L Verge]

Since Seward was basically a New York State politician, I'll guess that he goofed and said "New York"?

[RJNorton]

Logical thinking, Laurie, but it was not New York.

[J. Beckert]

Because it's the only other state they passed through to get there, I'll guess Maryland.

[RJNorton]

Excellent, Joe! Maryland it is. According to McCurdy, Seward had some drinks earlier at the Harper home where he was staying.

McCurdy writes that Harper was with Seward in the crowd. Harper immediately pulled at Seward's coat, and he shouted in Seward's ear: "You have made a mistake, Seward, this isn't Maryland, this is Pennsylvania." Seward turned to the crowd and said: "Oh, yes, and including all other states adjacent thereto." Everyone within earshot laughed.

I did not get this story from McCurdy's book, but I assume it's in there.

https://www.amazon.com/Gettysburg-Memoir...1482345617

[RJNorton]

What is this?

[Eva Elisabeth]

A piece of JWB in a jar in a museum. I couldn't identify but I think it's said vertebrae or thorax.

[J. Beckert]

Is that the piece the Mutter Museum has?

[RJNorton]

Excellent, Eva and Joe! Kudos. I normally would have put this question in assassination trivia, but I thought it might be more of a challenge if I put it in a more general category. This piece of John Wilkes Booth's remains is in the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. Years ago I wrote the museum about the piece, and I was told what was originally thought to be part of Booth's thorax is more likely to be tissue that was cleaned off the cervical vertebrae.

[L Verge]

The last I heard, most folks agreed that the Booth specimen is tissue - not vertebrae - and we do know that the Booth vertebrae were in the old Army Medical Museum (now residing in the National Museum of Health and Medicine outside D.C.).

The Mutter Museum is fascinating, if you don't have a weak stomach. It does contain other famous specimens, such as a jaw tumor from President Cleveland and a number of pieces of Einstein's brain. Check it out here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bs-tr...story.html

[RJNorton]

Vicki and I have friends who are taking a world cruise. They sent this photo of a wall that includes a picture of Abraham Lincoln. This wall is located in what country?

[J. Beckert]

The Philippines?