Lewis Powell: The conspirator who was "different."

[Kapers]

(12-03-2012 10:24 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Others out on the internet have thoughts on Lewis Powell, as well. Here is a poem called: Time of Dying-Lewis Powell:

http://vixenfurr.deviantart.com/art/72-T...-272707567

Talk about your poetic license..... I didn't even recognize the man in the poem. How do you go from the man who felt in part responsible for Mary Surratt's arrest to a guy thirsting to kill again and climbing up the steps to the boarding house? But at least they got the death date correct.

[BettyO]

Obviously written by someone who never did any research on Lew Powell and who wasn't really interested in him as a person -

[L Verge]

I guess that's why the site is called DEVIANT Art -- in this case, it's DEVIANT History.

[BettyO]

Agreed!

[Thomas Thorne]

This epic stinks as both art and history.
Tom

[MaddieM]

(02-10-2013 05:47 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Obviously written by someone who never did any research on Lew Powell and who wasn't really interested in him as a person -

That's just so not Lewis....

[michiganmoon]

(10-12-2012 07:26 PM)BettyO Wrote:  Yes, Powell was a human being - and a good person, really. People don't see that unfortunately as they only concentrate on the crime and not on the boy himself - who he was and WHY he did what he did. Everyone who knew him was impressed with his gentle attitude, friendliness and good natured personality. He was described as gallant to ladies, a true gentleman - yet a lover of practical jokes and as with most young men, a mischief maker who wasn't above a dare if egged on by his comrades. I only hope I can convey that he was truly human and was a decent human being, even though he did commit this horrid crime in light of viewing it as "his duty to his country." He was truly horrified afterwards by what he did.

Every person has a mixture of positives and negatives of varying degree and scope. Have you ever read James L. Swanson's book Manhunt, which portrays him in a worse light?

I think you are correct to point out that he had positives and potential, but I think there is truth to how Swanson and others portray Lewis Powell as well.

He was a 20 year old man that was arrested for violently beating a black maid at a Baltimore boardinghouse for not promptly following his orders. According to a witness Powell threw the lady on the ground, stomped on her while she was on the ground, punched her in the head and then told her that he was going to kill her. The attack was so savage that it was described as nearly killing her. This seems to me to be extreme and violent behavior that can not be written off as normal for a white southerner of the time period.

Swanson also seems to portray Powell as slavishly loyal to Booth and not that smart. Powell accepts a mission with minimal chance for him to fulfill and actually escape. When his pistol misfires, he doesn't do the smart thing and try to fire, he uses his pistol as a club - breaking Seward's skull and the pistol in the process. He stabs or cracks the skull of 5 different people - only one of which was a solider. He then gets lost trying to escape the city, hides, then foolishly gets caught in the process incriminating Mary.

Some have only shown his negative side and that is a disservice as he did have a positive side, but I don't think we should forget his negative side either. I appreciate your insights and knowledge of Lewis Powell and am curious to your response.

[RJNorton]

Welcome to the forum, Keely! Thank you for joining. I am not defending Powell, but I am just trying to figure this out. Is it possible that the maid had seen Mary Branson sneaking into Powell's room for (use your imagination here), and threatened to "spill the beans" about what those two were doing? Or perhaps the maid threatened to reveal to the authorities that Powell might be a Confederate operative? And this caused Powell to "snap?" Does Swanson mention these possibilities? Once again, I am not defending the violence - Powell was totally wrong; I am just wondering if it's possible there was more going on here (inside Powell's mind) than what most books might say.

[BettyO]

Quote:Every person has a mixture of positives and negatives of varying degree and scope. Have you ever read James L. Swanson's book Manhunt, which portrays him in a worse light?

I have to agree with you that yes, no person (including Lincoln) is a god - everyone has both good and bad sides. I am not here to defend Powell by painting him as an innocent lamb. He was most certainly not. He was young, yes - but he was also a human being. He was acting as he told Dr. Abram Gillette, as a Confederate soldier under orders.

Have I read Swanson? No. I am not a fan of Mr. Swanson. He writes good history, but I prefer Mike Kauffman's research. Have you read American Brutus? It's a far more in depth study. Manhunt, I think, is more for the lay person.

What I have discovered regarding the maid, Annie is that she more or less knew of Mary Branson's midnight visits to Powell's room. She wasn't just going up to tuck him in as it were....like Roger said, you can use your imagination as to why a 35 year old spinster was haunting the bedroom of a 20 year old boy. I smell cougar. Apparently the maid saw or knew what was going on and threatened to squeal to Branson's parents. She may have threatened to rat on Powell's dealings with the Confederacy. Mr. Branson was also in on the kidnap plot. Their house was a "notorious Confederate safe house" according to Lt. H. B. Smith (Between the Lines.) At any rate, Powell was arrested as a "spy" - no where was it listed as "Assault and Battery."

Powell was totally wrong to explode as he did and beat the maid. I'm no proponent of violence either - but it happened. He did have an explosive temper, according to his family and apparently he just lost it. Unfortunately, in the 19th Century, servants were not treated with the same rights and considerations as "ladies" were treated. This was universal - it was simply a different world than ours today.

According to those who knew Powell, he was no dummy, but rather cultured and intelligent. He was not slavishly devoted to Booth. This is an old canard which has been handed down through the years and was embellished by Powell's attorney Doster. Powell saw Booth as a superior officer, yes - and supposedly JWB did have a Captain's commission. This, unfortunately, can't be confirmed. But this is what Powell told Gillette.

Yes, Powell panicked at Seward's house. As a Mosby Ranger, he was used to fighting outside; not in close quarters. There were also women present. This also threw him off. And yes, he seriously injured five people in the house that night. It is my opinion that he simply panicked. I also wonder what affect his being in the army from age 17 on had to do with this. Could he have had PTS Syndrome which could account for some of the violence? We don't know. A lot of researchers today are now thinking that PTS may have had a lot to do with the actions and reactions of a lot of young Civil War Soldiers. Many of them committed suicide after the war or turned to a life of crime. Take Jesse James for instance - same scenario. Went into the Confederate Army at the age of about 16. Look how he turned out.

Powell more or less wasn't lost. He was heading to Baltimore when he was thrown from his horse as the animal stumbled and fell attempting to jump a ditch (see Steer's The Evidence .) Powell was knocked out, possibly suffering a mild concussion (see Elliott and Cauchon's Between the Walls, Vol. II) and when he came to, found his horse gone. He therefore decided to hide out until he could think of what to do. Yes, he did stumble back to Mary Surratt's house a few days later, but it was the only place in DC besides the Herndon House where he thought he could find clean clothing and a meal before hitting the road, again probably to Baltimore.

[HerbS]

Powell and I are alike in so-many ways,same with Custer!

[L Verge]

It is the fine-tuned research done by experts such as our Betty O that puts the full story of the assassination into perspective. Instead of making generalizations as to what people were like and what went on, readers can see two sides and rationalizations/explanations for what really happened. Every story has two sides, and in the case of the American Civil War, it is important to understand both sides and also the twists and turns of history that occurred.

While I do not condone assassination or murder in any circumstance, I can understand why it happens -- and I understand it much more when I know documented evidence affecting the people, places, and times in which it is committed. It also helps tremendously when I know the researchers and authors who contribute to our field. For example, mention was made of both James Swanson and Michael Kauffman. I have known them both for many years, know their style of writing, and know their goals as historians and authors. Mr. Swanson writes for the general audience who might be just starting to be interested in the Lincoln assassination. His style flows and is easy to absorb. The novice student is not loaded down with details -- and judging by the amount of visitors to Surratt House who still rave about his book and how it got them interested, his style works.

On the other hand, Mr. Kauffman is the proverbial historian's historian who delves into details and analyzes every particular as to how it fit into the overall puzzle that we call the Lincoln conspiracy. His style reflects this consummate search for new and revealing facts. Is his style too heavy for some to deal with? I have had folks tell me that; but if I need to answer a question in depth, American Brutus (and a number of other sources) would be where I turned.

I guess the purpose of this sermon is to reinforce our need to study as much as we can about the Civil War, Lincoln, the conspirators, and the era in order to have a well-rounded background before we pass judgment on anyone.

P.S. We tend to always make note of Powell beating a servant and being judged as "evil" for doing that. Why is it that we seldom hear about Dr. Mudd shooting one of his slaves in the leg for disobedience? I am not a fan of Dr. Mudd, but let's include him in the cast of those who did bad things during a very difficult time in American history.

[BettyO]

Thank you for your kind words, Laurie. And I agree with you regarding Dr. Mudd's temper as well. Totally uncalled for actions!

I feel that those whom we study need an in-depth look to try and decipher not only the individuals but the time in which they lived. Their surroundings and social influences also molded who they were - just as our time defines who we are.

All authors have valid points for the audience for whom they write. We need authors like Swanson to get the interest perked for those potential students who would seek further clarification from sources such as Kauffman and Steers on the influences of what happened and why.

[PaigeBooth]

I agree with Betty and Laurie! And yes, Mr. Kauffman's American Brutus is WONDERFUL. It thoroughly covers every twist and turn of the assassination, and is something I think anyone studying Lincoln's assassination should read.

I also agree concerning the horrid aftereffect the war might have had on Powell. Imagine the gruesome sites Lewis Powell must have seen throughout the war; this would be enough to scar anyone. I think it would be almost impossible for someone who entered such a horrible war at such a young age, to walk out of it without some disturbing thoughts. No one can condone assassination, but I personally believe that every young man who selflessly joined the army to fight for a Cause so dear to their heart (and this includes Mr. Powell) was good in a sense of loving there country unconditionally.

I always like to say that American history (any type of history) is so much more than the dates and the times in which things occurred. History (particularly the Civil War and Lincoln Assassination) is a fascinating study of people, and the time period in which they lived, how they thought, and how their decisions (whether they were good, bad, evil, or kind) ultimately affected our world and how we see and appreciate it today.

Betty, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Powell attend school and receive what was considered a proper education at that time? I think you also mentioned to me awhile back that Powell's mother attended an all girl school in Georgia? Thanks for all your research!

[HerbS]

Amen,Laurie,BettyO,and everyone else!

[BettyO]

...didn't Powell attend school and receive what was considered a proper education at that time? I think you also mentioned to me awhile back that Powell's mother attended an all girl school in Georgia?

Thank you Herb and Paige -

Yes Powell was taught by his father who was also the local schoolmaster. His mother attended a girl's academy in Georgia. Therefore, the old story that Powell was illiterate is a definite misconception. Powell made up this story when he related after his capture that he could "neither read nor write"; this do in reference to the handwritten statement on his Oath of Allegiance "To go North of Philadelphia and remain during the war...." He didn't want to let on to the authorities that he had read the notation!

Powell read medical books at the Branson house and played chess with the other boarders. Certainly not the past times of an uncouth booby....