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Lindsey · 07-09-2012, 04:54 PM

I was looking over some of my documents on Davey and I thought to myself, "They all would have had a lot of free time while Booth was doing a lot of leg work. What would some of them be doing in the meantime?"

We know that John Jr. was still running around for the Confederacy and Powell was in and out of DC but did Booth give any of them any other little small errands to run before revealing the kidnapping plot on the 15th? What made me think of this was what Davey might have been told to do ex. go and check the roads before the 15th bc it was winter and Booth wanted to make sure that the main roads were clear?

Did George or Sam or Mike have any extra duties?

BettyO · (This post was last modified: 07-09-2012 05:10 PM by BettyO.)

Hey, Lindsey!

I'm so glad to see you post!!

Yes - I've thought the very same thing -- and so has Linda. We've talked about Powell at the Herndon House....

According to Atzerodt, Powell apparently had "control" over certain mounts in regards to the kidnap plot. As a Mosby Ranger, Powell had several horses which he kept at the Payne homestead in Warrenton, so he knew how to manage and care for the animals. Just what Powell was doing in regards to the animals is anyone's guess. I doubt he was mucking out stalls! HA! He was probably making sure that they were stabled somewhere within the city and perhaps paying the feed and board; keeping track of the tack, etc. Just what the boy was doing while at the Herndon House is anyone's guess. He liked to play cards, and as he was apparently afraid to violate his parole to "stay North of Philadelphia during the war", he more than likely either read or played a lot of solitaire! We also know that after the kidnap plot was aborted, he went to New York and wrote Surratt and the Branson girls while there....

Lindsey · 07-09-2012, 06:19 PM

And people doubt poor George! I, for one, think he is a great resource. This is great to know Betty. I'd bet Booth played things close to the chest when planning but I just can't imagine him keeping everyone in the dark and sitting around waiting. I've had this conversation with Laurie before that Booth wasn't the puppet-master that Kauffman makes him out to be, but I do think he had a hold over them so he must have given them some jobs to do.

BettyO · (This post was last modified: 07-09-2012 06:55 PM by BettyO.)

(07-09-2012 06:19 PM)Lindsey Wrote: And people doubt poor George! I, for one, think he is a great resource. This is great to know Betty. I'd bet Booth played things close to the chest when planning but I just can't imagine him keeping everyone in the dark and sitting around waiting. I've had this conversation with Laurie before that Booth wasn't the puppet-master that Kauffman makes him out to be, but I do think he had a hold over them so he must have given them some jobs to do.

George IS a great resource! Dan, do you want to chime in here?! Shy

The rest of the boys weren't just sitting around wasting time and hanging out in saloons and dance halls. I'm sure they had tasks to perform - particularly Surratt and Powell who were more or less "working" for the Confederate government; if you believe what Powell told Gillette....

(07-09-2012 06:55 PM)BettyO Wrote:
(07-09-2012 06:19 PM)Lindsey Wrote: And people doubt poor George! I, for one, think he is a great resource. This is great to know Betty. I'd bet Booth played things close to the chest when planning but I just can't imagine him keeping everyone in the dark and sitting around waiting. I've had this conversation with Laurie before that Booth wasn't the puppet-master that Kauffman makes him out to be, but I do think he had a hold over them so he must have given them some jobs to do.

George IS a great resource! Dan, do you want to chime in here?!

The rest of the boys weren't just sitting around wasting time and hanging out in saloons and dance halls. I'm sure they had tasks to perform - particularly Surratt and Powell who were more or less "working" for the Confederate government if you believe what Powell told Gillette....

Gene C · 07-09-2012, 07:55 PM

Well, we know Booth "assinged" Mary Surratt a task. Why her and not someone else? Was it because she had a "good cover story"? Was she less conspicuous? More reliable?

BettyO · 07-09-2012, 08:06 PM

(07-09-2012 07:55 PM)Gene C Wrote: Well, we know Booth "assinged" Mary Surratt a task. Why her and not someone else? Was it because she had a "good cover story"? Was she less conspicuous? More reliable?

Mary was more or less "assigned" something! I doubt that she didn't know what was in that package that she delivered to Mr. Lloyd -- she may have know something was afoot more or less - it's odd that JWB had visited her just a short time before she left for the country on the afternoon of the 14th and gave her the paper wrapped parcel. Did she think that she was delivering something from her son John? Or did she know what was in that package from that refined actor Mr. Booth? Was she blatently helping "The Cause knowingly?

We'll probably never know - but I think she knew more than was implied....

Gene C · 07-10-2012, 07:07 AM

Didn't Booth pay for the rental of a horse and carriage for Mary Surratt that day?

Lindsey · 07-10-2012, 08:36 AM

(07-10-2012 07:07 AM)Gene C Wrote: Didn't Booth pay for the rental of a horse and carriage for Mary Surratt that day?

I believe she did, Weichmann would be able to tell us specifics in his testimony. If I remember correctly, according to him, she requested his buggy and when Weichmann asked he said he had sold it and gave him some money to rent one. Not the smartest of moves on her part. I think they all underestimated him, what a costly mistake.

BettyO · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2012 11:06 AM by BettyO.)

(07-10-2012 08:36 AM)Lindsey Wrote:
(07-10-2012 07:07 AM)Gene C Wrote: Didn't Booth pay for the rental of a horse and carriage for Mary Surratt that day?

I believe she did, Weichmann would be able to tell us specifics in his testimony. If I remember correctly, according to him, she requested his buggy and when Weichmann asked he said he had sold it and gave him some money to rent one. Not the smartest of moves on her part. I think they all underestimated him, what a costly mistake.

You are correct, Lindsey -- not a smart move at all! I wonder how many "other" little errands Mrs. Surratt ran for Mr. Booth using his buggy - errands that more or less probably went unrecorded or forgotten....this did NOT bode well for her.... If she requested the "use of his buggy" on this occasion, you know that she probably had utilized it in the past!

RJNorton · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2012 04:25 PM by RJNorton.)

Lindsey, I think this was already mentioned under a different thread, but I also want to congratulate you on a terrific article in the Surratt Courier. For what it's worth, I strongly lean to Johnson having seen the clemency plea (i.e. I think he lied about not seeing it).

Kudos, Lindsey. You did a great job.

BettyO · (This post was last modified: 07-10-2012 04:32 PM by BettyO.)

(07-10-2012 04:23 PM)RJNorton Wrote: Lindsey, I think this was already mentioned under a different thread, but I also want to congratulate you on a terrific article in the Surratt Courier. For what it's worth, I strongly lean to Johnson having seen the clemency plea (i.e. I think he lied about not seeing it).

Kudos, Lindsey. You did a great job.

Lindsey - I want to second what Roger said! You DID do a beautiful job - your perception of Mary from the 19th Century viewpoint is astoundingly good - and something that is very little thought of!

Congratulations!

Rsmyth · 07-10-2012, 05:11 PM

I second what Roger said about Lindsey and Johnson!

Lindsey · 07-11-2012, 02:12 PM

Thank you everyone for your kind compliments. It's my first time writing about history and having more than just a professor and a few classmates read it. Such nice words coming from all of you certainly means a lot and carries a lot of weight!

HerbS · 07-11-2012, 03:46 PM

Lindsey,I am very impessed by your,research,insight,and writing.So,I third what Roger said about you and Johnson! My mentor in the 1960's[Albert Castel]wrote the "Biography of Andrew Johnson".He shines a negative light on him!

Lindsey · 07-11-2012, 06:44 PM

Wow Herb, that is quite impressive! I'm sure you learned a lot!

Another question we'll never know the answer to but is worth pondering:

1. What was Booth planning? He and Powell were "casing" Seward's house and he sent Davey down into southern MD to most likely alert the secret line---why? What for?
2. Was it for assassination and the opportunity for Ford's was just too good to pass up?