The Surratt Courier

[wpbinzel]

Great news for all who have missed reading their issues of The Surratt Courier in 2020. As of this evening, the 2020 issues are available on the Surratt Society's website: www.surrattmuseum.org . In the past, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission printed and paid the postage to mail the Courier, but citing COVID, the Commission ceased publication after the March 2020 issue. At this point, it is uncertain when or if the Commission will resume publication. With annual dues of $10, printing and mailing is not a task the Surratt Society can afford. Consequently, the decision was made to post the Courier online and to initially make it available to all who visit the Society's website regardless of whether they are members of the Society. (Of course, if you find the Courier to be of interest, we hope that you will join and support the Surratt Society. At $10, it is a pretty good deal.)

The April issue of the Courier is a fitting tribute to Laurie Verge. After that, given the time and effort that goes into an issue (a task previously done by Laurie), the decision was made to produce issues bimonthly. Louise Oertly, the president of the Surratt Society, has ably assumed the role of composing and editing the Courier.

It has taken us a while to get all of this assembled and posted, and we thank the Surratt Society members for their patience. But if you missed the Courier last year, I hope that you will find the back issues worth the wait.

[RJNorton]

Many thanks for posting, Bill.

[Wesley Harris]

Many thanks for posting, Bill.

Address to send dues? Is the Surratt House office open?

[wpbinzel]

Address to send dues? Is the Surratt House office open?

Wes, because the primary benefits of membership in the Surratt Society were The Surratt Courier and free admission to the Surratt House Museum -- both of which were suspended for most of 2020 -- the Executive Committee of the Society voted to automatically extend the membership of Society annual members until November 2021. (Of course, the Surratt Society welcomes dues and donations: The Surratt Society, 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 20735.) While the museum remains closed, the Museum office is open, but the Commission limits occupancy to only one staff member at a time.

[Ernesto]

Great news for all who have missed reading their issues of The Surratt Courier in 2020. As of this evening, the 2020 issues are available on the Surratt Society's website: www.surrattmuseum.org . In the past, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission printed and paid the postage to mail the Courier, but citing COVID, the Commission ceased publication after the March 2020 issue. At this point, it is uncertain when or if the Commission will resume publication. With annual dues of $10, printing and mailing is not a task the Surratt Society can afford. Consequently, the decision was made to post the Courier online and to initially make it available to all who visit the Society's website regardless of whether they are members of the Society. (Of course, if you find the Courier to be of interest, we hope that you will join and support the Surratt Society. At $10, it is a pretty good deal.)

The April issue of the Courier is a fitting tribute to Laurie Verge. After that, given the time and effort that goes into an issue (a task previously done by Laurie), the decision was made to produce issues bimonthly. Louise Oertly, the president of the Surratt Society, has ably assumed the role of composing and editing the Courier.

It has taken us a while to get all of this assembled and posted, and we thank the Surratt Society members for their patience. But if you missed the Courier last year, I hope that you will find the back issues worth the wait.

---

Bill, much thanks for carrying on

[ReignetteC]

Great news for all who have missed reading their issues of The Surratt Courier in 2020. As of this evening, the 2020 issues are available on the Surratt Society's website: www.surrattmuseum.org . In the past, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission printed and paid the postage to mail the Courier, but citing COVID, the Commission ceased publication after the March 2020 issue. At this point, it is uncertain when or if the Commission will resume publication. With annual dues of $10, printing and mailing is not a task the Surratt Society can afford. Consequently, the decision was made to post the Courier online and to initially make it available to all who visit the Society's website regardless of whether they are members of the Society. (Of course, if you find the Courier to be of interest, we hope that you will join and support the Surratt Society. At $10, it is a pretty good deal.)

The April issue of the Courier is a fitting tribute to Laurie Verge. After that, given the time and effort that goes into an issue (a task previously done by Laurie), the decision was made to produce issues bimonthly. Louise Oertly, the president of the Surratt Society, has ably assumed the role of composing and editing the Courier.

It has taken us a while to get all of this assembled and posted, and we thank the Surratt Society members for their patience. But if you missed the Courier last year, I hope that you will find the back issues worth the wait.

---

Bill, much thanks for carrying on

The tributes to Laurie Verge (April edition) are beautiful.

[Eva Elisabeth]

The latest issue is out! I love it! And another tribute to Laurie!

[wpbinzel]

The latest issue is out! I love it! And another tribute to Laurie!

Yes, the January/February 2021 issue of The Surratt Courier has been posted at: https://www.surrattmuseum.org/surratt-courier . The subject of this issue is John M. Lloyd, the man who rented the Surrattsville tavern from Mary Surratt in late 1864, and who provided the pivotal testimony that sent her to the gallows.

The Executive Committee of the Surratt Society has decided to make the 2020 and 2021 issues of the Courier available to all who visit the Society's website. For those who have an interest in the Lincoln assassination (and you likely would not be reading this if you didn't), we hope that you will take the opportunity to browse the issues and help us to continue the legacy of Laurie Verge.

The mainpage of the website is: https://www.surrattmuseum.org

[Anita]

Will you be sending a notice by mail or email to all subscribers and Life members or are they all members of this forum?

A big thanks to you and all who have worked so hard to keep the this going. Now I'm excited to visit the site!

[Anita]

All is explained on the site! Thanks. Will be spending lots of time here.

[Dennis Urban]

Last Tuesday, while this illustrious site was down for remodeling, the first anniversary of the passing of our dear friend Laurie Verge was observed. Oh how many times I have thought of her during the past year and wished I could communicate with her. Perhaps the finest tribute to Laurie would be for each of the members of this forum to join the Surratt Society. You will not be disappointed with the wealth of information available to you. Keep watching the site for the availability of the bi-monthly Surratt Courier. The current edition centers on John Lloyd and contains information that may be previously unknown to site followers. Please check it out; you shall not be disappointed..

[wpbinzel]

The March/April 2021 issue of The Surratt Courier has been posted on the Surratt Society's website (" surrattmuseum.org ")and may be viewed at:

https://e5ec1477-9120-45b9-bf06-b84967a7...7446cc.pdf

[RJNorton]

Thanks for posting, Bill.

[mbgross]

thanks, i really enjoyed the Lincoln book article, there is a couple I need to get.

[wpbinzel]

thanks, i really enjoyed the Lincoln book article, there is a couple I need to get.

MB - I do not know if Randal is on the Forum, but I will be sure to pass along your compliment to him. On my Lincoln assassination bookshelves, the book I probably reach for more often than all others is Ed Steers' The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. Another book I recommend is The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies by William Hanchett. As you build your library, another "must have" book is The Trial, which is the Pitman transcript of the 1865 Conspirators' trial, as edited by Ed Steers, with commentary by experts. So much of what we know about the Lincoln assassination came from that testimony. And finally, nearly all of the statements and information in the assassination investigation comes from the M-599 reels of microfilm at the National Archives. In 2009, Ed Steers and Bill Edwards did students of the Lincoln assassination the great favor transcribing and indexing all of those documents in The Lincoln Assassination - the Evidence. It is a 1,455 page volume and not inexpensive, but absolutely invaluable. Have fun building your library. Bill