Countdown to July 7

[Susan Higginbotham]

(07-07-2015 03:37 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Susan and Betty, many thanks for posting and sharing your links/writings with the forum. Great job!

P.S. I did not previously know John Ford wrote a letter to President Johnson on Mary's behalf. Does the letter (or text of it) still exist?

I don't know if the letter or its text still exists. Ford mentions it here:

https://archive.org/stream/jstor-2510176...1/mode/2up

[HerbS]

Laurie,the grant is a tremendous honor! I am proud of your leadership of the Surratt House!Tremendous post Sue,thanks for sharing the letter.I think that Johnson should have stayed out of the entire mess.But,he had to get his pound of flesh,after all, he was the new president!

[Lincoln Wonk]

(07-05-2012 10:49 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Indeed, Betty! The day after the hangings, July 8, 1865, ol' Ned was taken outside to exercise in the same yard where the executions took place. The scaffold was still standing. Ned said to Rath, "Captain, I have been in hell for 24 hours. I heard the condemned pass my cell. Then my heart stopped beating, for I expected to be called next. I heard the drop fall and my agony was terrible. I had no relief till supper-time when I couldn't eat, and this hurt me worse than anything else." (Gray, John A. "The Fate of the Lincoln Conspirators: The Account of the Hanging, Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Rath, the Executioner." McClure's Magazine 37 (October 1911)

Roger, Thanks for this. This is amazing. How awful to be in poor Spangler's shoes.

[Tom Bogar]

I also found John Ford's account of his late-night letter to Johnson on Mary Surratt's account interesting, and decided to include it (p. 231) in Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination. And I definitely agree with Kathy's observation about being in Spangler's shoes (see pp. 210-18 of Backstage). What a sad case he was.

[richard petersen]

Although this subject title was posted 4 years ago I find it interesting to relive the events. ( and the 12 pages of posts) The anxiety, pain that Anna endured. The condemned etc.