Countdown to July 7

[HerbS]

Linda,I am now a member of "The Seward House Museum".I am going to hear and see him in September!

[Linda Anderson]

Linda,I am now a member of "The Seward House Museum".I am going to hear and see him in September!

That's wonderful, Herb! Please let us know what he says.

[Gene C]

Did Seward really wear what's shown in Fig 2 & 3? Yikes.

[BettyO]

Linda asked me to post Mr. Seward's photo as he appeared after Lew Powell's attack:

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[Linda Anderson]

Thanks, Betty.

[BettyO]

Thanks, Betty.

I always feel so sorry for Mr. Seward looking at this photo....

I only wish that they had plastic surgery back then. This could have been so easily corrected today....

[J. Beckert]

I think this is the only photo I've seen of Seward after the attack. I've read he never allowed the right side of his face to be photographed after the attack, but there it is. It's the only one and I wonder what his reasoning was.

[Linda Anderson]

I think this is the only photo I've seen of Seward after the attack. I've read he never allowed the right side of his face to be photographed after the attack, but there it is. It's the only one and I wonder what his reasoning was.

That's an interesting question, Joe. If I find out, I'll let you know.

Gene, Seward wore Dr. Gunning's splint until July 9 when it was removed and "a second splint was inserted and worn from July 9 to August 4 and another one until October 1865." John Lattimer, Kennedy and Lincoln: Medical & Ballistic Comparisons of their Assassinations.

[J. Beckert]

Thanks, Linda. This place is smokin' hot today!! I hope the old boy can keep this going!!

[Linda Anderson]

Thanks, Linda. This place is smokin' hot today!! I hope the old boy can keep this going!!

It's up to all of us to keep it going!

[BettyO]

Thanks, Linda. This place is smokin' hot today!! I hope the old boy can keep this going!!

It's up to all of us to keep it going!

It is indeed up to us --- all of us! and it'll Go like the Energizer Bunny!

[Lindsey]

I know this thread has deviated form july 7th and it is a few days passed but I wanted to answer Linda's inquires:
1. Some of Herold's sisters went to the White House as well on that day to request clemency. As we all know, no one was granted an audience.
2. The man is Rev. Dr. Mark Olds. He was the Episcopal minister at Christ Episcopal Church on G Street, not far from the Herold home. He hadn't been preaching long so had never met Davey before but from a letter I found from a relative, he wasn't thrilled to meet him at first but was a southern sympathizer. But he must have changed as right before the drops fell, he turned his back so he wouldn't see. If I remember correctly, he died a few months later from cancer. As far as the hand on his shoulder, it must be from the man in white who later adjusted his noose. I believe Barry and John came up with a few possible names for him but aren't 100% sure who he was. he's not Rath though, as we have all believed for quite some time!

I went and visited Davey and boy was it hot! The plot doesn't look great--the grass being all dried up and some weeds popping up between some of the headstones. But the cemetery is great and the people so helpful.

[BettyO]

I know this thread has deviated form july 7th and it is a few days passed but I wanted to answer Linda's inquires:
1. Some of Herold's sisters went to the White House as well on that day to request clemency. As we all know, no one was granted an audience.
2. The man is Rev. Dr. Mark Olds. He was the Episcopal minister at Christ Episcopal Church on G Street, not far from the Herold home. He hadn't been preaching long so had never met Davey before but from a letter I found from a relative, he wasn't thrilled to meet him at first but was a southern sympathizer. But he must have changed as right before the drops fell, he turned his back so he wouldn't see. If I remember correctly, he died a few months later from cancer. As far as the hand on his shoulder, it must be from the man in white who later adjusted his noose. I believe Barry and John came up with a few possible names for him but aren't 100% sure who he was. he's not Rath though, as we have all believed for quite some time!

I went and visited Davey and boy was it hot! The plot doesn't look great--the grass being all dried up and some weeds popping up between some of the headstones. But the cemetery is great and the people so helpful.

Lindsey -

I believe that Barry and John confirmed that the "man in white" was Col. McCall. I had heard that Olds turned his back - and I don't blame him! I wouldn't have wanted to watch a lady and four young men die either! I do not know if Reverend Stryker and Dr. Gillette turned their backs - but I do know that Gillette stated that the horror of watching young Powell die haunted him for the rest of his life.

[Lindsey]

It would traumatize everyone I would imagine. That's why I hate when newspapers condemn Davey and George and how they supposedly acted on the scaffold--in any one of those reports had been up there wouldn't they be singing a different tune!

Speaking of witnessing the hanging do we know who that person is in the upstairs window? I know for awhile people thought it was Anna, someone else tried to tell me that it was one of Davey's sisters but I've never found any evidence of it.

[Linda Anderson]

Thanks, Lindsey, for the information on Herold's sisters and Rev. Dr. Mark Olds who wisely looked away. I would imagine that many of the witnesses never got the executions out of their minds for the rest of the lives.