The Surratt Courier

[Rhatkinson]

I am sure that most people who are on this board (ie, nerds as my wife would call us) are current subscribers, but please let me recommend the Surratt Courier to anyone who is a student of the Lincoln assassination. I joined the Surratt Society as a life member (only $125) this January, so I have received 3 issues of the Courier so far. It is EXCELLENT. Really good writing. Count this post as a free advertisement for the Courier. You will not be disappointed, and it helps to keep this fascinating part of history alive.

Heath

[J. Beckert]

I concur, Heath- it never disappoints. I really enjoyed Rick Smith's and Bill Richter's piece on "Mr. Chrisman". Things like that and David Keehn's piece on who may have been involved in the conspiracy show that there's more to be dug up yet. Congrats to all who contribute.

[RJNorton]

I sure agree with you two gentlemen. If I count correctly four members of this forum have articles in the current Courier....Rick Smith, Bill Richter, Wes Harris, and David Keehn. Kudos to all of you folks. The Courier was 19 pages long - a record, Laurie?

While we are on the topic of the Courier I should also mention that another forum member, Fred Hatch, publishes the Journal of the Lincoln Assassination. I think I am correct in saying a one year subscription is $12 and two years is $20. To subscribe to Fred's journal the address is:

Autograph Press
P.O. Box 2616
Waldorf, MD 20604

[L Verge]

The last three issues have all been 20 pages counting the mailer. As long as our wonderful members keep writing, we'll keep publishing. If you look at our masthead, you will notice that we have been doing the Courier for 38 years - twelves times a year. That's a lot of articles, and only in a few incidences have we repeated one. We have even published three books on the best of the articles and are hoping to get a fourth one out by the end of the year.

I second Roger's suggestion to check out Fred Hatch's publication also. I believe it's published three times a year.

P.S. Membership in the Surratt Society is only $10/year for an individual. Additional members residing at the same address pay just $5. I know, shameless promotion.

[BettyO]

For what you get - truly the best deal around! Trust me! I'm a Life Member and that too, is one of the best deals - JOIN!

We also have a world-wide membership - not just in the US..... My shameless promotion plug......

[GARY POPOLO]

I am sure that most people who are on this board (ie, nerds as my wife would call us) are current subscribers, but please let me recommend the Surratt Courier to anyone who is a student of the Lincoln assassination. I joined the Surratt Society as a life member (only $125) this January, so I have received 3 issues of the Courier so far. It is EXCELLENT. Really good writing. Count this post as a free advertisement for the Courier. You will not be disappointed, and it helps to keep this fascinating part of history alive.

Heath

Heath, How right you are! I joined in January and have enjoyed and wait each month for my next paper to be delivered. The story on Lewis Powell alone was excellent. I would highly recommened this paper.

[Laurie Verge]

We actually have approximately 1500 members worldwide with nearly every state represented (just got one from Alaska today), Canada, England, Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Australia.

Just a note of interest: The Courier began in the fall of 1976 as a tool for teaching our volunteers about the Surratt history since most of the books on the subject at that time were few and far between and out-of-print. We then started adding CW history and 19th-century social and cultural tidbits. At that time, we only had about 20 volunteers. However, they started sharing the newsletter with others, and we started getting questions as to whether or not we needed associate members (they didn't want to give tours) who could receive the newsletters also. And that's the way it happened...

We are blessed to have very knowledgeable members who happily share their information - and we have never paid for a single article!

[Rhatkinson]

We actually have approximately 1500 members worldwide with nearly every state represented (just got one from Alaska today), Canada, England, Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Australia.

Just a note of interest: The Courier began in the fall of 1976 as a tool for teaching our volunteers about the Surratt history since most of the books on the subject at that time were few and far between and out-of-print. We then started adding CW history and 19th-century social and cultural tidbits. At that time, we only had about 20 volunteers. However, they started sharing the newsletter with others, and we started getting questions as to whether or not we needed associate members (they didn't want to give tours) who could receive the newsletters also. And that's the way it happened...

We are blessed to have very knowledgeable members who happily share their information - and we have never paid for a single article!

Laurie,

Is it possible to purchase back issues? I would love to read them and would gladly pay.

Heath

[Hess1865]

I should have joined/subscribed years ago!
Next time I'm up your way I'll have to buy the books of back copies!!!

[L Verge]

Heath,

I would suggest buying the three-volume set of the best assassination-related articles. They sell for $25 each or $65 for the set, and we absorb the postage for Life Members. We also do mail orders and accept Visa or MasterCard over the phone.

Our webpage is currently a mess, but we still have a listing of books that we offer at the museum or through mail order. I believe that the index of all of our newsletter articles is online still also. We no longer offer full sets, but we will honor small orders for certain issues at $1/newsletter.

[Jim Garrett]

Heath,

I would suggest buying the three-volume set of the best assassination-related articles. They sell for $25 each or $65 for the set, and we absorb the postage for Life Members. We also do mail orders and accept Visa or MasterCard over the phone.

Our webpage is currently a mess, but we still have a listing of books that we offer at the museum or through mail order. I believe that the index of all of our newsletter articles is online still also. We no longer offer full sets, but we will honor small orders for certain issues at $1/newsletter.

I purchaesd all three volumes and the brain trust is second to none. The courier provides a great opportunity to share information on the assassination which may never be published otherwise. The articles are interesting, well researched and documented and provide little known facts. Reading the article by Bill and Rick is a stellar example. I think I know the story of the asssassination and escape pretty well. However, I never knew that Thomas Harbin stayed in an abandoned school house on the Quesenberry property. Kudos to all contributors.

[RJNorton]

I very much enjoyed reading the article by Bill Richter and Rick Smith in the May Surratt Courier. The article is entitled "Could John Wilkes Booth Have Committed Suicide at Garrett's Farm?" No matter where one stands on this historical debate, these two gentlemen have presented lots of information in a very well-written, clear, enjoyable-to-read article. Lots to ponder. Great job.

[BettyO]

Can't wait to read that!! Hope I get mine soon! Kudos to Rick and Wild Bill!

[Jim Garrett]

People have express that they are never disappointed in the courier. I for one, am always disappointed! Disappointed then I'm finished and want more

[L Verge]

I had a phone call today from a new Life Member who just joined a few weeks ago. He asked to be caught up on the Couriers from January of this year when he joined, and I sent him the back issues. Today, he called to order the three-volume set of best assassination articles from 1977-2000 (and yes, Lindsey is working on the next volume).

He almost made me blush about how wonderful the newsletters were. He said that he had expected about 3-4 pages of stuff about what was happening at the museum and who was giving what, etc. He had no idea that the newsletters would be 12-16 pages each month with scholarly articles taking up most of the space.

All I can say is that we have kept the newsletter rolling every month since 1977 with the generosity of members who share their knowledge. Keep those articles coming, please. I should add that we have never paid for an article and never intend to do so - unless it is something just too good to miss. In which case, it should be fodder for a book, not our newsletter.