Sarah Slater

[Gene C]

Betty mentioned that John Surratt and Sarah Slater were in Richmond on March 29th. (The Evidence that sealed Mrs Surratt's Fate post #76)

Do we know where she was on April 14th?

[BettyO]

According to CR, Harney "At the end of March 1865, Harney was in Richmond still doing special with with explosives in the Torpedo Bureau." (p. 419) The authors also state that as of April 2, Harney was part of an organized group sent with others to join Mosby in Fauquier County. "At the same time that Harney and his men left Richmond, Surratt was in the city [Richmond] having arrived there about March 29th with Sarah Slater." She had come from Montreal with dispatches from Jacob Thompson and Edwin Lee for Secretary of State Benjamin." (p. 419) The footnote states that "Surratt used the name of Henry Sherman when checking into the Spotswood Hotel, Richmond on March 29, 1865 and left on April 1 (testimony per hotel clerk, B. Tinsley, Jr. - Surratt Trial, Vol. 2 pp. 790-791.

The info on Slater is from Come Retribution - where she was on the 14th, I don't know....John Stanton needs to chime in here -

[L Verge]

John Stanton and Dr. Jeanne Christie have cooperatively done a great deal of research on The Lady in the Veil. I hope that their findings will be published soon in copyrighted format so that their research does not get "confiscated" by certain parties that do such things.

[John Stanton]

Sarah Slater is known to have been in Richmond, with John Surratt on April 1, 1865. They left together, headed for Canada. They arrived April 6 +/-. Surratt was sent immediately to Elmira, NY. to scout-out the prison there. There is no direct mention of Sarah until April 18. In my opimion , she went to Elmira with Surratt. There is a report by Lafayette Baker's detectives in "The History of the U. S, Secret Service", that Surratt was seen riding on a train in Vermont in mid April - traveling with "a very short man". This individual was bundled up to the ears, and was not allowed to talk when addressed by the coductor. (Sarah was less than 5' - 0" tall). When Surratt arrived in Montreal and signed-in at the St. Lawrence Hall (as "John Harrison"), the next name on the Ledger is "A. Raynaud" - Sarah Slater's Mothers' maiden name. Based on this, Sarah was in Elmira, NY on April 14, 1865. (I don't know if Dr. Christie shares that belief, but she knows the story)

[Gene C]

I can't remember....
Was Sarah's trip to Canada with documents for the St Albans Raiders, her first trip as a Confederate courier?

Do we know where was she, and what was she doing, prior to this?
And how long was she in Canada after the documents were delivered, and where did she head next?

Can someone also explain what compelled Sarah to become involved in this specific activity for the St. Albans Raiders?
Do we even know why?
(Please refer to a source if you have one, an educated guess is also OK, if you can take me for a ride on your train of thought)

[SSlater]

[quote='Gene C' pid='18559' dateline='1368965629']
Betty mentioned that John Surratt and Sarah Slater were in Richmond on March 29th. (The Evidence that sealed Mrs Surratt's Fate post #76)

Do we know where she was on April 14th? You wont get everyone to agree, but some will say that she was in Elmira, with Surratt. There is a story in Baker's "History of the Secret Service" where one of his Detectives identified Surratt riding a train across New York State, at this time, with "A little Man" (who was not allowed to talk)and was bundled up disguise - who I claim is Sarah (Sarah was barely 5' tall)

[RJNorton]

Do we know where she was on April 14th?

John, here is what Art Loux writes:

"Sarah Slater kept a low profile when the news of the Lincoln assassination reached Montreal. Within a month she resumed a quiet, civilian life at her 84th Street residence in New York City."

[SSlater]

Do we know where she was on April 14th?

John, here is what Art Loux writes:

"Sarah Slater kept a low profile when the news of the Lincoln assassination reached Montreal. Within a month she resumed a quiet, civilian life at her 84th Street residence in New York City."

I have no argument with this. We can add "with her husband Rowan Slater" , as she testified at her divorce proceedings