The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Death of Lincoln This Date, 1865-- Part 3: Was Mary Surratt a Part of the Conspiracy?

8.  HOW DID BOOTH STAY IN HIDING FOR SO LONG?

Booth was on the run for twelve days and accompanied by David Herold.  They went to Surratt Tavern in Maryland and got supplies, then to Dr. Mudd's to have Booth's broken leg set and then they went to Virginia.

They were aided by a former Confederate spy and by Confederate sympathizers.  the Union military was hot on their trail and then a person directed them to the Garrett farm where Booth was fatally shot and Herold surrendered.

9.  THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO KIDNAP LINCOLN.

In a March meeting, Booth and his conspirators developed plans to kidnap Lincoln while he was returning from a play at Campbell Hospital on March 17.  However, Lincoln changed his plans at the last minute and went to a military ceremony.  Then Booth planned to kidnap Lincoln after he left an earlier event at Ford's Theater, but changed his mind after Lee's surrender.

10.  WAS MARY SURRATT PART OF THE CONSPIRACY?

This is still hotly debated.  She definitely was a Southern sympathizer and owned a home in Washington, D.C., that was used as a boarding house and was friends with Booth.  She also owned a tavern in Maryland that she rented.

She was with Booth the day of the assassination and allegedly told the innkeeper she rented to to get a pair of guns ready that night for visitors.  His testimony doomed Surratt to the gallows.  What was controversial was that she was hanged on approval of President Johnson.

--Old Secesh

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