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Abe Lincoln Assassination Conspirators Trial |
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Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients
Trial of the Assassination Conspirators
After a trial of almost two months in length, a verdict of "Guilty" for all concerned was reached on June 30. Four would go to the gallows - George Atzerodt, David Herold, Lewis Powell "Paine" and Mrs. Surratt. The other four, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Samuel B. Arnold, Michael O'Laughlen and Edman Spangler, received life sentences and were to be sent to Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida.
The date set for the executions was Friday, July 7th and those condemned were notified on the morning of the 6th. According to most press releases of the time; young Powell was the only one who took the news in somewhat stoic fashion - he had been expecting the verdict and had steeled himself to meet it. The other three were more or less prostrated by the news. Mrs. Surratt wept inconsolably and her daughter pled excessively to anyone who approached the cell. Not resolved in any way to her mother's hopeless plight, she even ventured to the White House to beg President Johnson's pardon. Johnson was immovable.
Here then, is how one correspondent saw the proceedings of the executions. As the press was not allowed inside the prison or death cells, journalists were busy interviewing any and all who passed inside to glean information as to how the doomed conspirators spent their last night and morning.
THE EXECUTIONS
The Last Scene of All
DEMEANOR OF THE ASSASSINS -- THE SCENE ON THE GALLOWS
INTERESTING DETAILS OF THE EVENT
THE ARRANGEMENTS OF THE SCAFFOLD
THE 'DROP' FALLS AT TWENTY MINUTES PAST ONE O'CLOCK
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE BOSTON POST
Washington, July 7
The last great tragic chapter of the great conspiracy to assassinate the President and Cabinet, is finished. Today, at half-past one o'clock, within the Penitentiary walls when they were tried and convicted, Lewis Payne Powell (sic), Mary e. Surratt, David Harold (sic), and George A. Atzerodt, were hung by the neck until they were dead, in execution of the sentence of the Military Commission, duly approved by the President, for the crime of conspiracy and treason and murder.
The painful scene was unattended by either extraordinary accident or incident, and was conducted in the most solemn and quiet manner.
At noon yesterday the condemned were notified of the sentence of death, and in a short time thereafter their friends and spiritual advisors were in their presence. During the afternoon the condemned men were removed from an upper row and placed on the ground floor of cells. their companions in crime, Mudd, Spangler, O'Laughlin (sic) and Arnold remained in the third tier of cells, unaware of the sentences of their fellow prisoners or of their own.
Mrs. Surratt was kept in her old cell, attended by her daughter, Miss Anna Surratt, and two Catholic clergymen of this city. During the night she was very much oppressed and suffered from pains caused by nervous prostration. A good deal of her time was spent in religious exercises, and she did not therefore sleep any. Her daughter and one or two friends were allowed to see her, but each time in the presence of an officer. During the night Mrs. Surratt conversed freely with the Catholic priests on the crime for which she was convicted, claiming all the time it is understood, that she was innocent of any complicity in the assassination of the President. Breakfast was served to her at the usual hour this morning, but she declined to eat anything. Miss Anna Surratt, who visited the President's house this morning, returned to her mother's cell and remained with her to quarter before one, when she took a last farewell in a most agonizing state of mind.
Artist' conception of Mrs. Surratt's last hours in the death cell attended by a Priest.
Payne (sic) spent the night and morning in company of Rev. Dr. Gillette, a Baptist minister, with whom he held free converse, except for three hours when he slept. He very freely conversed with Dr. Gillette on religious topics during the morning, sitting erect as he did in the court room. From his conversation, it appears that he was raised religiously, and belonged to the Baptist church until after the breaking out of the rebellion. He appeared to be sincerely repentant, and in his cell shed tears freely. He gave his advisor several commissions of a private character and stated that he was willing to meet his God, asking all men to forgive him, and forgiving all who had done aught against him. Colonel Doster, his counsel, also took leave of him during the morning as well as with Atzerott (sic).
Payne (sic) ate his breakfast as usual.(1) Payne (sic) he said that he thought he was doing right in attempting to kill Secretary Seward, as he still claimed to be a Confederate soldier, aside form that he admitted that he believed it would give peace to the South. He thinks now that it was all wrong, and blames Rebel leaders for his death, though he did not fear to die. Several times he expressed his thanks for the kind treatment which he had received from officers while in prison. He stated that he was led into the conspiracy by Booth and John Surratt.
Sketch of Powell in the death cell as he appeared to a National Police Gazette Artist. As the Press was not allowed admittance into the Prison, apparently the artists must have had someone describe the demeanor of the prisoners.
Harold (sic) was visited by an Episcopal minister this morning, but he did not remain long. Five of his sisters spent most all of the forenoon with him, his mother and two other sisters being too ill to visit him.
Davey Herold in the death cell surrounded by his five weeping sisters
Atzerott (sic), during all of last night and today, seemed to betray great fear. He was nervous and excited, and said that he was afraid to die; that he was not prepared. Two ministers attend him, but he did not appear to be religiously comforted. Atzerott stated to these gentlemen last night that John Surratt convinced him to join the conspirators to abduct the President, and that Surratt came to Port Tobacco, Maryland to get him with a boat to take the President across the Potomac after he was abducted.
It was now after one o'clock, and some of the spectators thought the delay meant a reprieve for Mrs. Surratt, but in five minutes the prison doors near the scaffold opened, and the prisoners appeared, with a guard of soldiers headed by General Hartranft. Each of the prisoners was manacled, and Mrs. Surratt headed the procession. She was so physically prostrated that she had to be lifted on to the steps leading to the scaffold. In addition to this, her limbs were so heavily manacled that her steps were impeded.(2) She was accompanied by two officers and two Catholic clergymen. Once on the platform and seated in the chair, she seemed at this moment to be in a fainting condition, leaning on her left arm, and looking sorrowfully upward; a soldier held an umbrella to protect her from the hot sun. She was attired in a plain black dress and black bonnet. As she sat there before the noose was adjusted, one of the catholic priests administered the service of that church, and held a cross to her lips.
Payne (sic) was placed next to Mrs. Surratt and seated on the same drop. His eyes were reddened from weeping, but his face had much color. He seemed very much collected. He was clad in shirt and pantaloons of blue, and wore a sailor's straw hat.
Over the next drop Harold (sic) and Atzerott (sic) were seated. Harold (sic) looked slovenly; his hair was uncombed, his clothes were soiled, and he appeared in his stocking feet. He wore an old slouched hat with the brim turned down all around.
Atzerott (sic) was also in his stocking feet and dressed in coarse grey. He was undemonstrative at first, but soon showed fear.
Payne (sic) looked at the spectators, kept his head erect and maintained a half defiant air.
Rare photograph of the execution plainly shows Powell's face and Mrs. Surratt leaning in a fainting condition on the arm of one of her spiritual attendants. Herold and Atzerodt sit at the far right facing the nooses.
Enlargement of above photo shows Powell with closed eyes and bowed head
while Dr. Augustus Stryker kneels and prays at his side
Thus arranged, the death warrants were read and the closing religious exercises took place. All of the clergymen except the priests, at the request of Harold (sic), Payne (sic), and Atzerott (sic), stated that the prisoners desired to thank the officers who had attended them. Prayer was offered for each one, in which the condemned visibly joined. Dr. Gillette first prayed for Payne (sic), whose eyes at the moment were filled with tears. The priests repeated a Latin prayer for Mrs. Surratt.
These solemn ceremonies being over, all of the prisoners then stood up and were bound. Atzerott (sic) was first bound at the wrists with his arms behind him and at his knees and ankles. Mrs. Surratt and the others were also bound in the same way. Owing to her dress it took several minutes to bind Mrs. Surratt, who was held up during the operation. Long strips of white cotton cloth were used instead of ropes. The fatal nooses now were opened to admit the heads of the criminals, and the noose as usual, was adjusted under the left ear. Payne (sic) worked his neck in the noose as if dissatisfied with the adjustment, and the noose was widened a little to suit his ample neck. Mrs. Surratt seemed to find it difficult to stand, and said them near her, "Please don't let me fall." This was just before the drop fell.
Atzerott (sic), who seemed to grow excited as his last moments approached, and just before the white cap was placed over his head, attempted in a gasping manner to address the spectators. his parched lips would not obey the helm, and it was distressing to see him convulsively endeavoring to make himself intelligible. At last he managed to to get out the words "Gentlemen, take war-" meaning evidently to take warning. The white cap was drawn over his head, as was done with the others and it was supposed no more would be heard from the prisoners, but just before the drop fell, Atzerott's (sic) voice was again heard in muffled accents saying "Good bye gentlemen who are before me now; may we meet in the other world. God help me now, oh, oh, oh!" and as the last broken explanations were on his lips the drop fell and the four criminals hung quivering in the air. At twenty-six minutes past one o'clock the signal was given by a wave of the hand, the large blocks supporting the uprights were knocked out, the drops fell with a heavy slam and the four bodies hung suspended. Payne's (sic) limbs were drawn up several times, and for a moment or two his whole frame quivered violently, but within five minutes all was still. Harold (sic) struggled some and some emissions of water took place from the body such as is frequently the case with persons dying a violent death. There was no perceptible movement of the body of Atzerott, and he apparently died easy. There was only a slight movement of the limbs of Mrs. Surratt observed.
There was a breathless silence for several minutes after the drop fell, but in a short time the persons commenced to move and most left the yard in thirty minutes. The bodies were cut down, placed in coffins and buried in the yard near the scaffold, where graves were previously dug. The bodies of all but Payne (sic), were claimed by their relatives, and will be duly delivered to them.(3) About two hundred spectators witnessed the execution.
Mudd, Spangler, O'Laughlin (sic), and Arnold are to be moved immediately to the Albany Penitentiary. (4)
Efforts were made during all of last night by counsel and friends to secure a reprieve for Mrs. Surratt, but President Johnson declined to interfere...it was understood that Payne (sic) made a written statement this morning in which he declared that Mrs. Surratt was in no way engaged in the plot to assassinate the President. This was delivered to Judge Advocate General Holt.(5) So far as is known, Mrs. Surratt claimed to the last to her spiritual advisor that she was an innocent woman....
Over one thousand persons applied this morning to General Hancock for passes to see the execution. The press of nearly every city in the country was represented.
- Boston Post
July 8, 1865
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