GDG- CSA and Lincoln

[Tom Ryan]

<<Interesting thread, that CSA / Lincoln assasination connection. I wonder why Davis, or any CSA authority with the power to carry out such a plot, would want Lincoln kidnapped / killed in April '65 ? Other than pure vengence , I can't think of a reason they could have had that would have served any purpose.
 I'd appreciate any thoughts the members might have on the culpability of Dr. Mudd. That seems to be, to this day, a controversey in some peoples mind. I, myself, think he was a victim of circumstances, although he may not have been personnally opposed to such a demise for the President. I'd be interested in your thoughts.>>

Rich,

	The best analysis of whether the Confederate government was targeting Lincoln was done by Tidwell, Hall and Gaddy in the book "Come Retribution:  The Confederate Secret Service and the Assassination of Lincoln."  Tidwell put out a sequel to this called "April '65:  Confederate Covert Action in the Amercian Civil War."  Tidwell and Gaddy are career intelligence officers  and Hall is a Lincoln assassination expert.  The story they weaved together, if not conclusive, is nonetheless fascinating.  If you have not read these books, that certainly is a good starting point.

	Ed Steers in his books mentioned earlier makes the case that Dr. Mudd was acquainted with Booth prior to the assassination, and was likely  a facilitator of the so-called "Secret Line" down through Southern Maryland along which passed couriers and agents working for the Confederate government.  If Lincoln was captured alive, this would have been the route he would have been taken by his captors in order to get him into Confederate territory.  

	The bottom line here is that Mudd gave Booth medical care and a place to stay following the assassination which would implicate him at least on that score.  Steers, if I recall correctly, also tries to make the point that Mudd was collaborating with Booth on the plot to kidnap the president.  His books are worth reading.  I believe a more recent author named Kaufman sees the picture differently, although I have not read his book nor can I recall the title.  Nonetheless he and Steers do not see eye to eye on the Dr. Mudd side of the story.

	The missing link in all of this is Secretery of State Benjamin who would have been controlling all of these activities from Richmond.  Absent his papers or testimoney, the researchers have had to rely on a lot of circumstantial evidence.  I think they have done a pretty good job of making a case that the Confederate government had a role to play in the Lincoln situation.  It is just not clear exactly what that role was.

Tom Ryan