Answered
In US Civil War
Who were Booths's accomplices?
Eight individuals were tried as conspirators: Mary Surratt, LewisPowell. David Herold and George Atzerodt were hanged, Samuel Mudd,Samuel Arnold and Michael O'Laughlen got lif…e and Edmund Spanglergot six years. Additional information by Troy Cowan. Mary Surratt After her husband's death, Mary moved her family to Washington toget her son away from his dangerous involvement with the South. Shewanted him to find safe, gainful, employment in Washington. MarySurratt had no knowledge of Lincoln's assassination and was notinvolved. Lewis Powell Lewis attempted to kill Secretary of State Seward. (Seward was at home, in bed, convalescing from a carriage accident) David Herold David held Powell's horse while Lewis Powell went inside to killSeward. Later he joined Booth in his escape. George Atzerodt George participated in the failed attempts to kidnap Lincoln. Heparticipated on the condition that no one would be killed. Samuel Mudd Dr. Mudd helped Booth obtain a horse that was later used in theattempted killing of Seward. At the time of the sale, there were noplans to kill Seward, therefore, Dr. Mudd could have no knowledgeof it. Dr. Mudd helped wounded or escaped Confederate soldiers getback south. The route that went through his farm was called the"Doctors Line". At the time Booth showed up at Mudd's house to gettreatment for his injured leg, Dr. Mudd had no knowledge ofLincoln's assassination. Samuel Arnold and Michael O'Laughlen They participated in several failed attempts to kidnap Lincoln.After one of the failures, both men quit the group. They had noknowledge of Lincoln's assassination. Edmund Spangler Spangler installed the brace on the hallway door leading to thepresident's box at 12 o'clock on the day of the assassination. Thatbrace would be used to keep others from entering the hall after theshot was fired. Spangler was also to turn out the house lights to help Lincoln'skiller escape. When it was time to turn out the lights, Mr. Witherswas sitting on the box that covered the valve, and Spangler couldnot turn off the lights. John Surratt John was traveling from Montreal to Washington when Lincoln waskilled. He had no knowledge and did not participate in Lincoln'skilling. The masterminds behind Lincoln's assassination got away with thecrime. You should consider three people: Secretary of War, EdwinStanton; Vice-president, Andrew Johnson; and founder of the Knightsof the Golden Circle, Albert Pike. John St. Helen (aka John Wilkes Booth) said that Vice-presidentJohnson was working with him to kidnap Lincoln. At five p.m. on theafternoon of the killing, Booth went to Johnson and told him thathe was giving up on kidnapping Lincoln and going back to acting.That is when Johnson talked Booth into killing Lincoln. That meansSpangler installed the brace to the hallway door five hours beforeBooth and Johnson thought about killing Lincoln. Someone else was planning to kill Lincoln. Albert Pike was workingwith Booth to kidnap Lincoln on the morning of the assassinationand had no plans to kill Lincoln at that time. When Spangler wasinstalling the brace and preparing the theater for Lincoln'sassassination, Booth, Johnson, and Pike had no plans to killLincoln. Another person was planning Lincoln's assassination; thiswriter believes it was Edwin Stanton. (MORE)
