Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. SurrattHarris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
History
Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy: Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. Surratt
Harris, T. M. (Thomas Mealey)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Assassination; Surratt, John H. (John Harrison), 1844-1916
That Richard Montgomery succeeded fully in gaining the confidence of
these Canada rebels is shown by the fact that they made him a medium
of communication between themselves and the Richmond government. His
character is further shown by the fact that when they paid him one
hundred and fifty dollars for carrying despatches to Richmond he
credited the government with it on his expense account. And that he
acted faithfully in the discharge of his duties to his government is
shown by the fact that he always submitted the despatches sent by
him to the authorities at Washington, where copies of them were kept
when they were allowed to pass. This is sufficient evidence that he
was in a position to learn the facts to which he testified, and also
presumptive evidence of the credibility of his statements. The force of
his evidence could only have been broken by undoubted proof that he was
a man that could not be believed under oath.
Dr. James B. Merritt was a native of Canada by accident, having been
born there whilst his parents were there on a visit, but had been all
his life a citizen of the State of New York. He went to Canada in the
spring of 1864, and practiced his profession at Windsor and Dumfries.
He passed amongst the rebels in Canada as a sympathizer of the Southern
cause, and was accepted by them as a good rebel, and was fully taken
into their confidences. They talked freely to him, and revealed their
plans to him without hesitation or reserve. His testimony, as we
have seen, is very specific, and relates to facts of the greatest
importance. He testified that his sympathies had always been with his
government, and that his object in dissembling in his intercourse with
the Canada rebels was to be able to impart information to the United
States government when he deemed it of sufficient importance to justify
or require its communication.
That he did thus voluntarily, and without compensation, furnish
valuable information to the government was shown. He had thus
communicated to the Provost Marshal at Detroit the plot to burn New
York City. It was also shown that he had made an effort to communicate
the knowledge he had obtained, after the meeting of the 6th of April,
at which John H. Surratt delivered to Thompson the despatches he had
brought from Richmond, as to the parties starting from Canada to
Washington to assist in the work of assassination. There was sufficient
evidence of his loyalty and usefulness to the government, and his
credibility was not assailed. He was a self-constituted secret service
man, working without compensation, and so entitled to all the more
honor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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