The Trial Today: June 12

Here’s a sample of what occurred on this day in the Lincoln conspiracy trial:

• Two defense witnesses recounted how Lewis Powell saved the lives of Union soldiers in December of 1864
• One of Michael O’Laughlen’s friends reiterated that O’Laughlen never got close to Edwin Stanton’s home and was partying with the group during almost the entirety of April 13th and 14th
• Frederick Aiken, Mrs. Surratt’s attorney, announced that he had traveled into Southern Maryland and found additional witnesses he wished to call but were not present on this day
• The 1864 explosion at a Union headquarters in City Point, Virginia was found to be a result of a Confederate plot
• The prosecution attempted to restore the beleaguered reputation of witness Marcus Norton
• Several of the male conspirators entered the courtroom with hair cuts and shaved faces

The June 12, 1865 entry for the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators is now released and has more information. Please click here to access it. You can also access it through The Trial homepage.

Throughout May and June of 2020, I am publishing a day by day chronology of the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. This includes almost daily posts announcing the release of what happened at the conspiracy trial 155 years ago. For more information about the creation of this project please click here.