History

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

• The court did not meet today, it having been set aside as a National Day of Mourning and Prayer
• Lewis Powell was visited by a woman who may have been formerly enslaved by the Powell family

The June 1, 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.

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

• It was a day of brothers in the court
• Two of Samuel Arnold’s brothers testified about him staying in a Baltimore suburb during the latter half of March before getting a job in Virginia
• John T. Ford and two of his brothers testified about Edman Spangler’s duties at Ford’s Theatre and the day leading up to Lincoln’s assassination
• Dr. Mudd’s brother clarified that while their father owned the lease to the Mudd farm, Dr. Mudd only needed to ask for it in order to sell it to John Wilkes Booth
• Edwin Booth, the brother of John Wilkes Booth, appeared in court as a visitor

The May 31, 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.

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

• Testimony about Jefferson Davis’ reaction to Lincoln’s death was presented
• Several defense witnesses for Dr. Mudd took the stand
• Edman Spangler’s actions behind the scenes at Ford’s Theatre were called into question by prosecution witness Jake Rittersbach
• David Herold’s defense attempted to portray him as a “light and trifling boy”
• Controversy broke out with a member of the commission objecting to the testimony of Confederate General Edward Johnson
• Anna Surratt, Mrs. Surratt’s daughter, took the stand and was overwhelmed with emotion
• An attempt was made by George Atzerodt’s defense to get his confession put onto the record

The May 30, 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.

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

• Dr. Mudd’s cousin testified about when Dr. Mudd told him about Booth and Herold’s visit
• Confederate plots to burn New York City and spread Yellow Fever throughout the Union were described
• More defense witnesses for Dr. Mudd took the stand explaining his whereabouts in the months prior to the assassination
• The newspaper reporters describe the physical toll relic hunters are having on the courtroom
• Booth’s mistress, Ella Starr, made an appearance in the court room but did not testify

The May 29, 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.

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

• The prosecution reneged on their earlier agreement to only bring general witnesses to the stand and presented an additional witness against one of the conspirators
• Many defense witnesses for Dr. Mudd testified regarding the allegation he housed Confederate sympathizers on his property
• A known Confederate agent took the stand as a defense witness

The May 27, 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.

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

• Mary Surratt’s defense presented additional character witnesses and worked to explain why she traveled to her tavern on April 14th
• Michael O’Laughlen’s brother-in-law showed that he surrendered himself to detectives
• Further prosecution witnesses testified regarding the Confederacy’s prisoner of war camps and Confederate plots against the Union
• Dr. Mudd’s defense brought witnesses to testify about his visits to Washington, D.C.
• Passes to the trial were made out to known individuals including photographer Alexander Gardner on this date

The May 26, 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.

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

• Several Union solders who had been held in prisoners of war camps in the Confederacy spoke about the terrible conditions they endured
• Men and women formerly enslaved by Dr. Mudd testified about the doctor’s Confederate sympathies and activities
• The first defense witnesses took the stand
• Michael O’Laughlen’s friends testified about him having been nowhere near Edwin Stanton’s home
• Frederick Aiken, lawyer for Mrs. Surratt, discovered that one of his defense witnesses lied to him
• The courtroom was packed to the brim with visitors making it hard for the reporters to hear testimony

The May 25, 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.