Mary Jenkins Surratt was the first woman in American history ever to be executed by the federal government. She was accused of participating in the plot to assassinate President Lincoln because her son and one of her tenants were marginally involved. Mary was condemned by a military tribunal on flimsy evidence, but then the tribunal did not require as much evidence as a civilian court.Mary was a Catholic and a Marylander, educated at a young ladies' boarding school in Virginia. She married a much older man and they raised a family, ran a tobacco plantation, with a tavern and a grist-mill on the side. Although Maryland was nominally part of the Union, many Marylanders were sympathetic to the Confederacy.
Mary was arrested in April, 1865 and imprisoned in inhumane conditions. She was guarded at all hours by four men who kept her heavily manacled, with a canvas bag over her head. Even if she was guilty beyond all doubt, she should not have been treated that way. She never ceased to protest her innocence and after being condemned to death by hanging she spent the last few hours of her life in the company of a priest. Anti-Catholic sentiment being strong, it was thought by many that Lincoln's murder was the result of a papal conspiracy; Mary, a devout Catholic, was an obvious scapegoat. Her last words as she died were "Don't let me fall!" She was 42 years old. Share
11 comments:
I have read, in one of my old history books, called as I remember
"Who killed Lincoln" that President Johnson was awaiting papers for a reprieve for Mary Surratt but Edwin Stanton, (the de facto dictator of the United States) held it up until she was dead.
The whole trial was a kangaroo court. The tried were kept in handcuffs and forced to wear bags over thier heads. They were denied any witnesses for the defense.
It reminds me of the French commitee of security in 1792.
de Brantigny
It is terrible how the feds violated the very Constitution and Bill of Rights they were supposed to defend.
Now this WAS an administration that did violate the bill of rights, suspend Habius corpus and imprison people without charge. Lincoln was after all is said and done a benevolent dictator. Had the Northern radiacl republicans had their way the southern states would have disapeared.
Very true.
It makes me nervous being a Catholic! I was just reading in the "National Catholic Register" as well as other blogs about how Catholic Priests are being charged with "hate crimes" for their stance on homosexuality. That's just *one* issue - I'm wondering...how much longer will it be before Catholics are persecuted again by governments?
I am wondering the same thing.
The church thrives under persecution. I say bring it on. Itmay be the one thing that will make lazy, and cafeteria Catholics take notice of there faith. But wait... each time you hear an evangelical preacher spew a violent diatribe against the faith that is persecution too.
de Brantigny
Hey, the Wok 'n Roll, that's in DC's Chinatown neighborhood! A few years ago my friends and I ate there for dinner. There's a plaque outside noting that the building was reputed to be the Surratt boarding house.
Chinatown is much smaller but it's lot better than it used to look!
That was an amazing story! Thank you for sharing.
Good thing our government no longer hoods prisoners. Or tries American citizens before military tribunals.
Oh, wait. . .
Only non citizens
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