Above is a carte de visite photograph of John Wilkes Booth's carte de visite and those of his co-conspirators. Booth, of course, was the actor that assassinated President Lincoln at Ford's Theater in April of 1865. In recalling the events of that time, Booth's co-conspirators generally garner less fanfare than Booth himself, likely due to the dramatic flourish he added to the murder -- he shouted "Sic semper tyrranis" from the stage, after firing the fatal shot -- but doubtless also due to the fact that he, Booth, was the only successful player in the much wider-ranging plot.
Clockwise from top:
George Andreas Atzerodt: This German immigrant, by trade a carriage repairman, was assigned the task of assassinating Vice President Andrew Johnson. By all accounts Atzerodt lost his courage and spent the evening of April 14 drinking. He fled to Maryland and was arrested on April 20, having been implicated in the conspiracy by the discovery of a revolver and Booth's account book in his hotel room. He was tried, found guilty, and hanged on July 7, 1865.
Edmund Spangler: This man worked behind the scenes at Ford's Theater and was acquainted with Booth. He was sentenced to 6 years hard labor for holding Booth's horse on the night of the assassination. He was pardoned in 1869 by President Johnson.
Michael O'Laughlen (O'Laughlin is erroneous): A Confederate veteran and longtime associate of Booth's, O'Laughlen was an early recruit in the kidnapping plot, though he left the conspirators' company for Baltimore in March of 1865. He returned to Washington D.C. with some companions and spent the evening of April 14 drinking with them, apparently without any knowledge of the murder plot. He turned himself in to authorities on April 17, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor. He died in prison in 1867 during a yellow fever epidemic.
Lewis Powell, AKA Lewis Payne or Paine or Wood: Also a Confederate veteran, Powell was a large man. In undertaking his charge of assassinating Secretary of State Seward on April 14, he wounded several men who attended and tried to defend the Secretary, including Frederick Seward, the Secretary's son, who was pistol-whipped. While Powell gained access to Seward and stabbed him several times, the cabinet member was spared a mortal wound by the neck brace he wore because of a recent carriage accident. Powell was arrested on April 17 and hanged on July 7.
Samuel Bland Arnold: A friend of Booth and McLaughlen, Arnold had been involved in the original kidnapping plot until he withdrew from the conspiracy in March 1865. He was arrested on April 17and sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released under Johnson's pardon in 1869.
David Edgar Herold: A sportsman familiar with the land surrounding Washington, Booth recruited Herold to aid in the assassins' escape. Originally charged with escorting Powell out of the city after the deed, Herold apparently fled the scene of the Seward attack. He met up with Booth along a predetermined route and aided the injured assassin in his flight. He and Booth were cornered together - Herold gave himself up while Booth was shot down after refusing to lay down his arms. Herold was hanged on July 7, 1865.
Below is an actual John Wilkes Booth carte de visite. Like the one featured at the beginning of this post, it measures about 2" x 4".
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