The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-21


between whom and myself several letters had
passed, wrote to me TO ask for a teachers
position in Borromeo Colleges his father had
died, and his family were involved ] failed
to get him an appointment but when, soon
afterward, changed to teach in st. Matthew's
College, Washington City, Surratt called upon
me, and we personally renewed our acquaint-
ance. He spoke enthusiastically of his home,
and invited me down to see it whenever
chose. observed that he was still a per-
sistent Rebel, but | had seen SO many of his
class in Washington, that took no personal
ofTense at what he said, having already made
myself obnoxious by political arguments.
Meantime the life of the country tavern,
and the entire change in his ambitions, had
given Surratt a brusquer and more worldly
manner. He talked variously of teaching
farming, or entering the Rebel service. His
mind was unsettled. l saw him several times
at school and in town.
II was on a Friday afternoon in March,
rainy and dreary, when at last went down to
Surrattsville with John. He came for me in
buggy, and the road was so rutty and miry
that we were four hours on the way. On
coming in sight of the house l was miserably
disappointed. The theme of so much pane
gyric was a solitary frame tavern at cross
road, a few sheds and barns around it and
hitching STALL and peach orchard reaching
behind The farm consisted of 300 acres, and
it was afterwards let, with the tavern, for 5000
a year.
A small porch stood in the middle, on which
opened hall reaching quite through the house.
At the foot of this hall, to the left, was the
bar-room and Post Office, with door opening
upon one of the crossroads, and to the right
were the parlor and dining room. Altogether
there were eight reOms comfortably furnished.
Mrs. Surratt received me pleasantly, and we
had good warm supper, after which / went
awhile to the bar-room, where there were some
of the Rebel farmers of the neighborhood,
come to get their letters, to lounge, and to
play cards. John kept the bar, and we had a
game with two Jewish persons who had carpet
bags with them. These carpet-bags Mrs. Sur
raft came in and removed. Their owners left
before daylight next morning, and one of them
named Jacobs was arrested crossing the Poto-
mac with $4,000 upon him.
Mrs. Surratt was proud, and counted her
beads great deal. She was a convert, and
not an original Catholic, and her husband was
Protestant till his death, which happened of
apoplexy in August, 1862. There were three
or four negroes about the place; it was dull,
cross roads existence, but pleasant for day
or two to stranger. Next morning, at day
light, we were awakened by very beautiful
music. 1t was a brass band, come out from
the Washington Navy Yard, to serenade the
Democratic county officers just elected.
Among the hangers-on was seedy, frowsy,
mOnkey-faced boy whom Surratt introduced
to me as Mr.. Herold. He came in with the
rest, took drink, and went further up the
road with them. | left the house on Monday,
pleased with my VISIT and we stopped at
drug store by the Navy Yard, Surratt and /,
to get cigar. The boy, Herold, was clerk
there. Surratt told me on the way that his
brother, Isaac Surratt, an engineer, had left
his home on the 7th of March, 1861, at the
news of Lincoln's Inauguration, and gone to
Texas, where he had been ever since in the
Confederate service.
got to consider Surratt an intimate friend
after this visit, and he had good points of
character; but his isolated life in the country
kept me from knowing of more than the
director concerns of our friendship; while
meantime the war went ON more bitterly, and
his home was probably convenient and con-
slant resort of secret spies and traders. But
in Easter, 1868, we agreed to visit an old
school friend at Ellicott's Mills, and from
there took Surratt to Ellangowan to see my
friend the school teacher. Before we started
priest asked me to deliver newspaper to
Mr.. st. Maurie, whom / found to be my
friends assistant, and to whom introduced
John Surratt. He was a French Canadian,
black-eyed and black-haired, aged about
thirty, very fascinating in his manners and
accomplishments, linguist and adventurer.
He was teaching for his board and spending
money only, being entirely needy, and he
amused himself by giving concerts in the vii
lage where he was in love with virtuous
and beautiful young lady.
When left Ellangowan St. Maurie asked me
to get him a teachers place in Washington,
and soon after he came to my room there, say
ing that he had left his place, disgusted with
its littleness, and was without a meal, bed,
or penny. got him a position in Gonzaga
College, and When he came to see me once or
twice | found him so unprincipled that | wrote
to the lady he addressed at Ellangowan, bid
ing her beware. He would tell me in breath
that he had fled from Canada to avoid the
consequences of a most heartless seduction,
and at the same time put his new sweethearts
bouquet under his pillow. His stories of him
self We're that he had been member of the
Canadian Parliament, Federal prisoner of
state, etc. But at any rate, he decamped
from the College after month, leaving me to
pay his board, and enlisted for the bounty in
a Delaware regiment, deserted, fell into Castle
Thunder as an object of general suspicion,
was released by reason of playing informer
upon his comrades, escaped by blockade
runner to England, returned to Canada, and
hearing of the so, 900 reward for Surratt.
pur rsued him to Rome, enlisted with him,
and gave him up Just too late for the reward,
which had been already withdrawn.
was now weary of teaching for insufficient
pay, and sought a Government clerkship
which obtained in the Office of the Commis-
sary of Prisons in January 1864 In Sep
tember of the same year the Surratts moved
to Washington to keepa boarding and
get John something to do, and to help them
along moved in almost Immediately. John
was engaged by Adams Express Company.
ana with the exception of the arrival of a
plockade-runner or two, little happened until