The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-08-12
Gen. Hancock and the Execution Of
Mrs. SHrratt.

\ Ak4s bUL 0tus
Mr.. JOHN T. Clampitt, counsel for Mrs.
Surratt, has written letter, which has
been printed in a campaign biography of
Gen. Hancock, just issued from the press,
| in which he exposes the utter absurdity
of the Republican slander that Gen. Han
cock was in some way responsible for the
execution of that cruelty ill-used woman.
He shows, in The first place, that Gen.
Hancock, as commandant at Washington,
/ was simply the medium of the order is.
fsued by President johnson for the execu-
ton of the findings of the Military Court
I which condemned Mrs. Surratt and others
to death. He had nothing whatever to
do with the military commission that
tried the prisoners, nor was he specially
charged with the execution of the sen.
tence. The order was simply transmit
| ted through him as commander of o
military post to Gen. Hartranft, who was
designated as the special provost mar.
shall to carry into effect the verdict of
the court. Gen. Hancock's duty in the
premises was purely ministerial and was
discharged in the ordinary way. MIR.
Clampitt testi6es that Gen. Han
cock was deeply moved in Mrs. Surratt's
behalf and distressed on her account.
The charge that he denied her the con-
ISOLATION ola priest is pronounced to be
malicious and utterly false, and Mr..
Clampirt declares that on the morning Of
the execution both Fathers Walter and
Wiget were in Mrs. Surratt's cell. As
to the charge that Gen. Hancock refused
to obey the writ of habeas corpus, MIR.
Clampitt states what is already we'll
known, viz, that execution of the writ
was suspended by the order of President
johnson himself He also AYERS that
7 Gen. Hancock did all in his power to
obtain pardon for Mrs. Surratt, and had
couriers stationed at points from the
White House to the Arsenal in order that
if a pardon or respite should be issued it
might reach its destination as soon as
possible. In other words, not the slight
est share of the responsibility for the
murder Of Mrs. Surratt can be fastened
upon Gen. Hancock. That responsible.
ty rests with the Republican party,
which demanded of the authorities the
life of woman as an Offering to the fury
of an excited people, and, as MI. Clam
pitt exclaims with just indignation, "the
attempt of these politicians falsely and
uniustly to traduce Gen. Hancock for q
responsibility he never had shows the
Futmost depravity aof human nature.--
While their own hands are reekiug with
1.-the blood of an innocent woman, which
they had demanded with fendish malig-
nifty, they seek to defame, for base pur-
poses, one of the bravest heroes of the
war, by the attempts to falsely implicate
him in the infamy of their own crime"
Mr.. Jno. P. Brophy, the president of
| the St. Louis College, who was resi-
dent of Washington at the time Presi-
dent Lincoln was assassinated, gives the
New York Herald a full account of his
efforts to save Mrs. Surratt, in whose in.
nocence he believed firmly. He says:
"Of all those in authority to whom l
appealed in behalf of an unfortunate
woman who was an alien among her own
people, torn from hel home, stricken in
her affections and 'blighted ia fame and
hope, from two men only did experience
kindness and consideration. Those two
men, who were too chivalrous to persecute
sdefenceless female, too nobles.to frown
upon one responding to the voice of duty
lin her behalf, were Gen. John F. Hart
ranft and Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock.
THE three civilians seemed actually to
thirst for her innocent blood. The two gal.
liant soldiers, who had faced death on
hundred battle.6elds, scorned to have her
blood upon their hands, and did what in
them lay to save her from felon's doom.
know whereof I speak, aud no man
living has better right to speak than l.
"On Thursday, July6, 1865, tue peo'
pie were startled by the official an
nouncement, over the Presidents sigma.
ture, that four of the prisoners, including
Mrs: Mary e. Surratt, were to be hanged
on the following day, between the hours
of 10 and 2 o'clock. That came day |
received permisson for the first time to
visit Mrs. Surratt. I went Immediately
to her cell in the penitentiary and found
the Rev. Father Wiget, the president of
Gonzaga College, already there. Soon
after her daughter and the Rev. Father
Walter arrived. They had been to tie
White House in the hope of obtaining
reprieye, but, as I understand, were
refused an audience by President john
son. We remained with Mrs. Surratt
for several hours. affording her such con-
ISOLATION as we could. That night Father
| Walter and myself called upon Judge
Holt, but our efforts proved fruitless.-
On the morning of the fatal day | went
before notary and made an affidavit
of such facts as I Aoped would induce
the President to grant stay of proceed
ings in her case. This affidavit [ had
forwarded to the President. I then rode
in haste to the penitentiary, where |
found Mrs. Surratt suffering intensely
from cramps and congestive chills. At
nv request Gen. Hartranft went to the
prisoner Payne and held conversation
with him. So impressed was Gen. Hart
ranft with Payne's solemn declaration
of his own guilt and protestations of
Mrs. Surratt's innocence that he imme-
diately wrote letter to President
johnson, couched substantially, in these
words: "The prisoner Payne has just
told me that Mrs. Surratt is entirely in.
nocent of the assassination of President
Lincoln or of my knowledge thereof.
HE also states that she had no knowl-
edge whatever of the abduction plot, that {.
nothing was ever said to her about it,
and that her name was never mentioned
by the parties connected Herewith. At
/ the close of the letter Gen. Hartranft
wrote these significant words: II believe
that PAYNE has told the truth in this
matter" While writing, he ordered a
pair of the fastest horses to be brought,
and when he had finished writing and
had signed his name and rank, he dcliv-
cred the letter to me and told me to 60
in all haste and place the letter in the
Presidents hands, at the same time CIV
ing instructions to the driver to be sub
ject to my orders. told the driver the
object of my mission, and he put the
horses to their utmost speed.
,A..;,od ~ tho Whifo Hoilop I cr1V.