The Confession of George Atzerodt Full Transcript (below) with Introduction George Atzerodt was a homeless German immigrant who performed errands for the actor, John Wilkes Booth, while also odd-jobbing around Southern Maryland. He had been arrested on April 20, 1865, six days after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth. Booth had another errand boy, a simpleton named David Herold, who resided in town. Herold and Atzerodt ran errands for Booth, such as tending horses, delivering messages, and fetching supplies. Both were known for running their mouths, and Atzerodt was known for drinking. Four weeks before the assassination, Booth had intentions to kidnap President Lincoln, but when his kidnapping accomplices learned how ridiculous his plan was, they abandoned him and returned to their homes in the Baltimore area. On the day of the assassination the only persons remaining in D.C. who had any connection to the kidnapping plot were Booth's errand boys, George Atzerodt and David Herold, plus one of the key collaborators with Booth, James Donaldson. After David Herold had been arrested, he confessed to Judge Advocate John Bingham on April 27 that Booth and his associates had intended to kill not only Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward, but Vice President Andrew Johnson as well. David Herold stated Booth told him there were 35 people in Washington colluding in the assassination. This information Herold learned from Booth while accompanying him on his flight after the assassination. In Atzerodt's confession, this band of assassins was described as a crowd from New York. After languishing in the bowels of a floating dungeon for 10 days in irons and with a canvas bag over his head, George Atzerodt was pleading for leniency. Two of his family members were associated with the detectives investigating the assassination for the War Department, his brother John Atzerodt, who once worked for the Maryland Provost Marshal James McPhail, and George's brother-in-law, detective John L. Smith. These men were sure to be unenthusiastic about having a relative convicted so infamously, especially as they may have suspected their wayward George might be innocent. Their appeals to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to grant a final interview with Atzerodt were probably granted in an effort to ascertain how much he knew about the War Department's protected agents associated with Booth. This is evident by the nature of the transcript. The interview that took place was categorically not a confession, but an interrogation. Confessions are first-person narratives that center around the acts of the accused. Atzerodt's transcript is a series of interrupted answers about other persons. Only the prisoner's answers were transcribed. The transcript was dubbed a "confession" in court as part of a rouse to see it excluded from the trial. Atzerodt's attorney, Captain William Doster, claimed it was a confession made under duress, when in fact the interview was conducted by his brother's former employer, Marshal McPhail, and transcribed by none other than Atzerodt's brother-in-law, detective Smith. In court, Marshal McPhail stated, falsely, that no questions were asked of the prisoner. McPhail's perjury was apparently made under orders from Edwin Stanton, as it was revealed before a Congressional inquiry by Edwin Stanton and John Bingham two years later that their office withheld documents (Booth's diary) and the fact that nearly all of the convicted assassination accomplices had only been would-be kidnappers. The surviving convicts were then pardoned. George Atzerodt's "confession" had named multiple persons associated with Booth who were never prosecuted by the War Department (some never even arrested or investigated). This transcript became the property of the U.S. War Department in the perview of Judge Advocates Joseph Holt and John Bingham, Chief Detective Lafayette Baker, and the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who all knew the names Atzerodt revealed, particularly the name James Donaldson. This transcript vanished from the War Department records, and its copy at the National Archives also disappeared. Other documents revealing the identities and roles of Booth's assassination accomplices vanished or were otherwise concealed by the War Department. The content of Atzerodt's confession only became known after a copy that had been in the records of William Doster was discovered by a researcher in 1977. It is now owned by a private collector. Transcript Below is the transcript as recorded by detective John L. Smith. Added to this narrative in gray Italics are editorial indications where a question is evident. Atzerodt had a thick, German accent, and because of his guessed pronunciations and the guessed spellings and abbreviations by the transcriptionist, notes have been added [in bracketed in gray] to clarify some of the recorded answers. Highly relevant information hidden by the War Department (and historians since 1977) are presented in bold type. Greater illumination of Atzerodt's role in Booth's gang, and the War Department's motives and actions in concealing the nature of Lincoln's assassination, can be found in the book The Reason Lincoln Had to Die by Don Thomas. Atzerodt's confession is analyzed in much greater detail in the book's Appendix C. Question about his fellow prisoner, known to the War Department as Lewis Paine. James Wood sometimes called Mosby boarded with Mrs. Murray an Irish woman on the corner of 9 & F St. in a three story house, front on the upper end of the P.O. and South End of Patent Office—with basement entrance on the left side going up 9th St. from Avenue. He was a little over six feet, black hair, smooth round face, gray coat black pants, & spring coat mixed with white & gray. Saw him last time on Friday evening about 5 o'ck with Booth. He sent for letters to the post office with James Hall. He was brought from New York. Surratt told me so. He said he had been a prisoner in Balt[imore], near the depot. He was arrested for whipping a negro woman. Mosby was Wood's nick name—did not know him by any other name than mentioned. Question regarding who "Powell" [Paine's actual name] might be. Gust. Powell [Atzerodt thought they were asking about Augustus Spencer Howell] now arrested in Old Capitol was one of the party. He went also by name of Gustavus Spencer. Surratt and Spencer came from Richmond, together just after it had fallen. Question about Booth's accomplice who was previously described, but not named, by Samuel Arnold. James Donaldson, a low chunky man about 23 or 24 years of age, small-potted, dark complexion (not very) deep plain black suit; only saw him one time & this was Wednesday previous to the murder, he was having an interview with Booth and told him to meet him on Friday eve [just before the assassination] & he replied he would and left and went up Penn. Avenue towards the Treasury building. I was under the impression he came on with Booth. Question about prior conspiratorial meetings. Arnold, O'Laughlen, Surratt, Harold, Booth, and myself met once at a saloon or restaurant on the Aven. bet 13 & 14 St. Question about whom he resided with on the night of the assassination. The Saml. Thomas registered on the morning of the 15th April at Penn Hotel, I met on my way to hotel, he was an entire Stranger to me. I left the Hotel alone on the morning of 15th of April. A Lieut. in room No. 51 will prove this [verified in court]. Question about Booth's boat. Surratt bought a boat from Dick Smoot & James Brawner living about Port Tobacco, for which they paid $300.00 and was to give one hundred Dolls. extra for taking care of it till wanted. Question about Booth's weapons. Booth told me that Mrs. Surratt went to Surrattsville to get out the guns (two Carbines) which had been taken to that place by Herold. This was Friday. The carriage was hired at Howard's. Question regarding other persons he met with on the day of the assassination. I saw a man named Weightman [Louis Weichmann] who boarded at Surratt's at Post Office. He told me he had to go down the country with Mrs. Surratt. This was on Friday, also. Question regarding persons who knew Booth once had a plan to kidnap the President. I am certain Dr. Mudd knew all about it, as Booth sent (as he told me) liquors & provisions for the trip with the President to Richmond [referring to kidnapping], about two weeks before the murder to Dr. Mudd's. Question regarding Booth's former kidnapping collaborators involved in the assassination. Booth never said until the last night (Friday) that he intended to kill the President. Question regarding how he learned Booth planned to assassinate. Herold came to the Kirkwood House, same evening for me to go to see Booth. I went with Herold & saw Booth. He then said he was going to kill the President and Wood, the Secy. of State. I did not believe him. This occurred in the evening about 7 1/2 o'clock. It was dark. I took a room at Kirkwood's. Both Herold & I went to the room left Herold's coat, knife, & pistol in room and never again returned to it. Question regarding why he didn't believe Booth would kill the president. Booth said during the day that the thing [kidnapping plot] had failed and proposed to go to Richmond & open the theatre. I am not certain but I think I stayed one night at Kirkwood's (Thursday).