Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Trindal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 1996

On July 7, 1865, Mary Surratt was hanged. Did America condemn an innocent woman to death?

Editorial Reviews

Review

At 2:30am on April 15, 1865, Mary Elizabeth Surratt was awakened by loud knocking at the door of her "H" Street boardinghouse in Washington, DC. Officers first inquired as to the whereabouts of her son, John Surratt. She was quickly told that her son was wanted in connection with the murder of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth -- an acquaintance of the family. Three days later, Mary found herself under suspicion and under arrest for involvement in the assassination of the president. Elizabeth Trindal has chronicled this almost forgotten figure in a key incident in what proved to be virtually the last days of the American civil war. Mary Surratt's son, John Surratt, was believed to have acted in a plot with John Wilkes Booth and others to not only murder the president, but also to kill Secretary of State Seward. John Surratt was out of the country, and Booth yet to be apprehended. But Mary and others were arrested in connection with the assassination of the president. Eventually they were brought to trial by a military commission. Tried by a military tribunal despite protests by her defense lawyers that it was illegal to try a civilian before a military court, Mary and three others were tried for the crime of conspiring with Booth and found guilty. Many prominent citizens pleaded with President Andrew Johnson for a stay of Mary's execution, but he steadfastly refused. On July 7, 1865, Mary Surratt along with the other accused assassins were hanged. In its grief over the death of President Lincoln, did America condemn an innocent woman to die? Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy is a moving account eliciting new debate on the subject of Lincoln's assassination in the closing days of the civil war. It offers new perspectives based on painstaking research over many years. Mary Surratt is absorbing reading from a gifted writer. -- Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Elizabeth Steger Trindal is a free-lance writer who lives in Edinburg, Virginia. She was awarded first place in nonfiction by the Shenandoah Valley Writers' Guild competition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (May 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565541855
• ISBN-13: 978-1565541856
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading - a must for historians, August 16, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy (Hardcover)

The recently published biography of Mary Surratt, by Elizabeth
Steger Trindal, is a chilling study of abuse of power by our
United States government at a time when our nation was at war
with itself. Mary Surratt, widow of a tavern owner, mother
of three, and devote Catholic, was hanged for her alleged
role in the assassination of President Lincoln. Step by
meticulous step, Trindal walks you through the life passages
of Mary Surratt, the places she went, the people she knew,
the actions she took, that all led to her conviction, and
eventual death by strangulation by the United States government.
Was she entirely innocent, was she partially guilty, or was
she the cold blooded women that history has known her as?

Fifteen years of research are reflected as chapter by chapter
the scene is set for the final demise of Mary Surratt. The
first thirteen chapters lay the framework for understanding
how Mary became associated with key players in the
assassination of President Lincoln, including tie-ins with
John Wilkes Booth himself through her son. The relationship
that John Surratt, Mary's son, sought with John Wilkes Booth
may well have been the reason Mary was put to death.

A wonderful quality of this book is its readibility despite
Trindal's dedication to well-researched, extensively
footnoted statements of fact. This book reads as easily as
a suspense-filled mystery novel. Trindal skillfully plays
on the ultimate question raised by the book. How could such
a peaceful, God-fearing, motherly woman be brought under
suspicion and eventual conviction for such a brutal crime?
The only concern I had while reading this book was a noticeable
southern perspective on events and activities of the time.
But, in a way, this southern perspective helped me to better
understand the passions and motivations of the people portrayed
in the book.

My accolades go out to Elizabeth Steger Trindal for this
thought-provoking work that will make any American historian
reevaluate the past and maybe even the present. If you are
a history lover, or a civil war or Lincoln buff, then this
book is a must for your bookshelf. Not just for its look at
one unfortunate woman's life, but for its study of the
workings of the nation's political and social arena at the
time of this woman's life.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and Simple, December 30, 2001

By 

Ann Sherry (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book very much. It gives a thorough biography of Mrs. Surratt without going into too much clogging detail. Well researched, we get a glimpse of her life before, during and after her trial. The book covers the other alleged conspirators only as they touch her life. Easy to read, it is suitable for those in high school and up. Don't skip the footnotes in the back - there's some good reading to be had there, too.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough and documented debunking of revisionist history, August 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy (Hardcover)

Elizabeth Trindal has done a masterful job of weaving 15 years of research into an enjoyable read of a sadly unmentionable subject. That being the Federal Governments unconstitutional trial and subsequent murder of Mary Surratt. This could very well be a 19th Century version of Ruby Ridge or Waco. And like Ruby Ridge or Waco as long as the economy grows and my neighborhood is safe, who cares what happens to a few folks on the fringe of my sphere. I care. I believe Mary Surratt was an innocent who became a sacrafice on the federal altar of "make everyone feel good,"justice. Elizabeth Trindal's sad and truthful account of poor Mary only serves to reinforce the old adage,"bad men cannot make good citizens". I recommend you buy, read and pass along this excellent book. Anyone interested in truthful accounts of our Nation's history will not be able to put it down. Elizabeth Trindal certainly deserves an award and our appreciation for this work.