The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators [Hardcover]

Edward Steers Jr. (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2003

" With commentary by Terry Alford, Burrus Carnahan, Joan L. Chaconis, Percy Martin, Betty Ownsbey, Edward Steers Jr., Thomas R. Turner, and Laurie Verge On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. By April 26, eight of the ten people eventually charged as accomplices in Lincoln's murder were in custody. Booth was killed resisting capture and John Surratt was in Canada, his whereabouts unknown to Federal authorities. In the days that followed, President Johnson issued an Executive Order directing that the persons charged with Lincoln's murder stand trial before a military tribunal. During the fifty-day trial, over three hundred and sixty witnesses gave testimony. Benn Pitman, a recognized expert in the art of phonography (an early form of shorthand), was awarded a government contract to produce a true and accurate transcription of the testimony. Working with four assistants, Pitman produced transcripts that served the general public through daily releases to select members of the press as well as to the prosecution and the defense. Pitman was given the right to publish the transcriptions for public sale, and he skillfully winnowed the 4,300 pages of transcription into a single 421-page volume. Copies of the original 1865 edition, as well as subsequent reprints, are exceedingly rare. Here for the first time, leading experts in the field lend their insight in a series of commentaries that complement Pitman's published transcript -- included here in its entirety -- exposing various perjuries, explaining testimony that has escaped scholarly attention, and clarifying the events surrounding the assassination as never before.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A valuable work.... Even casual perusers will find passages that tell them something interesting about some of the Confederacy's more sinister schemes, as well as the political atmosphere of immediate postbellum America." -- Books and Culture

"Steers has edited an important book in Pitman's trial documents, making it generally available to modern readers." -- Civil War Book Review

"Qualifies as the single most important volume on the Lincoln assassination." -- Joseph Edward Garrera

"Brings together a special edition of the trial transcript and ninety pages of commentaries by modern authorities on testimony deemed important to both the prosecution and the defense." -- Journal of Illinois History

"An invaluable reference work and a book that anyone with a serious interest in the Lincoln conspiracy ought to own." -- Journal of Southern History

"The Lincoln scholar, and even those with a less consuming interest in the murder of the Savior of the Union, will find this book fascinating." -- Signal Flag

"Succeeds in gathering under one cover the essential and unvarnished details of that tragic and twisted affair, including the shadowy presence of the Confederate Secret Service." -- The Washington Times

"Now readers have easy access to a vital original source document." -- William Hanchett

"Edward Steers Jr., an accomplished historian who has written informative books on Lincoln's assassination, offers a fairly light hearted- but fully documented- look at some of the legends and myths that have bedeviled our understanding of the 16th president and his times." -- Bowling Green Daily News

"Steers is meticulous but never boring, and readers will be fascinated by the variety of tales told about Lincoln's life and death." -- Indiana Magazine of History

About the Author

Edward Steers Jr. is the author of several books, including Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 552 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (July 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813122775
• ISBN-13: 978-0813122779
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edward Steers, Jr. (University of Pennsylvania, AB, PhD), is considered the leading authority on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Ed has authored seven books on Lincoln's death including "Blood on the Moon," "The Trial," "The Lincoln Assassination Conspirators," and "The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia." He served as an advisor to the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and as a member of the West Virginia Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Among the honors he has received are the "Person of the Year" award from the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, the Lincoln Group of New York's "Achievement Award," and the "Lifetime Award of Achievement for Enduring Scholarship in the Field of Lincoln Research" by the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. More recently Ed has tried his hand at fiction and published "We'LL Meet Again," a World War II novel, and "Der Tagebuch. The Journal," a story set in a small West Virginia town in the 1980s involving the escape of Adolph Hitler and murder.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best reading on this subject I have seen so far., August 22, 2003

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators (Hardcover)

In 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, this is commonly known by most people. But what is not known is that there were eight others who had a part in the conspiracy to kill the president.

Unlike the other books I have read on the subject; this one has very little plot, in fact the book spends more time talking about the trial rather than the events leading to the assassination. Rather the author has put together the actual court transcripts of the testimony against each of the conspirators.

After reading the text, which took about 5 hours, I learned more about those involved and even found out a few new things along the way. I found the discussion about Dr. Mudd so intriguing I spent several hours on the internet reading about him.

I found the book well documented and researched. The author has certainly seemed to leave no stone unturned. Overall this book is the best overall presentation into the murder and conspiracy I have read so far.

If you are looking for serious information about the Lincoln Assassination or just wondering what happened than this book is the place to start looking.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable resource, June 29, 2007

By 

FaerieNudibranch - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators (Hardcover)

In this much-needed reprinting of Benn Pitman's transcript of the trial of the "conspirators" to assassinate President Lincoln, a new element has been added in the articles in the front. Although the trial itself remains, unfortunately, unannotated, a variety of top scholars in the field contributed articles on the conspirators and the trial itself which are both helpful & interesting. This is certainly one of the best purchases I have ever made. The list of witnesses that make Pitman the preferred version of the trial, and the charming print style left as-is, make for an enjoyable read or for helpful reference material. However, it should be kept in mind that Pitman's version is an edited copy of the original trial, with the dialogue surrounding each witness reduced to monolouge testimony, and some confusing areas eliminated or altered. Nonetheless, this is a valuable resource.

I would recommend accompanying this book with Carmen Cumming's Devil's Game: The Civil War Intrigues of Charles A. Dunham, which helps the reader understand the confusing testimony of Sanford Conover, the alias of Charles Dunham.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REEVALUATION, March 3, 2010

By 

D. West (Quitman, MS. United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Trial: The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators (Hardcover)

A few weeks ago I wrote a bad review of this book. I suppose it was just because I had a bad day at the office so to speak. I had quickly scanned through the book and at first glance it wasn't what i thought it would be. But after actually taking the time to read it I was overwhelmed and felt bad about the review I gave earlier. This is a great book with good insight by many of the leading Lincoln scholars. So i stand corrected and highly recommend this book.