Assassination of Lincoln: a History of the Great Conspiracy / Trial of the Conspirators by a Military Commission, and a Review of the Trial of John H. Surratt

The author, who served on the military commission, reconstructs the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the conspiracy behind it, tracing connections among Booth and his circle, the use of a private house in Washington as conspirators' headquarters, and the roles of implicated individuals. The narrative follows the investigation, the presentation of testimony and documentary evidence before a military commission, the legal proceedings and sentences, and a separate review of one defendant's civilian trial. Controversies over guilt, public reactions, and ensuing debates about clemency and historical interpretation are examined through the lens of the commission's evidence.