Lewis Powell (assassin)

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Lewis Thornton "Paine" Powell
Lewis Powell after his arrest, 1865
Born	April 22, 1844 Randolph County, Alabama, USA
Died	July 7, 1865 Washington, D.C., USA
Occupation	Soldier
Parents	Rev. George C. Powell Caroline Powell

Lewis Thornton Powell (April 22, 1844 – July 7, 1865), also known as Lewis Paine or Payne, attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, and was one of four people hanged for the Lincoln assassination conspiracy.

1 Early life
2 Lincoln plot
3 Skull discovery
4 External links

[edit] Early life

Powell was born in Randolph County, Alabama, to a Baptist minister. He enlisted in 1861 as a private with the Confederate Second Florida Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg and taken prisoner in July 1863. After his parole and release, he resumed fighting with the Confederacy. He rode with John S. Mosby's legendary band of partisan fighters in 1864. After he left Mosby's Rangers, Powell returned to Baltimore and met John Wilkes Booth and John Surratt.

[edit] Lincoln plot

Lewis Powell attacking Frederick Seward after attempting to shoot him.

After being escorted to the Seward residence by David Herold, Powell attempted to kill William Seward on (April 14, 1865 (the same night that John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln ) by breaking into his bedroom and stabbing him repeatedly. Earlier in the month, on April 5, 1865, Seward had been injured in a carriage accident, and suffered a concussion, a broken jaw, a broken right arm, and many serious bruises. A neck brace worn by Seward helped to save his life by deflecting the knife away from his jugular vein. Four other people were injured in the attack. Another member of the conspiracy, George Atzerodt, failed to kill Vice-President Andrew Johnson, because he lost his nerve and got drunk.

Powell was tried under the name of "Payne" by a military tribunal and was executed with three other conspirators on July 7, 1865. He went to the gallows calmly and quietly, though at some point he was believed to have pleaded for the life of Mary Surratt shortly before he was hanged. He is reported to have thanked the guards for their good treatment of him while he was in prison and then shouted "Mrs. Surratt is innocent! She doesn't deserve to die with us!" On the gallows, his very last words were "I thank you, goodbye."

While hangman Christian Rath was placing the noose over young Powell's head he remarked "I hope you die quick." He had been impressed by Powell's courage and determination in the face of death. To this Lewis replied, "You know best captain." Lewis Powell did not die quickly as hoped by Rath. After the drop he struggled for life a full 2 minutes. His body swinging wildly, twice he "Moved his legs up into the sitting position." and was the last to die. George Atzerodt died instantly, a broken neck. David Herold gave a brief shudder and wet himself. Mary Surratt whose neck did not break upon impact, also gave a shudder before dying.

Execution of Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold and George Atzerodt

[edit] Skull discovery

In January 1992, Powell's skull was discovered stored at the Smithsonian Anthropology Department. Two years later the skull was re-interred with the rest of his remains at the Geneva Cemetery in Seminole County, Florida, next to the grave of his mother.^{[citation needed]}