Decapitating the Union: Jefferson Davis, Judah Benjamin and the Plot to Assassinate Lincoln - Softcover

John C. Fazio; Foreword By Joan L. Chaconas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786497467 ISBN 13: 9780786497461

Publisher: McFarland, 2015

Synopsis

The literature on Abraham Lincoln's assassination is replete with errors, theories and guesswork. This comprehensive re-examination of the facts seeks to correct errors in the record, reconcile differences of opinion, offer explanations for unknowns and evaluate theories. Drawing on hundreds of sources, the author covers the prelude to the war, Booth's accomplices and their roles in the conspiracy, the kidnapping ruse that concealed the intended decapitation of the government, the mysteries surrounding key players, the assassination itself, Booth's escape, the pursuit of the fugitives, the death of Booth and the trial and sentencing of his co-conspirators (except John Surratt) and one innocent man. The simple conspiracy theory is rejected by the author in favor of the theory that Booth worked with the complicity of the highest levels of the Confederate government and its Secret Service Bureau, whose twofold purpose was retribution and snatching Southern independence from a weakened and chaotic Federal Government.

About this title

About the Author

Retired lawyer John C. Fazio is a member of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable and has been its president. He has written and published numerous articles on the war and other subjects. He is also a member of the Lincoln Forum, the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Surratt Society. He lives in Fairlawn, Ohio.

Review

"Everyone should have this one on their Lincoln bookshelf." --Joan Chaconas, History Specialist Surratt House Museum/ MNCPPC, Clinton, Maryland

"A brilliant contribution to the growing consensus that the assassination of Lincoln was not an isolated act, but only one part of a desperate, last-ditch effort by Confederate leaders to gain independence by multiple assassinations." --Frederick Hatch, author of Protecting President Lincoln, The Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy Trial and Its Legacy, and In Honor Or Dishonor, a novel of the Lincoln Assassination

"For 150 years, scholars have analyzed details of the Lincoln assassination story and arrived at their own interpretations. Just when you think the 'i' is dotted and the 't' crossed, a book like Mr. Fazio's arrives on the scene." --Laurie Verge, Director of Surratt House Museum

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0786497467
• ISBN 13: 9780786497461
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 420