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SUPERINTENDENT KENNEDY DENIES A PLOT. 393
kind as quoted. On the evening of Tuesday, 26th, several friends came into my office to
learn the facts, whether any attempt was to have been made to assassinate Mr. Lincoln.
I assured them there was no foundation in the story, and went on to relate to them my
participation in the movements of Mr. Lincoln after he had left New York on the 21st
inst. In doing so, I spoke as freely as one friend should speak to another; and it was not
until I had nearly closed the conversation, that I discovered a newspaper reporter present
whom I had refused to communicate with previous to the arrival of my friends. I
regret, while he was taking the advantage of reporting a conversation, entirely private,
that he omitted the remarks of commendation I used in regard to the appearance and
material of your force, as well as those on the orderly and good-natured character of
the very large crowd assembled around the depot to receive Mr. Lincoln. However, these
are the kinds of omissions the press delights in making.
"Second. I have had officers occasionally in your city, as I have had in others farther
South, even Charleston, ever since these secession troubles began to show form. I presume in this I am not much ahead of our Southern friends. Not a few of the journeys
have been undertaken while attending the movements of persons who were in this city,
and excited our suspicions while here. But no officer of mine has reported to me the actual
-existence of any band' organized for the purpose of assassinating the President elect.'
" Although in the prosecution of their duty, they may have deemed it advisable to
associate themselves with the bodies denominated ' Southern Volunteers,' wherever they
found them, they have not reported to me that even these bodies had resolced on assassination.
Of course I regard them as dangerous organizations, and have not failed in obtaining
every information in my power as to their locality, number, means of support, members,
' officers, and movements.
" On some proximate day, these points of intelligence may become valuable.
" Since Wednesday of last week, up to Tuesday of this week, three hundred and
twenty-seven of these men have left your city, in squads, for service at the South, and I
am advised that about two hundred more will leave during the present week.
"It has not appeared to me necessary to stop this movement, else I should have
notified you of it before. The parties are represented to me as being desperadoes of the
worst kind, and whose departure from any community is the only good act they can
perform.
"I will merely add, that when I read my letters on Friday morning, advising me that
your department felt so secure from riot and disturbance on the arrival of the President
elect, that only twenty men were to be on duty as an escort, I at once determined to call
on you and endeavor to induce you to increase the number. But on my arrival, I was
very happy to find my advice was not needed, and, therefore, I did not obtrude it on you.
" So far from having advised the change of Mr. Lincoln's route from Harrisburg, before
•leaving New York for Baltimore, on the22d, I sent a telegraph to Mr. Wood of Mr. Lincoln's
"party, advising him to go down on. the Susquehannah road as perfectly safe.
" You are at liberty to make such use of this letter as you may deem proper.
" I am very respectfully yours, &c,
" JOHN A. KENNEDY. Superintendent."
Here superintendent Kennedy, under his own hand, in a letter written for
publication, declares:
First—That there was no foundation for the report of a plot to assassinate
Mr. Lincoln.
Second—That none of his spies reported the existance of any band organized for, or resolved upon, assassination.
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000424 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | SUPERINTENDENT KENNEDY DENIES A PLOT. 393 kind as quoted. On the evening of Tuesday, 26th, several friends came into my office to learn the facts, whether any attempt was to have been made to assassinate Mr. Lincoln. I assured them there was no foundation in the story, and went on to relate to them my participation in the movements of Mr. Lincoln after he had left New York on the 21st inst. In doing so, I spoke as freely as one friend should speak to another; and it was not until I had nearly closed the conversation, that I discovered a newspaper reporter present whom I had refused to communicate with previous to the arrival of my friends. I regret, while he was taking the advantage of reporting a conversation, entirely private, that he omitted the remarks of commendation I used in regard to the appearance and material of your force, as well as those on the orderly and good-natured character of the very large crowd assembled around the depot to receive Mr. Lincoln. However, these are the kinds of omissions the press delights in making. "Second. I have had officers occasionally in your city, as I have had in others farther South, even Charleston, ever since these secession troubles began to show form. I presume in this I am not much ahead of our Southern friends. Not a few of the journeys have been undertaken while attending the movements of persons who were in this city, and excited our suspicions while here. But no officer of mine has reported to me the actual -existence of any band' organized for the purpose of assassinating the President elect.' " Although in the prosecution of their duty, they may have deemed it advisable to associate themselves with the bodies denominated ' Southern Volunteers,' wherever they found them, they have not reported to me that even these bodies had resolced on assassination. Of course I regard them as dangerous organizations, and have not failed in obtaining every information in my power as to their locality, number, means of support, members, ' officers, and movements. " On some proximate day, these points of intelligence may become valuable. " Since Wednesday of last week, up to Tuesday of this week, three hundred and twenty-seven of these men have left your city, in squads, for service at the South, and I am advised that about two hundred more will leave during the present week. "It has not appeared to me necessary to stop this movement, else I should have notified you of it before. The parties are represented to me as being desperadoes of the worst kind, and whose departure from any community is the only good act they can perform. "I will merely add, that when I read my letters on Friday morning, advising me that your department felt so secure from riot and disturbance on the arrival of the President elect, that only twenty men were to be on duty as an escort, I at once determined to call on you and endeavor to induce you to increase the number. But on my arrival, I was very happy to find my advice was not needed, and, therefore, I did not obtrude it on you. " So far from having advised the change of Mr. Lincoln's route from Harrisburg, before •leaving New York for Baltimore, on the22d, I sent a telegraph to Mr. Wood of Mr. Lincoln's "party, advising him to go down on. the Susquehannah road as perfectly safe. " You are at liberty to make such use of this letter as you may deem proper. " I am very respectfully yours, &c, " JOHN A. KENNEDY. Superintendent." Here superintendent Kennedy, under his own hand, in a letter written for publication, declares: First—That there was no foundation for the report of a plot to assassinate Mr. Lincoln. Second—That none of his spies reported the existance of any band organized for, or resolved upon, assassination. |
