Excerpt from The Unwritten History of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

And here Mr. Smoot told the following interest ing narrative. Which explains many things hereto fore garbed in impenetrable mystery, and which, if known in the beginning, would have insured the hanging of John H. Surratt, who is now a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, where he has resided for many years.

At the time of the breaking out of the war, began Mr. Smoot, I was engaged in farming in Charles County, Maryland, about two miles from the town of Port Tobacco, situated upon a creek of that name which is a branch of the Potomac. When the ravages of war began to take on form, farming became unprofitable, and Iwas compelled to turn my attention in other directions in order to make a living. I owned a good, large and stout boat, and fell into the way of transporting goods and passengers across the Potomac, and from that occupation to that of running the blockade was but a short step and an inviting one. I was engaged in that hazardous but fascinating undertaking in 1864. In the early part of that year I received a visit from John H. Surratt, who expressed a desire to purchase my boat. He also said that he would have use for two other good boats which, however, must be capa ble of transporting fifteen persons each rapidly and safely across the Potomac. He was noticeably eager to secure my boat, and incidentally explained his desire to have the boat by saying that it would be needed in an emergency which might arise With in avery short time. He also said that if purchased the boat would be immediately removed to a point up King's Creek, which is a branch of the Potomac about ten miles from Port Tobacco, where it was tobe held in readiness for instant use. With reference to the other two boats wanted, Surratt said they were to be stationed at certain unnamed points to meet exigencies which might arise and cause well laid plans to go astray, and which did arise. I was using my boat, and asked Surratt if he could not do without it for a while; but he declared that if he bought it he would want possession right away, as the need of the boat would be the consequence of an event of unprecedented magnitude in the his tory of the country, which would startle and astound the entire world. He did not go into any further explanation of the expected event, which I inferred was then in process of incubation, and on the verge of maturity. While Surratt's manner impressed me with the belief that something big was going to happen, I had not the remotest idea that the life of Lincoln was then any more at stake than was the life of any man who was taking active and promi nent part in the war, though I was inclined to asso ciate the coming event with a plan to abduct Lin coln, concerning which plan I had heard vague rumors.

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