Description:

LINCOLN ASSASINATION - LEWIS THORNTON POWELL
(1844 – 1865) Also known as Lewis Paine or sometimes ‘Reverend' Payne, Powell was a Confederate soldier who attempted to assassinate William Henry Seward as part of the Lincoln conspiracy plot. Powell was wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, thence served in Mosby's Rangers before becoming a Confederate spy. Originally charged with kidnapping Lincoln as part of the conspiracy, Powell's role changed when the plot turned to an assassination attempt. His target became Williams H. Seward, who was bedridden following a carriage accident. Powell attempted to shoot Seward, but the gun misfired and he took to slashing him with a knife. The screams alarmed his co-conspirator David E. Herold, who fled for Maryland. Powell eventually made his way to Mary Surratt's boarding house, where was arrested. Offered here is an incredibly rare carte-de-visite of Powell, showing him full length at the Washington Navy Yard while a prisoner awaiting his trial and execution. Powell's arresting stare and size is evidenced in this clear image, which save for the tiniest fold at bottom left corner, is in remarkably fine condition. No backstamp.

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March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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