Manhunt
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Its a question that will hang over the entire episode both in its particulars did Stanton place the order?
and in its implications.
How far would Stanton and, by extension, Lincoln go to win the war?
Stanton denies ordering Davis assassination, more or less, telling Conover that the Dahlgren order is Confederate propaganda.
And, for a fee, Conovers willing to tell his readers exactly that.
But true or not, its resurfacing provides Stanton with a reminder of the importance of controlling the narrative.
No holes, he tells Baker.
If it were true this would hardly be the only action to break the rules of engagement.
Barnums museum in the hopes of overwhelming the citys fire department.
Or, maybe its not so surprising.
Like Edwin, Mary has Southern sympathizers in her family and she understands his concern to be real.
Others are also concerned about her, but in different ways.
Robert fears for his mothers well being and is looking into mental institutions.
This squares with history, butManhunts intriguing choices include the decision to portray Mary not as a screaming madwoman.
Perhaps the men in Marys life have a different definition of madness than she does.
Over at Dr. Mudds place, the other Mary has had enough.
Thanks to the land grant she finds the confidence to quit.
Land dont make everything hunky-dory, girl, he snarls.
And maybe hes right, but Mary wants to find out for herself.
Stantons current pursuit of Sanders hits snag of its own.
Sanders is rich enough to be untouchable, a federal judge tells him.
This is America, Stanton replies.
No one is untouchable.
(And, again, that sound you hear is contemporary resonance.)
The judges advice: stop the flow of money.
What he offers is unexpected.
The rumor is Johnson has given Sanders a contract to make the armys summer uniforms.
No ones getting added to the Christmas list this year.
Nonetheless, Stanton shows up at the meeting to talk things over.
Specifically, hes willing to give Sanders the contractifhe can give up the location of Booth.
Either Sanders cant or wont, but either way he seems guilty as hell.
He even pulls a gun and brags that he could kill Stanton and not be called a killer.
This at leastseemslike a victory.
And where did these uniforms come from?
This, too, seems like a victory.
But whether either will be what they appear remains to be seen.
This route includes some side trips that stray from established historical fact, however.
The Dahlgren letter, however, only seems like an invention.
They were published in theRichmond Examinerin March, 1864.
This prompted a mob to dig up Dahlgrens corpse and place it on public display.
The River Ghost: a man of few words.
