Civil War
At the outbreak of the War, Conrad attended the Georgetown Institute in Georgetown, District of Columbia and openly expressed his sympathy for the Confederacy. A few days after commencement, he was arrested and placed in the Old Capitol Prison in June of 1861.
Conrad was given a letter of recommendation from General Stuart to President Jefferson Davis to spy for the Confederate Secret Service. He met Davis, who endorsed the letter and referred him to other members of the Confederate government. Conrad received gold from Judah Benjamin and his “name placed on the rolls of the secret service bureau”. He then saw Secretary of War Seddon for “papers and outfit”. Davis invited Conrad to his executive mansion hear his plans.
Captain Conrad went to Washington with private Mountjoy and M. B. “Tippie” Ruggles, son of General Daniel Ruggles as couriers. His slave William also accompanied them
In September of 1864, Conrad and a team went to Washington to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. The members of the team were, private Mountjoy, “Bull” Frizzell (who had been in the Old Capitol Prison with him) and slave William. The plan was abandoned because Lincoln was well protected. Conrad denied that the Confederate government knew of his plot except the military secretary of General Braxton Bragg. However, Seddon wrote an order for John S. Mosby and Lieutenant Cawood to “aid and facilitate the movements of Capt. Conrad.”
Conrad’s courier Ruggles assisted John Wilkes Booth by giving him a ride on his horse shortly before Booth was killed. Mary Surratt hosted Conrad when he visited her boarding house.
Conrad was arrested by a landing party of the Union vessel Jacob Bell on the night of April 16, 1865.
Conrad wrote about his wartime experiences in his book, The Rebel Scout.
There were many changes at VMAC under Minor. The college switched from semesters to the quarter system which remained in place until the late 1980s. The college's new librarian spent $2,229.96 entirely on books of fiction and poetry and a museum was opened. For the first time ever, the school’s farm became financially successful.
Read more about this topic: Thomas Nelson Conrad
Famous quotes related to civil war:
“The principle of majority rule is the mildest form in which the force of numbers can be exercised. It is a pacific substitute for civil war in which the opposing armies are counted and the victory is awarded to the larger before any blood is shed. Except in the sacred tests of democracy and in the incantations of the orators, we hardly take the trouble to pretend that the rule of the majority is not at bottom a rule of force.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)