Lewis Powell/Payne in Gettysburg

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This is a question.

Legend has it that Lewis Powell (of Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy fame) allegedly was in Gettysburg as part of the 2nd FL infantry, was wounded lightly on day 2, which made him not participate in Pickett's Charge in day 3 (and potentially lose his life then.) The story continues saying that he was captured there, was sent to a military POW hospital where he was assigned to be a nurse, seduced a nurse who helped him escape etc etc.

Are there any solid records (or evidence) that Lewis Powell was in Gettysburg indeed? Or is it all hearsay?
 
This is a question.

Legend has it that Lewis Powell (of Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy fame) allegedly was in Gettysburg as part of the 2nd FL infantry, was wounded lightly on day 2, which made him not participate in Pickett's Charge in day 3 (and potentially lose his life then.) The story continues saying that he was captured there, was sent to a military POW hospital where he was assigned to be a nurse, seduced a nurse who helped him escape etc etc.

Are there any solid records (or evidence) that Lewis Powell was in Gettysburg indeed? Or is it all hearsay?
Edward Steers covers this in his book "Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln". Here is an excerpt:

At age seventeen he enlisted in Company I of the First Florida Infantry, known as the Jasper Hamilton Blues of Hamilton County, Florida. Powell served with the Army of Northern Virginia through its campaigns culminating in the battle of Gettysburg. On July 2 he was wounded in the right wrist and was taken prisoner.

Removed to one of the army corps hospitals located at Gettysburg College, Powell served as a POW nurse during his recovery. While working at the corps hospital he met a young woman by the name of Margaret Branson. “Maggie” Branson was an ardent Confederate sympathizer who went to Gettysburg to care for the Confederate wounded. According to Powell biographer, Betty Ownsbey, an intimacy developed between Powell and Branson that would later cause Powell to find his way to the Branson home in Baltimore where he would meet John Surratt.
 
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Ken,
Thanks. I know plenty of those (secondary) sources. And they are all later books regarding Lincoln's Assassination and Powell's part of it. And they are all written the earliest in the last century. But I have not seen any primary sources indicating that Powell was indeed there. And I'd even take any secondary source dealing with the Gettysburg Battle and not the Lincoln Assassination as their subject.
 
Powell.jpg
 
Powell's skull was discovered at the Smithsonian in 1992 and reburied with his remains in Florida next to his mother. There are photos of it. His death was the worst of the conspirators as he lived for about 5 minutes after he dropped and they say he pulled himself up to a sitting position twice in his struggle. Winfield Scott Hancock gave the command to drop them.
 
This is a question.

Legend has it that Lewis Powell (of Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy fame) allegedly was in Gettysburg as part of the 2nd FL infantry, was wounded lightly on day 2, which made him not participate in Pickett's Charge in day 3 (and potentially lose his life then.) The story continues saying that he was captured there, was sent to a military POW hospital where he was assigned to be a nurse, seduced a nurse who helped him escape etc etc.

Are there any solid records (or evidence) that Lewis Powell was in Gettysburg indeed? Or is it all hearsay?

- Soldiers of Florida in the ...Civil War...
- Biographical Rosters of Florida's Soldiers 1861-1865 :

Lewis Thornton Powell

Residence was not listed; 17 years old.

Enlisted on 6/4/1861 at Jasper, FL as a Private.

On 6/4/1861 he mustered into "I" Co. FL 2nd Infantry
He Re-enlisted on 5/10/1862
He deserted on 1/15/1865
(Joined Mosby's raiders. Deserted to US forces)
(never heard this)


He was listed as:
* POW 7/2/1863 Gettysburg, PA
* Wounded 7/2/1863 Gettysburg, PA (Wounded in right wrist) He was one of 50 wounded. 11 killed. 37 captured, and 1 missing of the 2nd Fla. on July 2nd.
* Escaped 9/1/1863 Baltimore, MD (Escaped from Hospital, never returned)


Other Information:
born 4/22/1844 in Alabama

He was
(Was hung in Washington on July 7, 1865 with Mrs. Suratt
as conspiritors to kill Pres. Lincoln.)

Company I (Hamilton Blues)

Stationed at Camp Virginia, July 13, 1861.
July 13.— Company muster-in roll of Captain Henry J. Stewart's
Company, in the Second Regiment of Florida Volunteers, com-
manded by Colonel George T. Ward, called into the service of the
Confederate States in the Provisional Army under the provisions
of the Act of Congress passed February —, 1861 by — from
July 13, 1861 (date of this muster) for the term of twelve months,
unless sooner discharged.
I certify, on honor, that I have carefully examined the men
whose names are borne on this roll, their horses and equipments,
and have accepted them into the service of the Confederate States
for the term of twelve months from July 13, 1861.
W. T. STOCKTON,
Mustering Officer.

Stationed at Richmond, Virginia, July 12-September 1, 1861.

Stationed at Wynn's Mill, Virginia, September-October 1861.

Stationed at Wynn's Mill, Virginia, November-December 1861.

Stationed at Wynn's Mill, January-February 1862.

Stationed near Richmond, March 1-July 1, 1862.

Stationed near Culpeper Court-House, Virginia, June 30-October
31, 1862.

Stationed near Fredericksburg, Virginia, July 1-December 31,
1862.

Stationed near Hamilton's Crossing, January-February 1863.

Stationed near Fredericksburg, March-April 1863.

Stationed near Orange Court-House, Virginia, May-June 1863.

Stationed near Orange Court-House, Virginia, July-August 1863.

Stationed near Culpeper, Virginia, September-October 1863.

Stationed near Orange Court-House, Virginia, November-Decem-
ber 1863.

Stationed near Orange Court-House, Virginia, January-February
1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, March-April 1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, April 30-August 31, 1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, April 30-August 31, 1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, September-October 1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, November-December 1864.

Stationed near Petersburg, Virginia, January-February 1865.
 
Powell's skull was discovered at the Smithsonian in 1992 and reburied with his remains in Florida next to his mother. There are photos of it.

Turns out that I live about 10 miles away from where the skull is buried in Geneva Cemetery. I swung by there the other day. It's on a rustic residential road so is kind of an odd experience to pull up to the front gate. A lot of old graves (with some CSA flags here and there) mixed in with some very new ones. The place appears to be cared for, isn't exactly immaculate. Very much an "Old Florida" location. I wouldn't want to be there at night.
 
From AndyHall, the above CSR indicates Powell was admitted to a General Hospital on July 6. Between his wounding on July 2 and July 6, Powell was likely at the Confederate field hospital that had been established within the main building of Pennsylvania College north of town (called the College Hospital), because that's the place where the wounded of Col. Lang's brigade were initially sent, based on several known cases.
 
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