This volume "is an examination of the 1865 military commission trial of eight alleged accomplices of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin who murdered President Abraham Lincoln. The book analyzes the trial transcript and other relevant evidence relating to the guilt of Booth's alleged accomplices, and it serves as a careful application of basic constitutional law principles to the jurisdiction of the military commission and the fundamental fairness of the trial. Thomas J. Reed contends that the trial was unconstitutional and unfair because Congress never authorized trial by military commission for these eight civilians. President Andrew Johnson exceeded the scope of his authority as commander-in-chief by ordering the accomplices to be tried in this fashion. He failed to follow the Habeas Corpus Act of 1863, which required him to turn over the alleged accomplices to civilian authorities for prosecution. The accomplices were convicted on perjured testimony and the government was allowed to submit unrelated evidence of Confederate atrocities to poison the minds of the panel of officers."--Page 4 of cover.

Introduction -- The conspiracies -- The Hunter Commission -- The lawyers -- The conduct of the trial -- The case against Mary Surratt -- The case against Samuel Mudd -- An unconstitutional, unfair trial.