The eight people charged with conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln were tried by a military commission under military law. The author contends that this was illegal; since the civilian legal system was fully functioning. The many ways in which the defendants' rights were violated are described; as are the ways in which the trial testimony was either not accurate or not legally obtained. The trial is also compared with other incidents in which the U.S. military was used in police and judicial functions; with questionable results. The book is a warning against unchecked power by the executive branch of the government.
#4151873 in Books 2012-02-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .80 x 5.90l; .70 #File Name: 0786469803233 pages
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good book on A.M. Perrin.By Mike BaileyGood book on A.M. Perrin.Would have liked a bit more on the 14th S.C. Infantry.Still would recommend; however.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This book is absolutely horrible; full of misspellingsBy Arthur E. HouseThis book is absolutely horrible; full of misspellings; errors in fact; and facts presented wholly without context. In the book; Perrin had an "ancester." The author constantly interrupts battle narratives by inserting lengthy and tangential biographies of the principals; including minor details of their marriages and families. He refers to Major John Pelham as "Colonel" Pelham. General Fitz Lee is General "Fritz" Lee. He writes that General J.E.B. Stuart was a graduate of the West Point class of 1850 (in fact it was 1854). Killian's description of the 2nd Battle of Bull Run is simply impossible to follow; as he skips back and forth in time. In the discussion of the 1862 Maryland campaign; there is not a single reference to General Lee's operational plan; the subsequent multi-part division of the Army; or of the loss of and discovery by the Union Army of Lee's order specifying that plan--all of which are essential to understanding the campaign.The author; the editor (if there was one) and the publisher should all find different lines of work.
