Alias “Paine”

The most enigmatic of the associates of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, Confederate soldier Lewis Thornton Powell, using the alias Lewis Paine, was a key player in the postwar attempt to undermine the Federal government. On the night Lincoln was shot, 20-year-old Powell burst into the house of William Seward and attempted to assassinate the secretary of state. Captured shortly after the assassination, Powell stood trial for his crime and was hanged three months later. Powell and his role in the conspiracy has been the subject of debate for many years. Who was this man? This biography attempts to unveil his true character.