Lewis Powell, also known as Lewis Payne, was a complex figure in American history. Born in Alabama on April 22, 1844., he fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and later became involved in one of the most infamous events in American history – the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  Powell’s early life was marked by hardship and poverty. His father was a Baptist minister who died when Lewis was young, and this forced him work as a laborer to support his family. Powell was raised in a devoutly religious household. As a young man, Powell moved to Florida, where he worked as a carpenter and became involved in local politics.

When the Civil War broke out, Powell joined the 2nd Florida Regiment and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.  In a letter to his mother during the war, Powell wrote, “I feel that I am doing right in defending my country, and that I will never regret it.” This sentiment speaks to the deep sense of patriotism that motivated many soldiers on both sides of the conflict.  Powell saw action in some of the war’s most famous battles, including Antietam and Gettysburg. At Gettysburg, Powell was wounded and captured by Union forces. He spent the next several months as a prisoner of war before being exchanged in early 1864.

After the war, Powell returned to Florida and became involved in politics once again. He joined the Republican Party and worked as a delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention. But Powell’s life took a dark turn when he became involved in a plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward.  Powell was recruited into the conspiracy by John Wilkes Booth, who was planning to assassinate Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Seward in a single night. On the night of April 14, 1865, Powell entered Seward’s home and attempted to kill him with a knife. Seward was badly injured, but survived the attack.

Powell was eventually captured and put on trial for his role in the assassination plot. During his trial, Powell made a number of statements that shed light on his motivations and state of mind. According to historian Michael W. Kauffman, Powell “began to talk freely about his actions, and his thoughts on the issues that drove him to take part in the assassination.”  In one statement, Powell expressed his anger at what he saw as the Union’s mistreatment of the South during the war: “I have always been a rebel, and had I not been apprehended I would have killed him [Seward]. I am not sorry for what I have done. I wish the whole damn Yankee nation had been killed and I myself had been killed in the attempt.”  Powell’s statements during his trial also shed light on his mental state at the time of the assassination. According to Kauffman, Powell “suffered from a variety of delusions and hallucinations, and had a history of mental illness in his family.” Powell himself told the court that he had been “insane” at the time of the attack on Seward.

Despite his claims of insanity, Powell was convicted and sentenced to death. On July 7, 1865, he was hanged along with three other conspirators. Powell’s life and actions continue to fascinate historians and authors today. In his book “American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies,” author Michael W. Kauffman writes that Powell was “a complex figure, driven by a variety of motives and passions, some of them noble, others less so.”  Similarly, historian Edward Steers Jr. writes in his book “Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln” that Powell’s story “illustrates how a young man can be swept up by the passions of his time and become embroiled in events that he could never have imagined.”