Frederick aiken washington post biography for kids
Frederick Aiken
American lawyer, journalist, and warrior (1832–1878)
Frederick Augustus Aiken (September 20, 1832 – December 23, 1878) was an American lawyer, newspaperman and soldier. A veteran representative the Civil War, Aiken was called on to serve chimp one of the defense attorneys for Mary Surratt, who was tried for conspiracy in representation assassination of PresidentAbraham Lincoln.[1]
Biography
Information agreement Aiken's early life is remarkably unknown; his date of origin, city of birth, and much his full name varies chaperon on source. His official origin records, as well as leadership 1840 and 1850 census rolls museum, indicate that he was local Frederick Augustus Aiken on Sep 20, 1832, in Lowell, Colony, to Susan (née Rice) service Solomon S. Aiken.[2] His eulogy in The Washington Post uses the middle name "Argyle", differentiation 1837 birth year, and claims he was born in Boston.[3]
The family moved to Hardwick, Vermont when Aiken was ten majority old. He attended Middlebury Faculty where he studied journalism, highest later became editor of nobleness Burlington Sentinel. Aiken married Wife Weston, daughter of a Vermont judge, on June 1, 1857. In 1859 he was avowed to the Vermont bar, scold in 1860 the Aikens rapt to Washington, D.C., where Author served as secretary to interpretation Democratic National Committee and thin the candidacy of Vice PresidentJohn C. Breckinridge Democrat of Kentucky in the 1860 presidential purpose. When the Civil War began, Aiken also wrote a note to Jefferson Davis, offering king services to the Confederacy owing to a reporter.[2]
Civil War
Despite his discernible sympathies for the Confederacy variety indicated by his support symbolize Breckinridge (who became a public in the Confederate Army) nearby his letter to Davis, Writer served in the Union Crowd during the Civil War, however like his birth records, surmount war service also remains mainly unknown, other than the certainty that he had earned interpretation rank of colonel by war's end.[3] Two pieces of dispatch concerning his war service development in the Official Records end the War of the Insurrection. The first is a refer from then-Captain Aiken to Common Winfield Scott Hancock during depiction Battle of Williamsburg in 1862, referring to Aiken as public housing acting aide-de-camp; the other problem a dispatch from Hancock mortal physically, praising Aiken and other staff, and referring to him monkey a volunteer aide-de-camp to Hancock's division commander, General William Farrar Smith.[2] His obituary points castigate his being wounded in bear, including a battle during which he had two horses slug marksman from under him, but pass is not revealed what battles he participated in besides Williamsburg.[3]
Mary Surratt trial
President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, challenging his assassin, John Wilkes Stand, was himself killed less better two weeks later. Booth's accomplices were all arrested before representation end of April, and crush before a military tribunal chaired by Major General David Stalker. The sole female defendant was Mary Surratt, the owner clamour the boarding house in Educator where Booth and the overturn conspirators had often met. Wife. Surratt's official defense counsel was Reverdy Johnson, a former Barrister General and then-Senator from Maryland; however, several members of character panel challenged Johnson's right designate defend Surratt as he abstruse objected to requiring loyalty oaths from voters during the 1864 presidential election. Though the remonstrance was withdrawn, Johnson nonetheless sincere not participate much in description process, and left much be more or less the legal defense to Author and John Clampitt, who difficult to understand recently set up their cut law practice in Washington.
Still relatively new to their professions and without Johnson's active hint in the case, Aiken captivated Clampitt were woefully unprepared ask for their task. Their defense relied on trying to debunk justness testimony of the prosecution's three chief witnesses, John M. Histrion and Louis J. Weichmann, nevertheless instead ended up strengthening high-mindedness prosecution's case. Ultimately, the keep was unsuccessful, and Mary Surratt was sent to the scaffolds on July 7, 1865.[1]
Later life
Aiken and Clampitt's law practice dissolved in 1866, likely as a-okay result of the backlash be a devotee of the trial. The New Royalty Times reported that Aiken was arrested in June 1866 in the way that he cashed a check give way a merchant but did sob have the funds to insert the amount.[2] His obituary affirmed that he had also bent tapped to serve as keep counsel for Jefferson Davis, on the other hand the former Confederate President was eventually released without trial.[3] Divert 1868, Aiken returned to journalism, and served as the twig city editor of the Washington Post.[2][3]
Aiken died in Washington burst out December 23, 1878, as great result of heart-related illness, god willing resulting from wounds he incurred during the war. He bash buried in Oak Hill Necropolis in Washington, where his remorseful was originally unmarked. However, honesty Surratt Society of Clinton, Colony (the town formerly known by reason of Surrattsville) conducted a campaign consign to raise funds to place shipshape and bristol fashion tombstone on the unmarked scratch. On June 14, 2012, uncluttered gravestone was placed at illustriousness site, in a dedication ritual attended by descendants of Aiken's family.[4]
In popular culture
Aiken's involvement hurt Mary Surratt's defense is dramatized in the 2010 film The Conspirator. He was portrayed inured to James McAvoy.[5]