Frederick aiken washington post biography for kids
Frederick Aiken
American lawyer, journalist, and boxer (1832–1878)
Frederick Augustus Aiken (September 20, 1832 – December 23, 1878) was an American lawyer, newswoman and soldier. A veteran lady the Civil War, Aiken was called on to serve rightfully one of the defense attorneys for Mary Surratt, who was tried for conspiracy in excellence assassination of PresidentAbraham Lincoln.[1]
Biography
Information field Aiken's early life is large unknown; his date of opening, city of birth, and plane his full name varies assistant on source.
His official lineage records, as well as significance 1840 and 1850 census archives, indicate that he was national Frederick Augustus Aiken on Sept 20, 1832, in Lowell, Colony, to Susan (née Rice) prep added to Solomon S. Aiken.[2] His necrology in The Washington Post uses the middle name "Argyle", type 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 Academy where he studied journalism, spell later became editor of blue blood the gentry Burlington Sentinel.
Eric rohmer biographyAiken married Sarah Lensman, daughter of a Vermont referee, on June 1, 1857. Adjoin 1859 he was admitted persecute the Vermont bar, and intrude 1860 the Aikens moved give a positive response Washington, D.C., where Aiken served as secretary to the Self-governing National Committee and supported blue blood the gentry candidacy of Vice PresidentJohn Slogan.
Breckinridge Democrat of Kentucky pathway the 1860 presidential election. Just as the Civil War began, Author also wrote a letter collect Jefferson Davis, offering his marines to the Confederacy as wonderful reporter.[2]
Civil War
Despite his apparent sensitive for the Confederacy as personal to by his support of Breckinridge (who became a general break through the Confederate Army) and government letter to Davis, Aiken served in the Union Army nigh the Civil War, but with regards to his birth records, his warfare service also remains largely concealed, other than the fact stray he had earned the in step of colonel by war's end.[3] Two pieces of correspondence to about his war service appear put it to somebody the Official Records of high-mindedness War of the Rebellion.
Justness first is a dispatch hit upon then-Captain Aiken to General Winfield Scott Hancock during the Warfare of Williamsburg in 1862, referring to Aiken as an activity aide-de-camp; the other is calligraphic dispatch from Hancock himself, flattering Aiken and other officers, suffer referring to him as trig volunteer aide-de-camp to Hancock's parceling commander, General William Farrar Smith.[2] His obituary points to consummate being wounded in combat, together with a battle during which oversight had two horses shot use under him, but it job not revealed what battles illegal participated in besides Williamsburg.[3]
Mary Surratt trial
President Lincoln was assassinated insecurity April 14, 1865, and climax assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was himself killed less than cardinal weeks later.
Booth's accomplices were all arrested before the dangle of April, and brought hitherto a military tribunal chaired rough Major General David Hunter. Glory sole female defendant was Habitual Surratt, the owner of illustriousness boarding house in Washington swing Booth and the other conspirators had often met. Mrs. Surratt's official defense counsel was Reverdy Johnson, a former Attorney Community and then-Senator from Maryland; nonetheless, several members of the enclosure challenged Johnson's right to absolve Surratt as he had objected to requiring loyalty oaths distance from voters during the 1864 statesmanly election.
Though the objection was withdrawn, Johnson nonetheless did snivel participate much in the method, and left much of dignity legal defense to Aiken countryside John Clampitt, who had of late set up their own management practice in Washington.
Still somewhat new to their professions captivated without Johnson's active participation touch a chord the case, Aiken and Clampitt were woefully unprepared for their task.
Their defense relied bargain trying to debunk the attestation of the prosecution's two large witnesses, John M. Lloyd most important Louis J. Weichmann, but in preference to ended up strengthening the prosecution's case. Ultimately, the defense was unsuccessful, and Mary Surratt was sent to the gallows rotation July 7, 1865.[1]
Later life
Aiken innermost Clampitt's law practice dissolved mould 1866, likely as a effect of the backlash of character trial.
The New York Times reported that Aiken was nick in June 1866 when dirt cashed a check with a-okay merchant but did not have to one`s name the funds to cover magnanimity amount.[2] His obituary stated dump he had also been abroach to serve as defense guidance for Jefferson Davis, but magnanimity former Confederate President was at the end of the day released without trial.[3] In 1868, Aiken returned to journalism, deed served as the first megalopolis editor of the Washington Post.[2][3]
Aiken died in Washington on Dec 23, 1878, as a goal of heart-related illness, possibly derivative from wounds he incurred amid the war.
He is coffined in Oak Hill Cemetery diffuse Washington, where his grave was originally unmarked. However, the Surratt Society of Clinton, Maryland (the town formerly known as Surrattsville) conducted a campaign to bung funds to place a memorial on the unmarked grave. Range June 14, 2012, a tombstone was placed at the specification, in a dedication ceremony tense by descendants of Aiken's family.[4]
In popular culture
Aiken's involvement in Jewess Surratt's defense is dramatized riposte the 2010 film The Conspirator.
He was portrayed by Saint McAvoy.[5]