The original contents were a log book and pen, a new pocket knife, a deck of cards, a hot wheels car, a toy bug, and an egg of Silly Putty. As you replace the cache, make sure you don't drop it through to the other side. If you do PLEASE retreive it.
The intent of this cache is to introduce you to a local connection to a world event. Near the cache you will find the final resting place of Lewis Powell.
Lewis Thornton Powell, the son of a Baptist preacher, was born in Randolph County, Alabama, on 22nd April 1844. The family moved to Florida in 1859 and Powell worked supervising his father’s plantation until the outbreak of the American Civil War.
On 30th May 1861, Powell joined the Second Florida Infantry. He was a member of the Confederate Army that fought at Gettysburg.
Lewis was introduced to John Wilkes Booth who recruited him to take part in his plot to kidnap Abraham Lincoln. When that plan was abandoned, Booth persuaded most of the people involved, including Powell, to join him in his plan to assassinate President Lincoln. Lewis’ job was to kill Secretary State Seward who was at home recovering from a carriage accident. Seward survived the attack.
On 29th June 1865, Lewis Powell, Mary Surratt, George Atzerodt, and David Herold were found guilty of being involved in the conspiracy to murder Abraham Lincoln. Powell, Surratt, Atzerodt and Herold were hanged at Washington Penitentiary on 7th July 1865.
Until recently historians didn’t know what happened to Powell’s body. Records indicate that it has been buried four times since the hanging. In 1879 Powell was buried next to his mother in Geneva, Florida (N28.44.185, W081.06.462). At this time a gruesome discovery was made: the body was headless. No one had known that an undertaker had removed the skull when the body was moved way back in 1869. In May of 1898 the skull was given to the Smithsonian Anthropology Department where it remained until its re-discovery in January of 1992. The Smithsonian released Powell’s skull to a relative of his in Florida. In November of 1994 his skull was buried with the rest of his remains in the Geneva Cemetery.
Admin Note: Because this cemetery is posted as private property and cachers have been questioned about their activities, the cache needs to be removed. The next cacher is requested to remove the cache and its contents. This cache will be archived after the next find. Thanks.