H.B. Sainte-Marie

Within days of the Lincoln Assassination in 1865, the U.S Government offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of John Surratt. Henry Sainte-Marie provided such information, resulting in Surratt's arrest in Rome, Italy in 1866, but by then and unknown to Sainte-Marie the reward offer had been withdrawn. This letter was sent in October 1867 by Sainte-Marie to Interim Secretary of War U.S. Grant seeking compensation for his information despite the withdrawal of the $25,000 reward. In response, the War Department recommended that Congress pay Sainte-Marie a "liberal reward," which had been offered separately from the $25,000 reward for information regarding any Lincoln assassination conspirator (and which had not been specifically withdrawn). This entry does not include the action taken by Congress in response to the recommendation.