To shield herself from the scorching sunlight, Mary Surratt is seated under an umbrella at the left end of the gallows. General John F. Hartranft, at the center of the gallows, reads the sentence of execution to Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. The soldiers stand below, ready to release the traps. Mary’s son, John Harrison Surratt, was the only member of the Lincoln conspirators to avoid punishment. Surratt escaped to Canada while the other plotters - including his mother - were hanged. He went on to father a large family and lead a long life.