The Shooting of James Garfield
On July 2, 1881 (131 years ago today) Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled office-seeker, shot President James Garfield twice at a train station in Washington, DC. Garfield would remain incapacitated from his wounds and died on September 19th of that year. It continues to be the subject of debate whether Garfield died from his wounds or from negligent medical treatment.
In May of 1881, Garfield's wife Lucretia contracted malaria was thought to be near death. Garfield remained at her bedside until her recovery. On June 18 the Garfields left Washington and traveled to Elberon, New Jersey a popular beach resort. Unknown to Garfield, Charles Guiteau, a rejected office seeker and supporter of the Stalwart Republican faction, plotted to murder Garfield. He bought a .44 revolver and obsessively stalked Garfield at Lafayette Square Park and at Garfield's Disciples of Christ Church in Washington. He learned that Garfield was leaving for Elberon on June 18, so Guiteau decided to assassinate the President at the Washington train depot. While at the depot Guiteau changed his mind after seeing the poor condition of Garfield's wife.
Garfield was scheduled to leave Washington on July 2, 1881 for his summer vacation. On that day, Guiteau waited for Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station, on the southwest corner of present day Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C. Garfield planned to make a stop at his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. He was accompanied by two of his sons, James and Harry, and Secretary of State James G. Blaine. Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln waited at the station to see the President off. Garfield had no bodyguard or security detail, which was usual for Presidents in those days (other than Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War).
As Garfield entered the waiting room of the station, Guiteau stepped forward and pulled the trigger from behind at point-blank range. Garfield cried out "My God, what is that?" He flung up his arms and Guiteau fired again as Garfield collapsed. One bullet grazed Garfield's shoulder; the other hit him in the back, passing the first lumbar vertebra but missing the spinal cord before coming to rest behind his pancreas.
Guiteau put his pistol back in his pocket and turned to leave the station for the cab he had waiting outside, but he was apprehended before he could leave by policeman Patrick Kearney. The excited police officer forgot to take Guiteau's gun from him until after their arrival at the police station. A rapidly gathering crowd screamed "Lynch him!" but Kearney took Guiteau to the police station a few blocks away. As he surrendered to authorities, Guiteau uttered his famous words "' am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! I did it and I want to be arrested! Arthur is President now!" This statement briefly led to unfounded suspicions that Vice-President Chester Alan Arthur or his supporters had put Guiteau up to the crime.
The Stalwarts were a Republican faction loyal to ex-President Ulysses Grant; they strongly opposed Garfield's faction of the party, known as the Half-Breeds. Arthur had been chosen as Garfield's running mate for political advantage, to placate his faction, despite their opposing political views. Guiteau, in his deluded mind, supposedly believed that he was uniting the two factions of the Republican Party and would be considered a hero for doing so.
Guiteau was upset over the rejection of his repeated attempts to be appointed as the United States consul in Paris – a position for which he had no qualifications. He suffered from many delusions, including one that he had produced a speech which he was convinced was pivotal to Garfield's election, and another, that he was destined to be President himself.
The story of the shooting of Garfield is adeptly told in Candice Millard's 2011 book Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, reviewed here.
Following is a short Youtube video about the shooting:
In May of 1881, Garfield's wife Lucretia contracted malaria was thought to be near death. Garfield remained at her bedside until her recovery. On June 18 the Garfields left Washington and traveled to Elberon, New Jersey a popular beach resort. Unknown to Garfield, Charles Guiteau, a rejected office seeker and supporter of the Stalwart Republican faction, plotted to murder Garfield. He bought a .44 revolver and obsessively stalked Garfield at Lafayette Square Park and at Garfield's Disciples of Christ Church in Washington. He learned that Garfield was leaving for Elberon on June 18, so Guiteau decided to assassinate the President at the Washington train depot. While at the depot Guiteau changed his mind after seeing the poor condition of Garfield's wife.
Garfield was scheduled to leave Washington on July 2, 1881 for his summer vacation. On that day, Guiteau waited for Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station, on the southwest corner of present day Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C. Garfield planned to make a stop at his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. He was accompanied by two of his sons, James and Harry, and Secretary of State James G. Blaine. Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln waited at the station to see the President off. Garfield had no bodyguard or security detail, which was usual for Presidents in those days (other than Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War).
As Garfield entered the waiting room of the station, Guiteau stepped forward and pulled the trigger from behind at point-blank range. Garfield cried out "My God, what is that?" He flung up his arms and Guiteau fired again as Garfield collapsed. One bullet grazed Garfield's shoulder; the other hit him in the back, passing the first lumbar vertebra but missing the spinal cord before coming to rest behind his pancreas.
Guiteau put his pistol back in his pocket and turned to leave the station for the cab he had waiting outside, but he was apprehended before he could leave by policeman Patrick Kearney. The excited police officer forgot to take Guiteau's gun from him until after their arrival at the police station. A rapidly gathering crowd screamed "Lynch him!" but Kearney took Guiteau to the police station a few blocks away. As he surrendered to authorities, Guiteau uttered his famous words "' am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! I did it and I want to be arrested! Arthur is President now!" This statement briefly led to unfounded suspicions that Vice-President Chester Alan Arthur or his supporters had put Guiteau up to the crime.
The Stalwarts were a Republican faction loyal to ex-President Ulysses Grant; they strongly opposed Garfield's faction of the party, known as the Half-Breeds. Arthur had been chosen as Garfield's running mate for political advantage, to placate his faction, despite their opposing political views. Guiteau, in his deluded mind, supposedly believed that he was uniting the two factions of the Republican Party and would be considered a hero for doing so.
Guiteau was upset over the rejection of his repeated attempts to be appointed as the United States consul in Paris – a position for which he had no qualifications. He suffered from many delusions, including one that he had produced a speech which he was convinced was pivotal to Garfield's election, and another, that he was destined to be President himself.
The story of the shooting of Garfield is adeptly told in Candice Millard's 2011 book Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, reviewed here.
Following is a short Youtube video about the shooting: