🔗 Share this article

Throughout history, the heirs of James Garfield discussed openly about his impressive career but rarely mentioned his untimely death. We were aware what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” reflects one of his modern descendants. “We studied the story in publications but, somehow, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a historical book, which revived interest in Garfield's cut-short presidency. This work has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the president and Matthew Macfadyen as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series aims to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the White House during the historical period only to become a casualty to its deep political rifts. His tenure was truncated after only half a year not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an incident now mostly overlooked while the killings of the Civil War president and President Kennedy continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and all the information about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the last president born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1831. His parent passed away when he was just a toddler, leaving his mom, Eliza, to raise five children in challenging conditions. An dedicated student, Garfield worked on canal boats to make funds for an schooling.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became head of a school in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he wed a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An passionate nationalist, Garfield viewed the civil war as a righteous fight against slavery and rose to the military position.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was incredibly brave. He was innovative for the period. He was kind. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he survived.”

Public Life and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by President Lincoln to leave army service when he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of African American voting rights, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“His oration on the legislative arena will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this matter was extremely significant to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the faction was deeply divided between the “political group”, led by a powerful politician, who supported a third term for former president, and the “Half-Breeds”, who supported political contender. Garfield attended as a supporter of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the huge assembly was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address supporting Sherman impressed them. During the speech, he reportedly exclaimed, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the shocking choice. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a Conkling loyalist from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the presidential race Garfield defeated the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Short Presidency and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The central struggle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “spoils system”. Conkling insisted on authority over political positions in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield rejected, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the presidential authority”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The dispute escalated into a public battle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a humiliating public defeat, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a landmark victory for the power of the presidency over the political organization and for the improvement efforts over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield battled the titans of his party, he was being stalked by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a history of professional failures, psychological problems and childhood trauma. He had failed as a lawyer, debt recovery agent, preacher and member of a alternative community.

“He was mentally ill and his particular brand of madness was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield achieved and rose, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Swept up in the drama of the 1880 election, he prepared and gave an insignificant speech, and became persuaded internally that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this thinking, Guiteau reckoned he had deserved a high-level government job. He journeyed to DC and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, requiring to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a problem that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Attack and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his alumni event. As he passed through the train depot, Guiteau emerged from hiding, pulled an handgun from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the station floor. When a {police officer|law