The Gatch Brothers

[RJNorton]

Many thanks to Steve Williams for sending these articles.

Regarding the articles Steve writes, "One is the article from the Washington Evening Star from its April 15, 1865 edition, mentioning C. D. Gatch as one of the physicians attending Lincoln at Peterson House. I've also included Dr. Charles Gatch's obituary from pg. 4 of the 01 Nov. 1870 edition of the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer. Since Dr. Gatch died at 38, I'm sure the information in the obituary comes from a relative (like a brother) not himself.

There are also 3 Oliver Gatch newspaper interviews. One from page 12 of the South Bend Tribune's (Indiana) 23 Sept. 1907 edition. The next is from page 5 of the 15 Nov. 1907 edition of the Belmont Success (Wisconsin). The last is from page 1 of the 27 Jan. 1909 edition of the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Pennsylvania). The 1909 article was reprinted in numerous articles.

I don't know what to make of Oliver's accounts with details like

- A soldier guard for Lincoln's box, who Booth pushed by to get to Lincoln

- Lincoln being undressed in his chair by Maj. Rathbone looking for a wound

- His brother being the first physician admitted to the box

- Lincoln still in his chair with Laura Keene in the box

- Going back to Ford's Theater to measure the distance of Booth's jump the next day

with the fact that his brother indeed was at Peterson House. I did notice that Oliver's story about his brother's surgeon work during the war changed from 1907 where Charles was a surgeon under Gen. Rosecrans but in 1908 when he told his story in the nationwide magazine, and more subject to scrutiny, McClure's it shifts to a correct description of Charles being a surgeon at Camp Dennison."