Extra Credit Questions

[L Verge]

Do we know whether or not there was a Joseph Shelton on the DC police force assigned to the White House? We have had long conversations on who carried/escorted Lincoln to the Petersen House; does Shelton show up anywhere in the picture? Could he have been one of those who was overlooked by the investigators and press?

Laurie, here is what I have on this:

In the fall of 1864 it was decided that a detail of the Washington Metropolitan Police force would be assigned to protect the President. This was at the request of Ward Hill Lamon, United States Marshall for the District of Columbia and a close friend of Lincoln's. Lamon had become increasingly fearful for the President's life. On November 3, 1864, the initial detail was composed of John R. Cronin, Alphonso Dunn (or Donn), Thomas F. Pendel, and Alexander (or Andrew) C. Smith. Changes were occasionally made, although the detail was never more than 5 officers at any one time. Other officers who served in the detail included William S. Lewis, William H. Crook, George W. McElfresh, Thomas T. Hurdle, Joseph Shelton, John F. Parker, and D. Hopkins. Parker was assigned to the detail sometime between late February and early April, 1865.

SOURCE: "The Mystery of Lincoln's Guard" by James O. Hall in the May, 1982, issue of the Surratt Society News, and "Lincoln's Missing Guard" by Frederick Hatch in the April 2006 edition of the Journal of the Lincoln Assassination.

As far as I know, Shelton did not go to Ford's that night nor did he help carry the President to the Petersen House. Parker went ahead before the Lincoln party and met them at the entrance to Ford's; he was not a mounted escort during their trip to the theater (according to Tom Pendel.) Both Crook and Pendel wrote about that night, and neither mentioned Shelton going to Ford's. Pendel wrote:

"Previous to starting for the theatre, I said to John Parker, who had taken my place, to accompany Mr. Lincoln, `John, are you prepared'? I meant by this to ask if he had his revolver and everything all ready to protect the President in case of an assault. Alfonso Dunn, my old companion at the door, spoke up and said, `Oh, Tommy, there is no danger'. I said, `Dunn, you don't know what might happen. Parker, now you start down to the theatre, to be ready for the President when he reaches there. And you see him safe inside'. He started off immediately, and did see Mr. Lincoln all safe inside the theatre, and Mrs. Lincoln, Major Rathbone and Miss Harris also reached the building in safety."

That is the standard story that we all know (and your Research site is cited on various other sources online). I just have to think that there is some truth to this somewhere in order for the Evening Star to carry it in Shelton's obit. The Star was a good newspaper until its demise in the 1950s or 60s.