Assassination Trivia

[Steve Whitlock]

(01-30-2021 05:35 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Thanks to Steve Williams for sending this article. Steve writes, "It's the article from page 2 of the 03 March 1865 of the Washington Evening Star about Lt. John Bolton escorting Confederate Prisoners from Old Capitol Prison to Fort Warren in Massachusetts added as an attachment by Steve Whitlock. I thought it would be good for it to be visible to other people who aren't forum members. I would also like to point out that because Lt. Bolton was in command of a movement of prisoners means that he was attached to the Provost Marshal's office when he was in the VRC."

When I added the promotion document from Lot 380 for some reason I missed this writeup:

Lincoln (Abraham, 1809-1865). Document signed 'Abraham Lincoln', Washington, 1 August 1864, a military commission, appointing John T. Bolton Second Lieutenant in the Veteran Reserve Corps, printed on vellum with engraved eagle at head and military apparatus at foot, wafer seal to left margin, manuscript insertions, signed by President Lincoln and the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, a little soiling and slightly heavier on folds, approximately 48 x 40 cm, together with two similar military commissions on vellum, appointing John T. Bolton to First Lieutenant 'For gallant and meritorious services during the [American Civil] war', 10 May 1866, and Captain, 13 March 1867, both with stamped signatures of President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the first with circular brown stain at head, plus an earlier commission appointing First Sargeant in Company K of the 28th Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers, 15 September 1862, signed by the commanding officer W.V. Wisewell, printed on paper with manuscript insertions, some overall browning and creasing, approximately 25 x 38 cm, plus (Oldroyd Osborn H), The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Flight, Pursuit, Capture, and Punishment of the Conspirators, with an Introduction by T.M Harris, Washington: O.H. Oldroyd, 1901, illustrations from photographs, advert leaf and folding map at rear some soiling to first few leaves, frontispiece and title-page slightly creased, original cloth gilt, slightly rubbed, 8vo, plus a typed letter signed from Oldroyd to Captain John T. Bolton, Washington, 28 March 1914, beginning 'Mr H.H. Rumble of your city visited my Collection in this House in which Abraham Lincoln died and informed me that you were on duty at Ford's Theatre on the night of the Assassination', and hoping Bolton might write his recollections of that event to place in the collection, some light browning and creasing, one page, 8vo, the five documents matted in heavy card mounts with an additional printed contents list and contained with the inset book in a bespoke brown half morocco clam shell book box, the spine gilt-titled 'The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Documents', overall 68 x 54 cm

(Qty: 1)

John T. Bolton was a respected soldier who was present when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. It is understood from the family that he had applied for a position in the President's personal security team and that this was being considered at the time of the assassination. Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathiser on 14 April 1865 and died the following day.
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When considering John T. Bolton we must also consider his statement in 1914 was just short of 50 years after the fact, and he died 2 years later. What was his health (There is a private family nurse living with the family in the 1910 census), and mental state, like in 1914 at age 76? After looking over his statement again, and comparing with those of Dr. Leale and Dr. Taft there is enough similarity to believe he was the Federal Reserve soldier who came into the Lincoln box mentioned by Clara Harris, and later by Dr. Taft at the Peterson House.

I would definitely like to communicate with the family referred to in the description of Lot 380. They might have more proof.