The Mad Hatter

[Craig Hipkins]

Roger, Laurie, Bill, Tom
This is one of my favorite topics on the Lincoln Assassination so forgive me if I am long winded! I am certainly no expert on Corbett, at least in the capacity as Steve Miller, Michael Kauffman and others, however I have done a considerable amount of research into Corbett's life, especially after his move to Kansas sometime in 1878. I agree with Laurie that religion played a big part in Corbett's life, and in essence it sort of defined who he was, at least as far as the way he interpreted the Bible. However, there are loads of religious people who do not behave as Corbett did. So I believe that the religion combined with his mental illness led to the fanaticism that defined his existence.

Answering Bill's question. Yes, I do believe that Corbett was mentally ill. Corbett was appointed Assistant Doorkeeper for the Kansas State Legislature in early 1887 (by way of a friend). A few months after his appointment he basically "flipped out" and brandishing a gun held the Legislature hostage threatening to kill people. The sources vary as to what triggered the incident, but it is generally thought that he believed God had been slighted in some way by members of the Legislature. He was eventually arrested and sent to the Kansas Insane Asylum at Topeka. He escaped after about a year or so and his whereabouts after this are a matter of debate. But that is a story in itself!

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(07-23-2012 04:46 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I wholeheartedly agree with all the other comments and highly recommend Craig's blog.

I noticed mention of Chamberlain on one page; we have a member here, Jim Dohren, who is using Chamberlain for his avatar.

You are a real pro, Craig. The breadth of topics you cover blows me away! Kudos on the work you are doing!

Roger,
Chamberlain is a sort of hero of mine. I don't know if you have ever read his memoir The Passing of the Armies It is a great read. When I went to Gettysburg last month I was appalled to see a KFC located in the no mans land where Pickett's Charge took place. I sort of threw a little satire into that post!

Craig

[LincolnMan]

An interesting note in the book: Kennedy and Lincoln-Medical & Ballistic Comparisons Of Their Assassinations by John K. Lattimer: "Subsequent to his admission of the shooting, Boston Corbett was placed under technical arrest because the orders of his detail had been to CAPTURE BOOTH ALIVE (emphasis mine). Really? Who is Lattimer referring to (that gave the order)? Another interesting section states: "With regard to the letter from Secretary Stanton ordering a new pistol to be issued to Sergeant Corbett, one might reasonably speculate that the actual pistol he used in the hunt for Booth would have been impounded by the military commission to be ready as a possible exhibit at the trial of the conspirators. Stanton's letter stated that Corbett had provided a satisfactory accounting of why he needed a revolver, even though, in the curt style of a military order, it did not provide us with any elaboration on that reason, or any details." Further, the book also says that Corbett was to receive a new revolver one week after the shooting to replace the original Colt. So it sounds like we'll never know what happened to the weapon, but it got "lost" real quick.

[Craig Hipkins]

(07-23-2012 11:10 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  An interesting note in the book: Kennedy and Lincoln-Medical & Ballistic Comparisons Of Their Assassinations by John K. Lattimer: "Subsequent to his admission of the shooting, Boston Corbett was placed under technical arrest because the orders of his detail had been to CAPTURE BOOTH ALIVE (emphasis mine). Really? Who is Lattimer referring to (that gave the order)? Another interesting section states: "With regard to the letter from Secretary Stanton ordering a new pistol to be issued to Sergeant Corbett, one might reasonably speculate that the actual pistol he used in the hunt for Booth would have been impounded by the military commission to be ready as a possible exhibit at the trial of the conspirators. Stanton's letter stated that Corbett had provided a satisfactory accounting of why he needed a revolver, even though, in the curt style of a military order, it did not provide us with any elaboration on that reason, or any details." Further, the book also says that Corbett was to receive a new revolver one week after the shooting to replace the original Colt. So it sounds like we'll never know what happened to the weapon, but it got "lost" real quick.

Bill,
Good question. I too have Lattimer's book. I do not know what he is referring to as far as "being placed under technical arrest." It might have had something to do with Corbett shooting Booth without being given an order by one of the officers present at Garrett's farm (Baker, Doherty, or Conger). Obviously it was their intention to bring Booth in alive. The award posters call for his "apprehension" but do not specifically state "dead" or "alive."
I agree with you...we will probably never know what happened to Corbett's Colt.
Craig