Boston Corbett: The Unhinged Avenger of Abraham Lincoln
By the mid-19th century Boston, Massachusetts was a thriving metropolis in a young country that was still feeling a bit wobbly on its new legs. The 1850's saw major additions to the city with the establishment of industries, invention, and institutions including the famous Orpheum Theatre and the Boston Public Library These and many other factors led to Boston becoming a destination for a wide variety of people with the population in the 1850's reaching over 130,000 and another half million living just outside the city. Merchants, bankers, entertainers, poverty-stricken and prominent all walked the city streets, and with that variety came some of the more "unusual" types. Walking through Boston's North Square one man regularly stood out from the masses. Frazzled looking and raving, he stood yelling, pleading, and frantically preaching to his fellow Bostonians to accept the word of God. Many people saw him, more heard him, but none paid him very much attention. Perhaps they would have if they had only known that in the coming years this local "eccentric" would become the most celebrated man in the nation despite his absolute and obvious insanity.
Born on January 29th 1832, young Thomas Corbett lived in London until he moved to New York City with his father, sister, and brother in 1839 eventually settling only blocks from the notorious Five Points. As a teen Corbett began an apprenticeship as a hatter, a trade that he excelled in but also one that would affect him the rest of his life. As a hatter one was regularly exposed to the chemicals that came along with the production of felt and other fabrics to be used in hats. The chemical most regularly encountered was mercury, a highly toxic and dangerous substance that over time resulted in slurred speech, memory loss, hallucinations, psychosis and twitching known as "hatters's shakes". It is from these effects that the term "mad as a hatter" and Alice in Wonderland's character "The Mad Hatter" was born.
Hat company workers over chemical vats
Although the madness of Corbett may have been brewing for years he was able to maintain his career and in the early 1850's he met a woman named Susan Rebecca who would become his wife. The pair remained in New York City until 1854 when they moved to Troy, New York and in 1855 Corbett stood in the Troy courthouse and took the oath making him an official American citizen. Following work where it could be found the Corbetts traveled to several locations around the country including Connecticut and Virginia but less than two years after they were married Susan passed away during a return trip to New York City with some reports stating that she died while giving birth to a stillborn daughter. The loss of his wife (and possibly his daughter at the same time) devastated Corbett and he began to drink heavily and spiral out of control. He eventually made his way to Boston, Massachusetts in an attempt to find work but he could not bounce back from his loss sinking deeper into a bottle until he found himself unemployed and homeless on the city streets. It was at the lowest point of his life that Corbett would encounter something that would completely change him. One night, staggering and unhinged, Corbett was walking through Boston when he encountered a Methodist street preacher who targeted him and began to persuade him to turn to God. The words of the preacher stuck fast to the heavily fractured Corbett and he immediately quit drinking and turned his entire life to the church.
A later photograph of Corbett
Corbett submerged himself into the word of God with a fevered and frenzied passion. He frequented the "sidewalk churches" in Boston where he joined in the sermons loudly interjecting "Glory to God! Come to Christ!" at every opportunity earning him the nickname "The Glory to God Man". He was able to regain employment as a hatter at a shop located on Washington Street in Boston but his devotion often turned into disturbances with him frequently stopping work to pray, his constant singing of hymns, and preaching to coworkers should they use profanity. While his employment helped pay his bills, his devotion to the word of God and the Methodist church was his all-encompassing focus and he quickly earned the reputation of being the local religious fanatic. On July 16th 1856 Corbett was walking home from a church meeting when he was approached by two prostitutes. The encounter completely rattled Corbett and he rushed to his room at a local boarding house and immediately threw himself into the Bible looking for answers on how to handle this temptation and obvious threat to his faith. When he reached the Gospel of Matthew and read the passage "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake" he felt he reached an answer. With what he would later state was "direction" from God Corbett took a pair of scissors and calmly castrated himself. Feeling deeply relieved at his solution he calmly wrapped the wound, left his room, ate a meal, and went to another prayer meeting. It was not until he returned to the boarding house that the blood because obvious and someone called a doctor. Upon his arrival Dr. Richard Manning Hodges properly treated the wound but he insisted Corbett be taken to a hospital. Once arriving at Massachusetts General he faced compounding medical issues before being declared healed and he was released on August 15th. According to a friend of Corbett's he was very satisfied with what he had done and was looking forward to preaching the gospel free from any distractions.
Two weeks after his release from the hospital Corbett was re-baptized by Reverend Richard Pope of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Feeling that he should uphold the biblical tradition of the apostles taking on new names he officially took the name of Boston Corbett, feeling that in the city of Boston he was reborn. Now manning a street corner of his own he also began to take on a new look. Corbett, now twenty-six years old, began to grow out his long hair and part it in the middle in an attempt to resemble Jesus Christ. He continued to preach on the streets where he became known as a kind man, but one who would quickly come to the defense of the church and God if he felt someone was out of line. By 1859 he was again living in New York City continuing his job as a hatter when he was not preaching or bringing God to whoever he felt needed it. Should Corbett find a drunken soul on the streets of New York he took them to a room, fed them, clothed them, and try as best he could to convert them. As soon as the person was able to stand they were rushed out to make room for the next soul that he felt needed saving. His frantic devotion continued to affect him at work and should he feel his employer was in any way defying his Christian ideas he would simply leave. Constant and random prayers, the launching into sermons, and even leaving a shop because an owner was claiming used hats were brand new had Corbett constantly moving from job to job. He believed he was following the will of God, but in 1861 he found another calling from his country.
Corbett’s re-baptismal certificate officially taking the name of Boston
After the fall of South Carolina in December of 1860 the Civil War officially broke out on April 12th 1861. The rushing fanaticism of war was palpable and at the time Corbett was working for a hatter in New York City named James Brown. Brown, also a religious fanatic, was a member of the Twelfth Regiment but when the Twelfth was called to muster Brown found he was unable to go due to the health of both himself and his business. Normally accepting of Corbett's religious peculiarities at work, he approached him asking if he would serve as his substitute in the war. On April 19th 1861 Corbett signed up to serve a three-month term in the Union army. Corbett arrived at a rally in Union Square on April 21st before he and thousands of others were loaded onto a ship headed to Annapolis, Maryland from which they would march to Washington D.C. arriving on April 28th 1861. The first building occupied by the Twelfth Regiment was a church and it was here that the troops were visited by Secretary of State William H. Seward and President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln met every soldier, including Corbett, and the two men shook hands completely unaware how history would forever tie their names together.
The traits that made Corbett a handful at the workplace did not disappear once he donned a military uniform and it quickly became clear that he was a deeply religious but also very unusual man. When he spoke the conversations were always filled with preaching, reminders to live following God, and reprimands for anyone who he felt was doing otherwise. This behavior was not limited to men of his own rank. On one occasion when his superior used the term "damned thieves" Corbett stepped forward and shouted "I call the Colonel to order for swearing". He was arrested for disorderly conduct and Corbett responded to the charge by refusing to eat, throwing his food out, and singing hymns at the top of his lungs at all hours of the day and night. Eventually Corbett was offered a deal, if he apologized he would be set free. However, he refused stating "No, I have only offended the colonel, while the colonel has offended God, and I shall never ask the colonel’s pardon until he himself has asked pardon of God.” Finally, out of sheer exasperation, Corbett was released. It may have been a relief to some when his term ended but he was not done serving in the military and he re-enlisted in June of 1862. While it was well established that he was totally devoted to his faith another trait of Corbett's began to reveal itself as his military career moved forward, that he was absolutely willing to kill for any reason if it was in support of the Union and God. One incident reported that Corbett was displeased when his fellow soldiers followed their orders when assigned to picket duty on a Sunday. Corbett scolding them for not listening to the bible and not keeping the day holy and when the soldiers moved to resume their marching Corbett raised his gun, aimed it at their chests, and told them if they moved another step he would shoot them. The soldiers turned back and successfully avoided Corbett's wrath. His second tour of duty ended in August 1862 and he returned to New York City to resume his life of preaching, attending church meetings, and working at the hat shop of James Brown. Although happy to be back in his familiar stomping grounds those who attended the church meetings with Corbett began to feel uncomfortable being around a man who was now very vocal with his beliefs about the war, who admitted he was happy to "shoot men like dogs" and who openly declared his practice of saying to a Rebel soldier "God have mercy on your soul" before he would "pop them off". Some church attendants felt Corbett should be ejected from the congregation but before anything could be done he removed himself when the Twelfth was called to action and he was again off to war. While July 1863 was full of bloody incidents including the Battle of Gettysburg and draft riots in New York, Corbett and the Twelfth saw very little action during these conflicts but even in quieter moments Corbett's fanaticism continued to get him in trouble. During one of his watches Corbett left his post declaring that his enlistment ended that night at midnight. For this offense he was arrested, court martialed, and sentenced to be shot. However, his sentence was eventually reduced and he was discharged in August 1863. His time away from the military would not be long, he was able to re-enlist within the month.
Signing up for a three-year term Corbett this time joined the Sixteenth New York Cavalry and within days of being mustered in he was promoted to Corporal based on his time already served. Where the Twelfth has seen little action the Sixteenth New York were based in northern Virginia and in June of 1864 Corbett and his fellow soldiers found themselves in full blown war against the notorious Confederate force known as the Mosby's Rangers. During a conflict with the Rangers on June 24th Corbett found himself totally detached from his comrades. Nearly all of the Union troops there had surrendered but the strange religious fanatic from New York would do no such thing. Corbett repeatedly fired on the enemy troops, yelling "Amen! Glory to God!" with each fallen man. So furious was his fighting that when he was finally overwhelmed by the enemy troops Mosby himself orders that he not be killed and instead be sent to prison. For many, this prison sentence would have been the same as death, Corbett was sent to Andersonville, one of the most notorious and deadly Civil War prisons.
A scene from Andersonville
Andersonville, a prison built for only 10,000 men held 30,000 souls behind its walls at its peak. Most prisoners were left exposed to the elements and died harrowing deaths brought on by rampant disease and neglect only to have their remains eaten by hogs or left laying where they took their last breath. Corbett was in no way exempt from the horrors of Andersonville but he was somehow still able to maintain his ravenous religious practices. Along with a captured chaplain they led prayer services, sang hymns, tried to comfort soldiers, and conducted makeshift funerals. Though his actions may have brought comfort to some, others ridiculed him as a madman. They may have been right, Corbett often declared to his friends that God had told him he was not going to die in prison and would randomly tell others that God told him he would be released within twenty-four hours. The twenty-four hour promise was never fulfilled on time but Corbett was not above taking matters into his own hands and in early October he made his move to escape. As weather got colder small bands of guarded prisoners were sent out into the surrounding areas to gather firewood and it was during one of these wood-gathering missions that Corbett snuck further out into the forest and tucked himself into a hole. He remained in the hole for several hours before he was found by a search party led by a pack of dogs. He was taken into custody peacefully (he had planned to fight the dogs by hand if they attacked him) and once back behind prison walls he was taken to the infirmary for five days before being returned to the prison yards. He did not need to endure Andersonville much longer and he was released on parole in mid-November 1864. One of only two members of his unit to survive, Corbett left the prison and was sent immediately to an army hospital in Maryland where he was diagnosed with scurvy, fever, malnutrition, rheumatism, and “bloody flux,” otherwise known as dysentery. Upon being discharged from the hospital he would rejoin his company expecting to continue with his normal wartime duties. What he did not know was that within mere months the entire nation was going to be turned upside down.
On the night of April 14th 1865 Boston Corbett and the rest of the Sixteenth New York Cavalry were located in Virginia. It had been a time of celebration with the end of the Civil War but justafter 10 p.m. that evening President Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by the assassin John Wilkes Booth while attending a play in Washington D.C. Booth escaped and in the coming days the nation plunged into a frantic state of shock, mourning, and bloodthirsty anger. Two days after the shooting Booth was still on the run and when it was requested that two dozen men from the Sixteenth go to Washington D.C. to help search for the murderer Corbett specifically asked to be sent along. Corbett was in Washington as the president lay in state and he participated with the rest of the Sixteenth marching in President Lincoln's funeral parade. Shortly after the march for the slain president Corbett found himself among a group of men sent down to Maryland where there were possible sightings of Booth. All search efforts came up empty and Corbett felt himself called to the church in a time of such national suffering. During a night meeting he was asked to lead the group in prayer and he offered the words: "O Lord, lay down not innocent blood to our charge, but bring the guilty speedily to punishment." It was a simple prayer, much simpler than his private prayers where he repeatedly asked God to allow him to be an instrument of wrath in the hunt for Lincoln's murderer.
Wanted poster for the assassins
On the afternoon of April 24th 1865 Corbett may have convinced himself that his pleas to have Booth brought to justice had worked. Lieutenant Edward P. Doherty of the Sixteenth was told to gather up two dozen of his men for a special mission and Corbett was among the first men to volunteer. Twelve days after the murder of Abraham Lincoln he found himself only feet from the most wanted man in America. The scene was chaos. The assassin was corned in a Virginia tobacco barn belonging to Richard Garrett that was quickly becoming engulfed in flames. Moments beforehand accomplice David Herold had fled the barn and was apprehended but Booth refused to leave prompting the troops to set fire to the structure hoping to flush him out. The barn had large gaps in between the slats and Booth could be seen stumbling wildly around on a broken leg as smoke began to engulf him. Everyone on site was under strict orders that Booth be taken into custody alive but suddenly a shot rang out bringing Booth down. A bullet entered just under the left side of the assassin's skull severing his spinal cord but not killing him immediately. As Booth's body lay dying on the front porch of the Garrett home confusion spread as to what exactly happened with some thinking Booth had shot himself. However, it became clear this was not the case when Corbett stepped forward taking full responsibility for the shooting claiming he was only aiming for his shoulder and that divine powers prompted him to shoot. When later brought before Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton he expressed that he believed Booth was going to start shooting and he shot first in defense. Stanton, despite his earlier order to take Booth alive, finally stated "The rebel is dead. The patriot lives; he has spared the country expense, continued excitement and trouble. Discharge the patriot." Once again Corbett disobeyed orders in the name of God and was able to avoid punishment.
Boston Corbett (left) and Lieutenant Edward P. Doherty (right)
The death of Booth roared through much of the country making many feel that justice had been served for the slain president but it also made Corbett an undisputed celebrity. The "Avenger of Lincoln" became the subject of newspapers who reported on Corbett's deep religious faith and claiming that revenge for Lincoln had been a focus of his recent prayers. Corbett was offered the gun that he used to kill Booth but he declined it and when someone unknowingly offered to purchase it from him he stated that it was not his to sell, that it belonged to the government. When asked if he deserved some of the reward money he said he was only acting as was his duty, that he was not entitled to a reward. He was cheered as he walked down the street, people asked for autographs, he was granted complimentary rooms to stay in, given free dinners, and had official portraits taken at the famous photography studio of Matthew Brady in Washington D.C. However, not everyone was happy with Corbett and slowly but surely threats began to roll in both from Southern sympathizers and those who believe he acted irresponsibly. The threats left Corbett uneasy and he kept a gun nearby day and night. On one occasion the Sixteenth were dispatched to a stable after some arrests were made and not wanted to sleep on the hay that had been recently soaked with rain Corbett wandered to a different location that was being watched by the 243rd Company. Quartermaster Sergeant P.L. Mason saw Corbett and assuming he was lost offered to take him back to the area occupied by the Sixteenth. Corbett ignored Mason and laid down in a pile of hay to sleep. When Mason found the sleeping Corbett he roused him and accused him of lying about belonging to the Sixteenth. Corbett told Mason "I haven't told a lie in seven years" before pulling out a gun and aiming it at Mason's chest. Mason turned and went for backup while Corbett left the stable. According to Mason when Corbett pulled his gun he said to him “What is that you say young man? Do you know who you are talking to? I am the man that shot Booth.”
Portrait of Corbett taken after the death of Booth
The incident with Mason earned Corbett another court-martial but he was again let go due to his “excellent character” and “circumstances” which almost definitely meant his recent fame. The military career of Corbett came to an official end on August 17th of that year and after dealing with ongoing medical issues it was recommended that he return to New York City. Once back home he returned to preaching, prayer meetings, and his work as a hatter. He resumed his life very much where it had left off before he went to war, but this time the congregations could count a national hero among them and in the years after the war Corbett became a featured speaker at various events and religious camps. In May of 1869 he landed a job running a Methodist mission located in Camden, New Jersey but the job did not pay well and he occasionally supplemented his income by working in various hat shops. As anniversaries of Civil War events began to take place, Corbett found himself as an in-demand guest at the events where his celebrity flame continued to burn bright among the veterans. Despite the warm welcomes and accolades years after the death of Booth he grew increasingly paranoid. Rumors swirled that Booth had not really been killed that evening, that it was a stand-in who died instead. If confronted with these rumors Corbett often got extremely heated and would draw his now ever-present guns on whoever dare insinuate that he had not in fact killed the murderer of Abraham Lincoln. Civil War veteran R.B. Hoover shared a room with Corbett at a reunion and reported that the man was never at ease. When asked about the night he killed Booth Corbett said that his killing of the assassin “had deprived the Washington authorities of an opportunity to make a grand display in the execution of Booth.” He would frequently cry out asking that God have mercy on his soul and during the night Corbett sat up quickly with guns drawn until Hoover calmed him down and he was able to lay down and return to sleep.
Hat finisher traveling card that would have been used by Corbett to find work
Still finding it difficult to find steady work at home Corbett found himself taking jobs as he could find them as a hatter, a janitor, a security guard, and a public speaker. In January of 1878 he wrote to President Hayes asking for a job, a request that had no results. Another letter to the postmaster general of the United States asking for employment met the same fate. For the next number of years Corbett found himself desperately trying to string together any means of survival. He gave up his mission in Camden, attempted to walk his way to Kansas, used his past as a way to gain some funds as he needed them, and eventually ended up on a spot of land in Concordia, Kansas where he intended to build a home and take up farming, something he had never done and was in no shape to do considering his continuing ill health. Corbett constructed a dugout home carved into the earth sustained by some rocks and what few timbers he could find. Growing out his hair and beard, always carrying two guns, keeping a horse named Billy as a constant companion, and nonstop preaching made the national hero a local legend. However, his sermons began to take on a darker tone speaking of an unforgiving God and the fires of hell awaiting the wicked. His paranoia and the speed with which he drew his guns also continued to get him in trouble. In November 1885 Corbett shot at a group of boys running across his property and while none of them were hurt he was taken to court. What unfolded was a scene of pure chaos. During his testimony the father of some of the boys accused Corbett of lying and in response the former national hero drew his guns and began yelling that he had “fallen among thieves” sending everyone in the courtroom running for cover. Corbett, with guns still drawn, walked from the court, mounted his horse, and rode home. When authorities arrived at his dugout to arrest him he opened the door holding a rifle and made it very clear he was going nowhere. The men left Corbett and the charges were quietly dropped. The incident led to a scathing article about his conduct in an issue of the Christian Advocate. The flock was beginning to turn on their preacher.
An example of a dugout home in the style of one built by Corbett
In the following years Corbett continued to face hard time both financially and personally with some still saying that Booth had not died that night at the Garrett Farm. He refused any offer to make money on his claim as being Booth’s killer and invitations to speaking events went unanswered. It was not until 1887 that Corbett seemed to get a break in the form of a job given to him by Civil War veteran George W. Knapp. Knapp arrived in Kansas at the same time as Corbett and considered him a friend. Upon his earning a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives Knapp felt the need to offer support to the fellow veteran and he was able to get Corbett a job as an assistant doorkeeper at the House of Representatives. Upon receiving the letter from Knapp informing him that he had been “unanimously elected” to the job Corbett headed for Topeka. The job paid him three dollars a day and somewhat revived his status as a celebrity within the capitol. He became heavily involved in the Topeka Salvation Army and took on his new job with an unwavering passion, even helping janitors sweep the floors before the building opened. However, the seemingly renewed spark in Corbett would be short lived as suspicion began to swallow him.
By the time February 1887 arrived Corbett has become a deeply paranoid man. Believing that Booth had belonged to a secret society filled with members now hunting him down he stopped speaking to coworkers, jumped to take offense if anyone made any joke, and believed all words and whispers were about him. On the morning of February 15th Corbett heard some workers laughing in the hallway and when the men turned around to see who was fast approaching them they saw Corbett with his gun drawn. The men ran off and the word quickly spread through the building that the doorkeeper had a gun. Corbett picked up their broom and began sweeping the floor until sergeant-at-arms Charley Norton approached him asking what had happened. Again he drew his gun and pointed it at Norton who backed away while Corbett moved on to his workstation at the door. Corbett’s gun would be drawn on one more innocent that day before his friend Knapp and M.V.B. Sheafor, a man who had known Corbett from Concordia, approached him. Sheafor greeted him but Corbett said that he wanted nothing to do with him, that he knew he was conspiring against him. Sheafor’s response was cut short when the unhinged doorman again pulled his gun causing Sheafor and Knapp to flee. Police were called to the scene and several hours later they were able to corner Corbett before pinning him to the ground and arresting him. He looked at his captors and calmly remarked “Well, you’re a pretty gang” before being taken to jail.
Interior of the Kansas House of Representatives just after Corbett’s time there
The trial the next day was short with a decision that was only helped by Corbett’s own rambling about people (including Booth’s brother) that had been hunting him since he killed the assassin all those years ago. Declared insane and a danger to others Boston Corbett, Avenger of Lincoln, was committed to the Kansas State Insane Asylum in Topeka. He claimed his incarceration at the facility was a goal of the conspirators against him. Although his physical health improved in the asylum Corbett’s mind continued to fester with more and more elaborate accusations of betrayal and conspiracy. Requests from former friends for him to be reviewed or released were denied and his possessions sold while he remained committed. Patients had daily routines in the hospital and on the morning of May 26th 1888 Corbett was walking the grounds with the others on one of their highly supervised outings to get some fresh air. The hospital staff lived on the grounds and a boy was visiting the son of the hospital chief that day. Twelve year old Clarence Dennis tied his pony to a fence unaware of the mistake he had made. Corbett spied the pony and slowed his pace to let all the other patients ahead of him before suddenly breaking away, running to the pony, untying the reins, and galloping away from the hospital. Alerts went out that the insane killer of Booth had escaped and Corbett, the man who ended one of the most famous manhunts in history, now found himself the target of the very same type of frenzy.
Aerial view of the Kansas State Insane Asylum in Topeka
People tried to think of any place Corbett would go possibly seeking revenge but the escapee had other plans and he headed to the home of a friend who had previously tried to get him freed from the asylum. He did not stay long and the morning after his arrival he ate breakfast and boarded a train claiming he was going to go to Mexico. The rumors about Booth’s possible survival were replaced in the coming years by rumors of the location of his killer. More than a decade passed before any light was shed on his possible whereabouts. A businessman in Topeka by the name of William W. Gavitt had made a fortune selling laxatives that he would ship to his salespeople around the country who would then sell it for him. He often wrote to his salespeople and one that sold to the Texas and Oklahoma territories went by the name John Corbett. Recognizing the last name Gavitt asked his salesperson in a letter if he was in fact Boston Corbett, the letter back answered simply that yes, he was. Letters were exchanged between the two men with Gavitt attempting to help Corbett regain a normal life and possibly reclaim his pension from his military days. However, upon hearing he would have to return to Topeka and undergo a medical examination, Corbett’s letters became murkier before they finally stopped coming. Authorities were sent out to try and find him but there was no luck locating the man that claimed to be the killer of John Wilkes Booth. Descriptions of the man from neighbors did not match him and it was concluded that it was all a hoax from someone trying to obtain either Corbett’s notoriety or his money. Boston Corbett had vanished.
The fate of Lincoln’s avenger has remained a mystery since he boarded that train in 1888. Like Booth there are several theories as to what “really happened” to the man ranging from his actually heading to Mexico to him quietly living out the rest of his days in hiding. One story says that the preacher turned patient may have met his end in the massive Hinckley wildfire of 1894. The fire in Minnesota’s Pine County wiped out cabins and buildings across several towns and that region of the state was one location theorized to be where Booth’s killer may have settled. Over 400 people perished in the fire and appearing on the official list of those killed is the name “Thomas Corbett”
