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For generations, the family members of President Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but seldom discussed his tragic assassination. “We knew what had happened, that he was assassinated in a transportation hub,” explains one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, somehow, we just passed over it quickly.”

Renewed Attention in a Forgotten President

This shifted in 2011 with the publication of Destiny of the Republic, which sparked curiosity in Garfield's truncated career. The book has now inspired a television production titled Death by Lightning, including a talented performer as the commander-in-chief and his co-star as the drifter who gunned him down.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who emerged from difficult circumstances to the White House during the economic era only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His presidency was cut short after only several months not only by the killer's weapon but by physician mistakes – an event now largely forgotten while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy continue to captivate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was like a multi-threat: he was a attorney, he was a religious leader, he was a agriculturalist. He was so many things which also influenced his personality and his behavior and the complete story about him the descendants preserve with us.”

Rising from Poverty to the White House

Garfield was the final national leader coming from pioneer roots in the Midwest in 1831. His father died when he was just a toddler, leaving his mother, Eliza, to care for multiple kids in hard times. An dedicated student, Garfield labored on waterways to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was became a preacher, became head of a school in Ohio and was a government official. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, his partner, with whom he would have seven children. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against slavery and progressed to the rank of major general.

“When I started researching him, I couldn't believe it. He was exceptionally intelligent. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the era. He was compassionate. He was a moral individual and would have been one of our great presidents had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Unexpected Nomination

Garfield was convinced by the wartime leader to depart military life when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would function as a Republican for multiple terms. He was ardent advocate of African American voting rights, viewing it as a issue of rights and the fulfillment of a wartime covenant.

“The address he delivered on the floor of Congress will affect you emotionally. He was an incredibly powerful orator and this topic was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the party gathering in Chicago the political organization was sharply split between the “Stalwarts”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for Ulysses S Grant, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a supporter of his close associate John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, representatives began searching for a solution. Garfield's emotional address nominating Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, gentlemen of the convention, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the 36th ballot, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To appease the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his second in command. In the national vote Garfield beat the rival politician to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be elected president.

Brief Administration and Power Struggles

“What would have made Garfield great and what is very unusual and maybe unique to the American presidency is he hadn't campaigned aggressively. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was thrust into it.”

The major battle of Garfield's short presidency was his confrontation with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling demanded control over government appointments in New York, particularly the influential position of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “if the commander-in-chief should be registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He selected a rival of Conkling to the post.

The conflict turned into a visible struggle but Garfield outsmarted Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his colleague quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a landmark victory for the presidential control over the faction system and for the cause of reform over “boss rule”.

The Gunman and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being pursued by a disturbed and delusional man who embodied the negative aspect of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a drifter with a background of occupational setbacks, psychological problems and physical and psychological abuse. He had failed as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a free-love commune.

“He was mentally ill and his unique form of delusion was false belief. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had financially a better start than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had at last discovered a pathway to success: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the political contest, he created and presented an insignificant speech, and became convinced in his own mind that he was solely accountable for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had merited a prestigious position. He travelled to Washington and continuously bothered Garfield, Blaine and other leaders, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a role for which he had zero qualifications. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually excluded from the White House.

The Shooting and Physician Mistakes

On that fateful day, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was departing the capital for his educational gathering. As he moved through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, withdrew an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his jacket and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield cried out: “My God, what is this?” and fell on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law