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Over many years, the heirs of James Garfield spoke proudly about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his violent end. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a transportation hub,” notes one of his modern descendants. “We read about the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just glanced over it.”

Revived Interest in a Forgotten President

This transformed in 2011 with the release of a historical book, which generated attention in Garfield's truncated career. The publication has now resulted in a television production titled Death by Lightning, featuring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the wanderer who shot him.

The series seeks to illuminate Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the highest office during the economic era only to succumb to its deep political rifts. His time in office was ended prematurely after only several months not only by the assassin's bullet but by physician mistakes – an tragedy now largely forgotten while the deaths of President Lincoln and JFK continue to intrigue the public.

“It's impossible not to respect what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a lawyer, he was a minister, he was a agriculturalist. He was all of these things which also shaped who he was and how he was and all the information about him the relatives maintain with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the Highest Office

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in Cuyahoga County in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mom, Eliza, to support a large family in hard times. An voracious learner, Garfield worked on canal boats to generate income for an formal learning.

He pursued jurisprudence, was ordained as minister, became leader of an institution in Ohio and was a state senator. In 1858 he married a previous schoolmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have seven children. An dedicated federalist, Garfield viewed the internal struggle as a moral battle against forced servitude and rose to the rank of major general.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was extremely courageous. He was very progressive for the time. He was compassionate. He was a good person and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Government Service and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was encouraged by the wartime leader to resign his military commission when he was chosen to the Congress, where he would work as a Republican for nearly two decades. He was ardent advocate of black suffrage, viewing it as a question of fairness and the fulfillment of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the House chamber will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this issue was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the political assembly in Chicago the faction was fundamentally fractured between the “faction members”, led by an influential figure, who supported a continued leadership for former president, and the “rival group”, who supported another candidate. Garfield attended as a backer of his friend and fellow Ohioan John Sherman.

When the 15,000-person convention was stalled between Grant and Blaine, delegates began looking for a compromise. Garfield's emotional address proposing Sherman won them over. During the speech, he reportedly shouted, “And now, delegates, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the multiple voting round, a wave of backers made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, another politician, a faction member from New York, was chosen as his vice president. In the national vote Garfield beat the Democratic nominee to become the sole representative of the House ever to be elected president.

Short Presidency and Government Conflicts

“Garfield's potential greatness and what is remarkably uncommon and maybe particular about the American presidency is he didn't want the job. It's not that he had entirely ignored the possibility but he was forced into the role.”

The major battle of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling required power over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of Collector of the Port of New York. Garfield refused, stating the issue was “whether the president is registering clerk of the senate or the nation's leader”. He nominated a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a open fight but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Confronting a public failure, Conkling and his junior senator quit Congress in protest. The next day, Garfield's nominee was ratified. It was a significant win for the presidential control over the faction system and for the change movement over “machine politics”.

The Killer and His Disturbed Mind

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who exemplified the problematic element of the spoils network. Charles Guiteau was a unstable individual with a background of professional failures, mental instability and childhood trauma. He had not succeeded as a legal professional, debt recovery agent, minister and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was delusion. He always believed that God had chosen him for greatness. He actually had more privileged beginning than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau was unsuccessful in all endeavors.”

But Guiteau believed he had eventually located a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an minor oration, and became persuaded internally that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this reasoning, Guiteau reckoned he had earned a important role. He journeyed to DC and relentlessly pestered Garfield, Blaine and other authorities, requiring to be made the foreign service officer — a post for which he had no experience. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually banned from the White House.

The Shooting and Doctor Errors

On the tragic date, just four months into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he moved through the transportation center, Guiteau stepped from the shadows, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his coat pocket and assassinated the leader in the back.

Garfield cried out: “What's happening?” and dropped on the waiting area. When a {police officer|law