Description:

Boston Corbett
Washington, DC, ca. 1865
Boston Corbett Seated CDV by Brady, ca. 1865
CDV

A sepia-toned carte de visite showing Sergeant Thomas H. "Boston" Corbett, the Union officer who fatally shot John Wilkes Booth. Measures 2.25" x 3.5", Washington, D.C., ca. 1865. The image shows Corbett in uniform seated at a table holding an open book, with his kepi hat prominently visible at his left. The caption printed below reads, "Sergt. Boston Corbett, 16th N.Y. Cavalry,/ who shot J. W. Booth." Featuring the backstamp of famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady on verso. Exhibits light edge curling and handling wear to mount. Faint soiling present in the upper right, with negligible closed tearing near the same. Professional repair found at lower left verso. Overall, a very good example.

Boston Corbett (1832- ca. 1888) was a Sergeant in the 16th New York Cavalry Regiment in late April 1865 whose unit had been tasked with apprehending suspected assassin John Wilkes Booth and his accomplice David Herold. The two conspirators were holed up in a tobacco barn at Richard Garrett's farm in Port Royal, Virginia. Herold surrendered to Union troops, but Booth resisted, and the barn was set on fire. The troops had strict instructions from Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to bring Booth back alive, yet in the chaos, Corbett, a devoutly religious, shot Booth through the head and neck, later explaining, "Providence directed me." Booth, whose gunshot injury rendered him paralyzed, died two hours later of asphyxia. Corbett was initially arrested and court-martialed for disobeying orders but was later released and widely praised as "Lincoln's Avenger." Corbett's mental instability has been attributed to a host of possible causes, including religious fanaticism and past exposure to toxic hat-making chemicals. The troubled ex-veteran disappeared in 1888 after escaping from the Topeka Asylum for the Insane.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 2.25" x 3.5"
  • Medium: CDV

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