Boston Corbett
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Sergeant Boston Zachary Corbett |
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| Birth name | Thomas P. Corbett |
| Nickname(s) | Glory to God Man |
| Born | January 29, 1832 London, England, United Kingdom |
| Died |
c. September 1, 1894 (aged 62) (presumed) near Hinckley, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/branch | |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Sergeant (Union Army) |
| Unit | 12th Regiment New York Militia 16th New York Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | Hatter |
| Signature |  |
Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett (January 29, 1832 – presumed dead c. September 1, 1894) was a Union Army soldier who shot and killed President Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Corbett was initially arrested for disobeying orders, but was later released and was largely considered a hero by the media and the public.
Known for his devout religious beliefs and eccentric behavior, Corbett drifted around the United States before disappearing around 1888. Circumstantial evidence suggests that he died in the Great Hinckley Fire in September 1894, although this remains impossible to substantiate.
Corbett was born in London, England and immigrated with his family to New York City in 1839. The family moved frequently before eventually settling in Troy, New York. As a young man, Corbett began apprenticing as hatter, a profession that he would hold intermittently throughout his life. As a hatter, Corbett was regularly exposed to the fumes of mercury compound mercury(II) nitrate, then used in the treatment of fur to produce felt used on hats. Excessive exposure to the compound can lead to hallucinations, psychosis and twitching (known as the "hatter's shakes"). Historians have theorized that the mental issues Corbett exhibited before and after the Civil War may have been caused by this exposure.
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Wikipedia