Charles Leale
| Charles Leale | |
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Charles Leale in Union Uniform
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| Born |
Charles Augustus Leale March 26, 1842 New York City, New York |
| Died | June 13, 1932 (aged 90) Manhattan, New York |
| Occupation | physician, surgeon |
Charles Augustus Leale (March 26, 1842 – June 13, 1932) was a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was the first doctor to arrive at the presidential box at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 after John Wilkes Booth fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head with a Philadelphia Deringer pistol. His quick efforts temporarily saved President Lincoln's life, which allowed Lincoln to live until the next morning. Charles Leale continued to serve in the army until 1866. He then returned to his home town of New York City where he established a successful private practice and became involved in charitable medical care. One of the last surviving witnesses to Lincoln’s death, Dr. Charles A. Leale died in 1932 at the age of 90.
At the time, Leale was a 23-year-old surgeon in charge of the Wounded Commissioned Officers' Ward at the United States Army General Hospital in Armory Square, Washington, DC. Just six weeks earlier, he'd graduated in medicine from Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City. He married a daughter of Yonkers, New York, industrialist John Copcutt (1805–1895) at the historic John Copcutt Mansion.
A few days before Lincoln's assassination, Leale took a brief break from his exhausting job and took a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue for some fresh air. He noticed a crowd of people heading towards the White House. He discovered Lincoln giving his last public address to the public and was intrigued by the president's facial features. Soon after, Leale learned that Lincoln was going to Ford's Theatre to see the play Our American Cousin. "After completing his duties...Leale changed to civilian clothes and rushed to the Theater, not to see the play, but to study President Lincoln's face and facial expressions." He asked for a seat in the orchestra so he would have an unhindered view, but arrived late and was given a seat in the dress circle (near the front, same side and 40 ft away from the president's box).
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