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For generations, the descendants of President Garfield shared stories about his extraordinary achievements but rarely mentioned his untimely death. “We knew what had happened, that he was gunned down in a train station,” explains one of his family members. “We studied the story in historical accounts but, in one way or another, we just skimmed through it.”

Renewed Attention in a Overlooked Leader

This shifted in 2011 with the issuing of a presidential biography, which revived interest in Garfield's unfinished life. This work has now led to a television production titled Death by Lightning, starring an acclaimed actor as the national leader and another skilled actor as the unstable individual who shot him.

The series promises to highlight Garfield, who came from humble beginnings to the presidency during the Gilded Age only to fall victim to its toxic political divisions. His time in office was truncated after only half a year not only by the gunman's shot but by doctor errors – an tragedy now mostly overlooked while the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and JFK continue to fascinate the public.

“You can't help but be proud what he did. He was incredibly versatile: he was a legal professional, he was a preacher, he was a farmer. He was all of these things which also influenced his personality and how he was and everything that we know about him the family carries down with us.”

Starting from Nothing to the White House

Garfield was the most recent commander-in-chief born in a log cabin in the Midwest in 1831. His dad perished when he was very young, leaving his mother, Eliza, to support a large family in difficult circumstances. An insatiable reader, Garfield found employment on vessels to earn money for an formal learning.

He studied law, was entered the clergy, became president of Hiram College in Ohio and was a political representative. In 1858 he entered matrimony with a former classmate, Lucretia Rudolph, with whom he would have multiple offspring. An ardent Unionist, Garfield viewed the national conflict as a holy crusade against forced servitude and rose to the officer status.

“As I studied his life, I was astonished. He was remarkably smart. He was fearless. He was innovative for the time. He was caring. He was a decent human being and would have been a remarkable commander-in-chief had he remained alive.”

Political Career and Surprise Candidacy

Garfield was persuaded by Lincoln to resign his military commission when he was elected to the legislative branch, where he would work as a party member for 17 years. He was strong supporter of racial equality in elections, viewing it as a matter of justice and the completion of a military promise.

“The speech he gave on the floor of Congress will move you deeply. He was an remarkable speaker and this matter was deeply meaningful to him.”

At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago the party was deeply divided between the “faction members”, led by Senator Roscoe Conkling, who supported a additional presidency for military hero, and the “opposing faction”, who supported James G Blaine. Garfield attended as a backer of his state colleague John Sherman.

When the massive gathering was deadlocked between Grant and Blaine, party members began looking for a solution. Garfield's impassioned speech supporting Sherman caught their attention. During the speech, he reportedly declared, “And now, representatives, what do we want?” to which a audience member unexpectedly replied, “We want Garfield!”

On the extended selection process, a rush of supporters made Garfield the unexpected candidate. To satisfy the Stalwart faction, Chester Arthur, a political ally from New York, was chosen as his running mate. In the general election Garfield defeated the opposing candidate to become the only sitting member of the House ever to be selected for the highest office.

Truncated Term and Political Battles

“His possible achievements 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 never thought about it but he was thrust into it.”

The defining conflict of Garfield's limited administration was his disagreement with Conkling over the “patronage network”. Conkling insisted on authority over government appointments in New York, particularly the powerful and lucrative post of port authority. Garfield declined, stating the issue was “concerning if the national leader becomes registering clerk of the senate or the executive of the United States”. He proposed a rival of Conkling to the post.

The confrontation escalated into a public battle but Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling in the Senate. Experiencing a embarrassing loss, Conkling and his associate resigned their seats in protest. The next day, Garfield's selection was approved. It was a historic triumph for the executive authority over the faction system and for the improvement efforts over “machine politics”.

The Gunman and His Psychological Issues

But even as Garfield fought powerful figures of his party, he was being followed by a disturbed and delusional man who represented the problematic element of the patronage system. Charles Guiteau was a wanderer with a history of occupational setbacks, emotional issues and childhood trauma. He had been unsuccessful as a lawyer, financial agent, preacher and member of a unconventional group.

“He was emotionally unstable and his particular brand of madness was fantasy. He always believed that divine selection for greatness. He actually had superior economic background than Garfield but where Garfield progressed and improved, Guiteau could not accomplish anything.”

But Guiteau believed he had finally found a route to achievement: politics. Caught up in the excitement of the presidential race, he prepared and gave an unimportant address, and became convinced in his own mind that he was single-handedly responsible for Garfield's victory.

Under this logic, Guiteau calculated he had earned a prestigious position. He went to the capital and constantly harassed Garfield, Blaine and other officials, insisting to be made the US consul in Paris — a position for which he had inadequate skills. He became such a nuisance that he was eventually prohibited from the White House.

The Shooting and Medical Malpractice

On 2 July 1881, just several weeks into his presidency, Garfield was leaving Washington for his college reunion. As he walked through the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad station, Guiteau emerged from hiding, produced an ivory-handled British Bull Dog revolver from his clothing and fired multiple rounds in the back.

Garfield exclaimed: “My God, what is this?” and dropped on the depot ground. When a {police officer|law