Topics in Chronicling America - The Garfield Assassination

President James A. Garfield is shot by Charles Guiteau at the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C on July 2, 1881. Although he was severely wounded, President Garfield initially survived the shooting. He never fully recovered though, and passed away on September 19, a mere six months after his inauguration as President. Read more about it!

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• July 2, 1881: President James A. Garfield is shot and severely wounded by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled office-seeker, at a railroad station in Washington, D.C.
• July 1881: Alexander Graham Bell unsuccessfully tries to locate the bullet with a metal detector he designed specifically for Garfield.
• September 6, 1881: Garfield, in poor condition, is taken to the New Jersey seaside, and dies soon after on
• September 19th. Chester A. Arthur assumes the presidency.
• September 21, 1881 A funeral procession carrying Garfield’s remains travels from New Jersey to Washington, DC and finally to Ohio, where Garfield is buried.
• January 25, 1882: Guiteau is found guilty. June 30, 1882: Guiteau is executed.

Suggested Search Strategies:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] .] President Garfield, Guiteau, shot, Alexander Graham Bell, induction balance, guilty, executed.
• Alexander Graham Bell's metal detector was formally referred to as an "induction balance," so include the phrase in search terms when looking for articles about the instrument's use in relation to President Garfield.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "The President Shot," The New York Tribune (New York, NY), July 3, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "The Assassination," The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), July 3, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 4.
• "Our President," The Evening Critic (Washington, DC), July 4, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Garfield's Chances still weighing in Balance," The Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), July 5, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "President Garfield ," The New York Tribune (New York, NY), July 20, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "A Safe Trip," The Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), Septmeber 7, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "A Sad Tale," The Evening Critic (Washington, DC), September 21, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2.
• "Grief," The Sacramento Daily Record Union (Sacramento, CA), September 24, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2.
• "It Is Finished ," The National Tribune (Washington, DC), September 24, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "In Memoriam ," The Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), September 26, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Death of the President ," Shenandoah Herald (Woodstock, VA), September 28, 1881, Page 1, Image 1, col. 3.
• "Porter's Great Speech," The Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), January 25, 1882, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Guiteau Found Guilty," The Waco Daily Examiner (Waco, TX), January 26, 1882, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5.
• "Guiteau!," The Evening Critic (Washington, DC), June 30, 1882, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.
• "Justice at Last," The Daily Globe (St. Paul, MN), July 1, 1882, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1.