1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: Fellow ridiculous historians, Welcome to this week's classic episode. Back 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen, we looked at each other, we had 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: that Ghostbuster's eye contact moment where they figure out the 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: statue of Liberty, and we said, how deeply have we 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: really dove into the infamous tragic story of the Lincoln assassination? 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: Not nearly deeply enough, Ben, is what our longing gays 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: told each of us psychically. 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, now we do know knowl that on April fourteenth, 9 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty five, an actor named John Wilkes Booth assassinated 10 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: President Abraham Lincoln there in Ford's Theater, watching a play 11 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: with his wife. That story aside. We know that Booth 12 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: escaped the scene of the crime and he went on 13 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: the run. But it turns out there's some more to 14 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: the story. 15 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: Hm, yeah, more like on the limp. If I'm not mistaken, 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: I think that's right. We did have a injury can jump, 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: that's correct. But boy, are we going to dive into 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: a bit of an assassin meta episode today. We're talking 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 2: about everybody loves an assassin, but what about an assassin's assassin? Okay, 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 2: maybe everyone doesn't love an assassin, but you get what 21 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: I'm getting at. 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: Yes, so joined us as we dive into the bizarre 23 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: life and times of a man named Boston Corbett. Ridiculous 24 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: History is a production of iHeartRadio. Today's story kind of 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: but not really starts in eighteen sixty five. On April fourteenth, 26 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: Graham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while watching 27 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater in DC. 28 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: You think it was any good, Ben, our American cousin? 29 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 2: Uh huh? 30 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: I remember I think hearing about it in school, But 31 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't my kind of play. And it does remind 32 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: me of one of those very tasteless middle school jokes. 33 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: Did you ever hear this one? 34 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: Well? 35 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: Other than that, missus Lincoln, how did you find the play? 36 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: Oh that's funny, that's terrible. Yeah, too soon, surely not, 37 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: surely not. 38 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: Ben. You called out the date and it sounded to 39 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: me like it was long ago. 40 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: Long ago, far away, right. And this is ridiculous history. 41 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: It is ridiculous history. And there's our super producer, Casey 42 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: Pegram giving us his stamp of approval. Let me lean 43 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: by the window and see, I see if we get 44 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: a thumbs up. Oh, we got a pretty good thumbs up. 45 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: Thumbs up indeed, as you would text me thumbs up 46 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: emoji thumb when you do that. Oh thanks man. 47 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I want to be clear that it is 48 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: an emoji, because you know, some people don't know this, 49 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 1: but emojis translate differently across different folks. 50 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 2: I think, oh, aps, we've talked about Have we talked 51 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: about this on this show? I don't, you know, we 52 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: just hung out. It's a bit of a blur. We 53 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: do talk about all kinds of things. Today we're talking 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 2: about Abraham Lincoln getting a bullet to the back of 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: the dome by a crazed I don't know, maybe it's 56 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 2: not fair to call him craze, but a zealous actor 57 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: by the name of John Wilkes booth during said play 58 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: that may or may not have been any good, and 59 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 2: then he leapt from the balcony. It was a point 60 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: blank shot to the back of the head. Six temper 61 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: Tyrannus onto the stage, caught his his pant on something 62 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: on the way down and broke his leg and somehow 63 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 2: managed to escape. 64 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, made it seventy three miles to Port Royal, Virginia 65 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: while the Feds were chasing him, his accomplices were dropping 66 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: out one by one. He eventually was cornered in a 67 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: barn surrounded by veterans from the Union Army. 68 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: But wait, we need to back up again. 69 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: Yes, beep, beep beep, that's the sound of the history 70 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: truck moving back. Because we gave you a little bit 71 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: of a I guess, a cold open. We should start 72 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: at the as the Mad Hatter says at the beginning 73 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: the Mad Hatter, Yes, story, Yes, that's appropriate for this, 74 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: isn't it. 75 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 2: It really is. 76 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: Our story starts with a soldier by the name of 77 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: Boston Corbette. 78 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 2: Although he was born Thomas Corbett and was not a 79 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: soldier out of the womb, as it turns out, his 80 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 2: his initial occupation was as an incorrigible drunk. 81 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: Yes, Thomas Corbett was a hatter, not yet mad, and 82 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: this was a pretty solid job for an upstanding American 83 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: in the mid nineteenth century. But his wife and his 84 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: first child, a girl, died during childbirth, and this sent 85 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: him on a downward spiral. 86 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: He got a lot of death and childbirth things happening 87 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: in these last this episode and then the last one 88 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 2: about the Cocklane Ghost it's true. Check it out. Yeah, 89 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: if you haven't already, And if you haven't, then shame 90 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 2: on you. But yeah, no, he did not. He did 91 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 2: not do well after this blow from on high and he, 92 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 2: you know, became, like I said before, an incorrigible drunk. 93 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 2: So that wasn't his first profession. His first profession was 94 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 2: a hatter, and then he gave that up for the bottle. 95 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 2: And he lived in New England in Boston and he 96 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 2: would just haplessly stumble around drunk. He was kind of 97 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 2: because he was a vagrant. He became known as kind 98 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: of like one of the town shift layabouts, right. And 99 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: it was one night late in the eighteen fifties when 100 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: he ran into someone that would change his life forever. 101 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: Yes, And there's a great recounting of this in the 102 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: Washingtonian in an article by Bill Jensen. He meets one 103 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: of these proselytizing preachers, a street evangelists, and it gets 104 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: to him. Corbett is mesmerized by this word of God. 105 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: He becomes a regular at the what they call sidewalk 106 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 1: churches around the city, which was an interesting phrase I 107 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: had not heard before. But it's like a regularly occurring 108 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: church meetup that doesn't necessarily have its own physical building, 109 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: and he became sort of a hype man at these 110 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: street preaching get togethers. He stopped drinking and he started 111 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: he started being the guy who just yells amen along 112 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: with you know, sort of punctuating what the preachers are saying. 113 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, Hype Manning is is sort of like in the 114 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 2: trap music up today, they's going to go yeah. 115 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, that was what he would do, except he was 116 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: going huck Florid to God free this. 117 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: Yep, yeah, that kind of thing. And now on speaking 118 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 2: of Jesus, he also grew his hair his man long, 119 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: to appear to resemble Jesus Christ himself. He was baptized 120 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 2: in the Methodist faith, and he changed his name to 121 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: Boston from Thomas because Boston was the town where he 122 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: credited this meeting with the street preacher that turned his 123 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: life around. 124 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: Right. He was twenty six at this time, and the 125 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: ministers eventually said, hey, you should get your own turf. 126 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: In other words, maybe it's sort of like back up 127 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 2: off our turf with Hype Manning. We don't need you anymore. 128 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: I feel like Jesus is leading you to preach elsewhere, elsewhere, 129 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: to leading you're to preach down on fourth. 130 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: I think that's right. I think we have to remember 131 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: we haven't said this yet, but I'm sure a lot 132 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 2: of people know this already. But hatters used mercury to 133 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 2: treat the felt, to to form the felt, to make 134 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 2: the hats, and as we know, long term exposure to 135 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 2: mercury does have some debilitating effects on the brain. 136 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, as some debilitating cognitive effects. We do want to 137 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: tell you that the next part of this story takes 138 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: a brief and grisly turn. 139 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 2: Yes, we'll try to make it as brief as possible, 140 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: but yeah, it's it's it's not a pleasant image that's 141 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 2: coming up here. 142 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: So he's out ministering to the people in the summer 143 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: of eighteen fifty eight when he feels that a pair 144 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: of sex workers are googling him or giving him the eye, 145 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: and he is discussing with himself when he feels physically 146 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: excited to rise us to the occasion, right, So he 147 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: proceeds directly home, takes a pair of scissors, and you, 148 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: after making an incision in his scrotum, he removes his 149 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: testicles and then goes directly to a prayer meeting. 150 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: Like you do. It was a different time. Yeah, and 151 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 2: not only that he went to his prayer meeting did 152 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 2: whatever that entails. And then, oh, we should also mention 153 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: that he was when he got home from this encounter 154 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 2: with these ladies of the evening, he was in search 155 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 2: of answers and he opened the Bible to It's unclear 156 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 2: if he was looking for this passage because he was 157 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: aware of it, or if he was like, you know, 158 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 2: did the old FLIPPERO, and this is what came up 159 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 2: tell me what to do? Yeah, exactly. And the passage 160 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: that he encountered was Matthew nineteen twelve, which has a 161 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 2: part that says there are unit who have made themselves 162 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 2: eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God. And 163 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 2: that's what he went and did with the snip snip. 164 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: So he goes on to the prayer meeting and then what, oh, 165 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 2: he goes to the hospital immediately. 166 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: Right, No, he goes the next day after the prayer meeting, 167 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: he grabs Denner and takes a walk through the city, 168 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: thinking his thoughts. 169 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: Surely he's bleeding profusely from his genitals. 170 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: At this point, one would think that he was able 171 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: to staunch the wound because otherwise, surely it would have 172 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: been noticed during a prayer meeting if the guy's bleeding 173 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: through his trousers. But either way, he did eventually check 174 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: himself into a Massachusetts general and spent some time trying 175 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: to heal. Eventually he says, Okay, I'm better. A few 176 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: weeks later and he moves to New York City to 177 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 1: become a hat maker again. But he's still very religious. 178 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: Oh boy, is he. Ever? He's possibly the most religious 179 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 2: person we've ever encountered in any story or we've ever 180 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: done for this show. Can you think of anyone more 181 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 2: staunchly religious? 182 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: Staunchly religious? Probably not that guy who mooned all those 183 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: people now, definitely not who was still unidentified. Yeah, this 184 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: guy might take the cake so far. He would often 185 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: use his lunch break to go to prayer meetings. So 186 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: he still kept these these very i would say, dogmatic 187 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: religious practices. And then in eighteen sixty one, the Confederate 188 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: Army attacks Fort Sumter, which one was that in the 189 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: Civil War nice ironically named uh huh because it because 190 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: it was very uncivil. Yes, they were not nice to 191 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: each other, they were not. He enlisted in the Union 192 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: Army and he had a quotation here that he allegedly 193 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: told the women at his church, did you see this one? 194 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 2: No? I had not been. Oh, give it to me. 195 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: When he told the people as church that he was 196 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: going to join up with the Union Army, he said, 197 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: when I come eye to eye with my gray suited enemies, 198 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: I will say to them, God, have mercy on your souls. 199 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: Then pop them off. 200 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 2: Ah. Yes, I do remember this one. And pop them 201 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: off is what did it for me? Very slang. You 202 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 2: know what? It reminds me of them. It reminds me 203 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 2: of Samuel L. Jackson's character in pulp fiction, does the 204 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 2: whole And I will smite thee with great anger and 205 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 2: furious vengeance those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers, 206 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 2: you know the one. Yeah, it's good though. I wonder 207 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 2: if he got that idea from from from old Corbett. Uh. 208 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: Perhaps perhaps he did. That would be interesting. We'd have 209 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: to ask Quentin himself. Right, there was a big bummer 210 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: about him joining the army. He had to shave his 211 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: Jesus is. 212 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 2: Jesus, jam is Jesus locks. 213 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and by most of the accounts we've just got, 214 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: he was an ok soldier. 215 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 2: He could Ryan he could fire a gun pretty good shot, 216 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 2: but uh wasn't uh the wasn't the best at he 217 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 2: answered to a very particular authority, didn't he, man, it 218 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 2: was no, it was not earthly, nor was it his 219 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 2: his commanders. And that's gonna come up time and again 220 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 2: in this man's story. But one funny anecdote in this 221 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: Washingtonian article is about the time where when he was 222 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 2: training in Franklin Square in New York, his colonel, a 223 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 2: man by the name of Daniel Butterfield, who they point out, 224 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 2: I did not know this composed TAPS. I didn't think 225 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 2: TAPS was composed. Thought it happened just was you know, yeah, 226 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 2: but no the sky. Butterfield also apparently had a bit 227 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,719 Speaker 2: of a potty mouth, because he was just effin and 228 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 2: jeffin and swearing all over town. And Corbett was not 229 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 2: having it. 230 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: Was he, No, absolutely not. Corbett, who shall also mention 231 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: is still very green his training. Here he when the 232 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 1: courl's yelling at them and cursing, he yells back, Colonel, 233 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: don't you know you're breaking God's law. Butterfield is a 234 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: gas like he's speechless for a second. This has probably 235 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: never happened to him. So what what does he do 236 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: in response? 237 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, he he reads him in the Riot Act, probably 238 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 2: in a very measured kind of hannibal electric kind of way. 239 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 2: I don't know this guy. Corvett kind of gives me 240 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 2: the creeps, the whole self near relation thing that that's 241 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 2: a that's a bridge too far illness, I think for sure. 242 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 2: And yeah, again we should point out that he had 243 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 2: been exposed to these vapors, these mercury vapors for quite 244 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: some time in his in his hatting career, before he 245 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 2: for any of this happened. Yeah, and he says, colonel, 246 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 2: don't you know you are breaking God's law? 247 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: Uh? 248 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 2: And yeah, Butterfield was probably just like, you know what, 249 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 2: my boy, thank you so much for pointing that out. 250 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you for saving But no, it's not 251 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 2: he did at all. It's not what he did at all. 252 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: No, h he said, I'm gonna send you to jail. 253 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: So Corbette begins loudly singing hymns, pretty much shouting hymns 254 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: while he's in jail. He's asked to stop, he won't. 255 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: Butterfield eventually throws up his hands and says, look, if 256 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: you just say you're sorry, I can let you out 257 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: of prison, to which Corbett. 258 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 2: Says, oh. He says a no, sir, I have no 259 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:29,359 Speaker 2: cause to apologize to you, for you are but immortal, 260 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 2: and you half offended the delicate sensibilities of the Lord 261 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 2: thy God. So if you ask God to forgive you, 262 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 2: then maybe I'll ask you to forgive me the Chutzbaugh. 263 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 2: It's out of control for a guy without balls. This 264 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: is really ballsy. Seriously, Yeah, no, no doubt about that. 265 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 2: To think it just goes to show that those kind 266 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 2: of balls come from within. My friend. There we go. 267 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 2: So he is released at jail, Yeah, because he's like, 268 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 2: this guy's impenetrable, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Also there's a 269 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 2: war going. Yeah, they probably need him. He's a crack shot. 270 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 2: He's at least a passable soldier. So yeah, they need him. 271 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 2: And okay, let's see, God, this guy's got a really storied, 272 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: storied life. Yeah, where do you want to go? Well? 273 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 2: He he. He becomes a pretty important figure in the 274 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 2: Union cause he fights in all these very very deadly 275 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 2: conflicts that most people would not have survived and did 276 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 2: not survive. And I don't know if he had God's 277 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 2: God on his side or whatever, but it's I don't know, 278 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,600 Speaker 2: it's hard to not think that his piety maybe had 279 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 2: something to do with it, or maybe it was just 280 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 2: he was stark, raving, mad and fearless and just kind 281 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 2: of like had luck on his side. 282 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Like the New England Historical Society covers a 283 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: little bit of his activity in the Civil War. I 284 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: did not know that he had enlisted re enlisted three times. 285 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: He took to this conflict and he wasn't the best soldier, 286 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: but he was consistent. The thing people hated about working 287 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: with him is that he was always telling people not 288 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: to curse or do sinful stuff. 289 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: Sure like you know, like you do in the army. Right. 290 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 2: He sounded like a real killjoy. But he eventually got 291 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 2: captured and sent to Andersonville. Do you know what Andersonville 292 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 2: Prison been? Yes? 293 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,880 Speaker 1: No, Andersonville Prison is a terrible terrible place, or it 294 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: was a terrible terrible place. 295 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 2: We should say. It's here in Georgia, right, hunt. 296 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: It was a Confederate run prison here in Georgia, which 297 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,959 Speaker 1: you can visit. I've actually been. It's the Andersonville National 298 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: Historic Site now, so it preserves Camp Sumter, which is 299 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 1: also known as the Prison and it held forty five 300 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: thousand Union soldiers prisoner during the war. Nearly thirteen thousand 301 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: of them died not from execution, but from diseases, scurvy, diarrhea, dysentery, 302 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: the bloody flux. 303 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, is that what it was called. I think that's 304 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 2: what they call it. Yeah, that was the shorthand, although 305 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,959 Speaker 2: it's sort of longer. No, just dysentery, the blood deflux, 306 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,360 Speaker 2: same number of syllables. But it sounds a lot scarier, 307 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 2: doesn't it. It does, Yeah, because the flux, I guess, 308 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 2: is when you expel blood. Right now. 309 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 1: The thing about the thing about mister Boston Corbette is 310 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: that maybe it's a matter of his faith. Maybe it's 311 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 1: a matter of luck. He survived. Yeah, this man was 312 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: nothing if not resilient. I mean, he survived a self 313 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: administered castration, first and foremost. He survived you know, drunkenness 314 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: in the streets, and he survived some of the most 315 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: intense battles of the Civil War. And he survived this prison, 316 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: which was built to house ten thousand inmates and ballooned 317 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: to over thirty two thousand. 318 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,199 Speaker 2: There was like a little stream that ran through it, 319 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 2: and apparently it had just become a swamp of human filth, 320 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 2: and all of these diseases ran rampant. The guy who 321 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 2: was in charge of this facility was actually brought up 322 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 2: on war crime trials because thousands, if not tens of 323 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 2: thousands of men died in his facility. 324 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, thirteen thousand that we know of, So that guy 325 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 1: was rightly brought up a war crimes what's his name? 326 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 2: His name was. 327 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: Captain Henry wurrez wr Z. Not only he's tried for 328 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: war crimes, but he was executed. So after Corbette gets away, 329 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: after he survives this, it. 330 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 2: Convalesces for a bit, one would imagine. 331 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: Right, learns to eat solid food again. He still stays 332 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: with the army. He had eventually reached the rank of 333 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: sergeant in the sixteenth New York Volunteer Cavalry. Now to 334 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: the point where we began the story. 335 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 2: Oh man, weren't we having a barn burner? I don't 336 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 2: Maybe we hadn't quite gotten there yet. But our man 337 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 2: John Wilkes Booth, hobbled from his idiotic fall at the 338 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 2: Ford Theater after putting a bullet in Old Abe Lincoln's 339 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 2: head is now hold up in this barn, along with 340 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 2: two accomplices. I want to say, yeah. 341 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 1: Everybody else has deserted them. He's seventy three miles away 342 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: from the theater and being hunted like a dog. Boston 343 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: Corbette is one of the twenty six elite cavalrymen sent 344 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: from the unit to pursue John Wilkes. 345 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 2: Booth and pursue him. They did. They got a tip 346 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 2: from a local innkeeper who put them in touch with 347 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 2: a man who kind of cave gave a give it 348 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 2: to us man. I'm I'm not doing a very good 349 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: job here. Oh no, you got it. You got it. 350 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:55,119 Speaker 1: We've got a Booth and his conspirator, David Harold, in 351 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,120 Speaker 1: a tobacco farm owned by a guy named Richard Garrett. 352 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: So what do the Calvern men do once they have 353 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: them cornered in that barn? 354 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 2: Well, they're not coming out right, So they light some 355 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 2: straw and fire and poke it through in anthole in 356 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: the in the barn, and you know, like old dry 357 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 2: wood tends to do it. It went up in flames 358 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 2: pretty quickly. And David Harold says, Okay, this is crazy 359 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,479 Speaker 2: even for a terrorist like me. I give up Booth, 360 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,199 Speaker 2: who has already made his decision made his peace with 361 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:33,919 Speaker 2: whatever powers he thinks exist, stays inside. But as the 362 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 2: barn disintegrates in the conflagration, the soldiers outside can see 363 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 2: Booth's silhouette moving back and forth in the burning barn. 364 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 2: And let's let's just remind our listeners. Maybe not a 365 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 2: really reminder, because we haven't said it yet. The instructions 366 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 2: of this brigade was to bring back these men alive 367 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 2: because the plot against Lincoln there was a good chance 368 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 2: that had been organized orchestrated by forces on the Confederate side, 369 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 2: and they wanted to, you know, get to the top 370 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 2: of this conspiracy. Right, So when our boy Corbett popped 371 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 2: one off, as he would say, right at John Wilkes 372 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 2: Booth as he hobbled away, people were understandably annoyed, right. 373 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: And another government employee says, what on earth did you 374 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: shoot him for? And he's rushing to yank Booth out 375 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: of the burning barn. They wanted him alive to you know, 376 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: run up the ladder of the conspiracy, and Corbett refused 377 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: to apologize. Booth dies around seven am the next day, 378 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: and the government forces are are wondering why this guy 379 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: is completely contradicting his orders. And all he says is 380 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: that God Almighty directed me to So instead of John 381 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: Wilkes Booth going back to DC, they take Corbett. 382 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, and Edwin M. Stanton, who's the Secretary of War 383 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 2: who had issued a reward the War Department of one 384 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars fifty for Booth, twenty five for Surrat 385 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 2: and twenty five for Harold, and a total of one 386 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars. And this guy questioned Corbett personally, and 387 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 2: I think he sort of decided it wasn't worth pursuing that. 388 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: You know, the guy's dead. The justice has been served. 389 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 2: This guy's going to be kind of a national hero. 390 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 2: Let's it. Let's let it slide. 391 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. Even though Corbette kind of changes his message at 392 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: the trial, and he says, I didn't fire the ball 393 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: from fear. I was under the impression that he, meaning Booth, 394 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: had started to the door to fight his way through, 395 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: and I thought he would do harm to my men 396 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: if I didn't fire. So it changes a little bit. 397 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: He's not quite as self righteous about it. But how 398 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: does his story end, Noel, he doesn't get the whole 399 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: fifty grand, No, he gets a portion of it, though 400 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: I think he gets a little over sixteen hundred, and 401 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 1: then he asked if he can take his horse home, 402 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: which I thought was pretty sweet. He says, he's not valuable, 403 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: but I'm attached to him and I'd like to take 404 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: him home. 405 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 2: He's a sentimental man. He's a sentimental eunuch mad hatter. 406 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: Later he is largely forgotten. He starts initially going back 407 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: to work as a silk hat finisher, then he turns 408 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: to being a lay preacher, making two hundred and fifty 409 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 1: a year, two hundred and fifty dollars dollars, yes, not thousands, 410 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 1: of course, And by eighteen seventy four he has his 411 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: mental state has further deteriorated. He is convinced that John 412 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: Wilkes Booth is actually still alive, and that Booth has 413 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: sent people from the former Confederacy to kill him. 414 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 2: That being said, though he was not a popular man 415 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 2: among his cohorts, for the reason we talked about earlier, 416 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 2: that he's always in people's faces preaching the Holy Roller line. 417 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 2: But also like even the other troops that he was 418 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 2: with in his unit, they would have been irritated with 419 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 2: him because he kind of stole their glory, right Yeah, 420 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 2: that could have been any of them. Also, it would 421 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 2: have been much more of a group victory if they 422 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 2: had brought the man back alive like they were supposed to, 423 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 2: but instead he took it upon himself to pop one off. Yeah, 424 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,160 Speaker 2: and so he was getting threatening letters, right, that was real. Yes, 425 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 2: he was getting threatening letters. Don't know if they were 426 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 2: meant just to torture him, but some were signed Jay 427 00:25:55,280 --> 00:26:00,040 Speaker 2: Wilkes Booth. So in his mental state, he felt that 428 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 2: these really were from this guy, and there was this 429 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 2: overarching conspiracy to assassinate him. By eighteen seventy eight, increasingly unpopular, 430 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:15,199 Speaker 2: despised by half the country, strongly disliked by his colleagues, 431 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 2: he hops in a wagon and says that he's going 432 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 2: to head west. Where's it go, Ben? 433 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,679 Speaker 1: He goes to a place called Cloud County, Kansas and 434 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 1: starts the homestead on eighty acres. 435 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. Unfortunately, that doesn't go super well, and because of 436 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 2: some pretty intensely erratic behavior, he does not get to 437 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 2: continue in that endeavor. Some of that behavior includes, in 438 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 2: eighteen eighty seven, he holds the Kansas House of Representatives 439 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 2: hostage basically using two revolvers and a sword, and then 440 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 2: he declares that the session has been adjourned, and then 441 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 2: he has various in sundry run ins with the law, 442 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 2: and in eighteen eighty seven October, that is, he is 443 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 2: declared insane and he is committed to a Kansas asylum. 444 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 2: But that's not the end. 445 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: That is not quite the end. He escapes from the 446 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:23,159 Speaker 1: asylum on May twenty sixth, eighteen eighty eight, because he 447 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: sees somebody making deliveries and tethering a horse to the 448 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 1: front of the building. So he breaks away, jumps on 449 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: the horse, and takes off all the way to Neodesha, Kansas, 450 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 1: home of a fellow veteran and survivor of Andersonville, a 451 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: guy named Richard Thatcher. 452 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 2: And that caused this kind of bolo letter to be 453 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 2: generated with the heading insane man escaped Topeka, Kansas, May 454 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 2: twenty sixth, eighteen eighty eight. Dear Sir Boston Corbett, an 455 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 2: insane man escaped from the insane asylum at Topeka this 456 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 2: morning and is supposed to be heading for Cloud County. 457 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 2: He's about fifty five years old and five feet four 458 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 2: inches tall. It is a clever detail. This is a 459 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 2: smart move. He has plucked all his beard out down 460 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 2: to the lower part of his ears, his gray chin, whiskers, 461 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 2: and mustache, gray hair cut square at bottom and parts 462 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 2: his hair in the middle. He wore a dark jeans 463 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 2: suit and black soft hat and was riding a bay 464 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 2: or a sorel pony with a boy's saddle. So keep 465 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 2: a lookout for that guy. 466 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: He is regarded as a dangerous man, but was unarmed 467 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: when he escaped. If he comes your way, arrest him 468 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: and return him to the asylum at once, or telegraph 469 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: doctor B. D. Eastman, Superintendent Insane Asylum, Topeka for orders. 470 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: What happens when he meets up with his old pal 471 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 1: Thatcher or when he reaches Thatcher's property. 472 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 2: We should say, well, the first thing he did when 473 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 2: he got there to Neodosha, Kansas, was he he took 474 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,040 Speaker 2: that stolen horse that he referred to as a borrowed horse, 475 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 2: and he tied a note onto it and slapped on 476 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,239 Speaker 2: the button and send it on its way. And it 477 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 2: was quite a ways of way, so it's unclear if 478 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 2: that horse made it to its rightful owner. But the 479 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 2: note kind of was like, sorry, I just had to 480 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 2: do it here, Please take this horse back. I didn't 481 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 2: I wasn't stealing it. But yeah, he went to a 482 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 2: train station and was trying to get to Mexico. And 483 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 2: that is the last anyone ever heard from him. 484 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: Right, Rumors still trickle in after that. You'll see a 485 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: lot of people list his death as eighteen ninety four. 486 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: One theory says that he was targeted by people who 487 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: were bitter over the various battles he had had in 488 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: his time in the Union Army. Someone else said he 489 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: died the Great Hinckley Fire, and then there were people 490 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: who would point out other possibilities. You know, in the 491 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: early nineteen hundreds, the Federal Prison Bureau heard about a 492 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: Boston Corbette who claimed he was alive and well and 493 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: wanted his pension. But the problem was that the guy 494 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: who claimed to be Boston Corbette, who also went by 495 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 1: the nickname Old Trapper Old Trapper, only gave vague descriptions. Yeah, 496 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: I think he was taller, and he was taller, Yeah, 497 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: like a lot taller, I believe full eight inches or so. 498 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: And then people thought that would be the last they 499 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: heard of him, But more and more stories poured in. 500 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: They just became less and less credible, if that makes sense. 501 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: It does, and now he is largely lost to history 502 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: except for one one thing that remains. 503 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 2: Right. Yeah, it's like a weird kind of memorial. It's 504 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 2: just a pen like a like a fenced area that 505 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 2: marks where his final home was. And in this Washingtonian 506 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 2: article they wrap up talking about how in nineteen fifty 507 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 2: there was a boy Scout troop that made a stone 508 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 2: plaque to put there and they called it the Boston 509 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: Corbett Dugout. And there are two revolvers embedded in the rock. 510 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: And here ends the strange story of Boston Corbette war. 511 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: He wrote a sum a villain to others, but clearly 512 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: a man in need of medical care of some sort. 513 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, who left a pretty fascinating mark on history. 514 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: And if you'd like to read more about Boston Corbette, 515 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: you can check out the book The Madman and the Assassin, 516 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: which has a pretty snappy chronicle of his time, both 517 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: his normal life leading up to the Civil War and 518 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: his earlier struggles all the way to that fateful day 519 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 1: when he shot John Wilkes Booth. I felt like a 520 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: very definitive ending. Usually we get to a segue or something. 521 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 2: Huh, yeah, No, that's good. That's good where it's almost 522 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 2: like we're getting a little bit better at this. Well, 523 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 2: let's jakes ourselves fair enough, fair enough, But we hope 524 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,200 Speaker 2: you enjoyed this story. We were surprised in the course 525 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 2: of our research to learn that, you know, a lot 526 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 2: of people haven't heard of this guy. I hadn't. 527 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, they don't really teach you about it in school, 528 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: you know. 529 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it's like, I think this is an 530 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 2: interesting slice of life of the time too, in terms of, like, 531 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 2: you know, the way mental illness was handled, the whole 532 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 2: idea of me. There's just so many interesting little twists 533 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 2: in this story, the way the whole Andersonville incarceration thing. 534 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 2: And I knew a little bit about that, but this 535 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 2: was a really interesting inside perspective, like from someone who 536 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 2: lived through it, the whole, you know, coming to Jesus stuff. 537 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 2: It's just this is like, why is there not a film. 538 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: About this guy who would play him, Crispin Glover? 539 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 2: Yes? Can I tell you that My friend Matt saw 540 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 2: Crispin Glover on the subway in New York for like 541 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 2: an hour, just sitting by himself, wearing a really nice 542 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 2: black suit and listening to earbuds. 543 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: I think you may have mentioned that it was he 544 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: actually going somewhere, just writing the subway, I. 545 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 2: Think he was going. He said, well, Matt works way uptown, 546 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 2: and his his theory was maybe that he was shooting 547 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 2: something in Harlem, because that's sort of the direction. 548 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I think Crispin Glover would be a good pick. 549 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 2: He would be awesome. I mean, I mean, look, if 550 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 2: you look at this guy at listeners, if you want 551 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 2: to check it out, tell us what you think. Who 552 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 2: would play Boston Corbett, Oh, Crispin Glover all day long? 553 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 2: You know who else would be good? Norman Ritas dead 554 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 2: in the States. 555 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: Also, my favorite moment in the guy's biography is definitely 556 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: the Other Street evangelists saying God has called you to 557 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: preach my son about four blocks that way. 558 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 2: That's still my favorite. That's good. 559 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: We want to know what you thought about this episode, 560 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: and as always, some of our best ideas come from you, 561 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: fellow ridiculous historians. So let us know what other tremendously 562 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: important characters in American history or in the history of 563 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 1: your own country seem to be largely obscured today. We'd 564 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: like to shed some light on them. As always, thank you, 565 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 1: for checking out the show. Thank you to our super producer, 566 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: Casey Pegram. 567 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 2: Thanks to Alex Williams who composed our theme, and thanks 568 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:18,880 Speaker 2: to Christopher Haciotis for being our researcher extraordinaire on this episode. 569 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: And by this time, longtime listeners you know the Drill 570 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: will find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can 571 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 1: also check out our community page, Ridiculous Historians, which is a. 572 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 2: Hoot, a real hoot and hot and haller a brewhaha. 573 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 1: Sure are we just going to toss synonyms? 574 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 2: We have to get out of here. We do toss synonyms, huh. 575 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 2: I like it. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 576 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:54,879 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 577 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 2: favorite shows.