President James A. Garfield (November 19, 1831 - September 19, 1881)

James Garfield (1831-1881) was sworn in as the 20th U.S. president in March 1881 and died in September of that same year from an assassin's bullet, making his tenure in office the second-shortest in U.S. presidential history, after William Henry Harrison. Born in an Ohio log cabin, Garfield was a self-made man who became a school president in his mid-20s. During the Civil War he fought for the Union and rose to the rank of major general. Garfield, a Republican, went on to represent his home state in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 1863 to 1881. In 1880, a divided Republican Party chose Garfield as its dark horse presidential nominee. After winning the general election, his brief time in office was marked by political wrangling. In July 1881, Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled constituent, and died less than three months later.

President James A. Garfield


An engraving of President James A. Garfield's assassination. published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The caption reads, "Washington, D.C. - The attack on the President's life - The arrest of the assassin/from sketches by our special artists A. Berghaus and C. Upham".

President Garfield is at center right, leaning after being shot. He is supported by Secretary of State James G. Blaine who wears a light colored top hat. To the left, the assassin Charles Guiteau is restrained by members of the crowd, one of whom is about to strike him with a cane.