Henry Rathbone

[Report #200] WHO. 'Henry Reed Rathbone (July 1, 1837 – August 14, 1911) was an American military officer and lawyer' (en.wikipedia.org); 'Henry R. Rathbone was born in Albany, New York and was the son of Jared L. Rathbone, a merchant and businessman, who later became Albany’s mayor.' (military-history.fandom.com) 'Upon his father’s death in 1845, Rathbone inherited $200,000' (en.wikipedia.org). 'His widowed mother married Ira Harris in 1848.' (en.wikipedia.org) Ages at that marriage: 'who became Rathbone’s stepsister when the two were approximately ages 11 and 14.' (en.wikipedia.org) / 'This marriage made the young couple stepbrother and stepsister (al-though they were grown at the time of their parents marriage).' (upload.wikimedia.org) (Lincoln Lore No. 1602, Aug 1971) — both held. 'Although this unusual series of events made them stepbrother and stepsister, they were not related by blood.' (military-history.fandom.com) CAREER TO 1865. 'worked in a law partnership in Albany' (en.wikipedia.org); 'served as a captain in the 12th Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Fredericksburg' (en.wikipedia.org) (the same article’s infobox also lists 'Battle of Antietam Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of the Crater' (en.wikipedia.org) — the Crater is held, not in its body text). 'In 1863, he was pulled from frontline duty and given a desk job.' (en.wikipedia.org) Lincoln Lore (1971) gives two dates for his majority: 'He received the appointment of Major of U. S. Volunteers on November 29, 1862.' (upload.wikimedia.org) and 'He entered the Union Army in May, 1861, as captain in the 12th Infantry and was appointed major and assistant adjutant general of volunteers in March, 1865.' (upload.wikimedia.org) — both held. 'He was brevetted three times — the last time as colonel' (upload.wikimedia.org); 'When he resigned from the military in 1870, Rathbone had risen to the rank of brevet colonel' (en.wikipedia.org); 'His military career ended in December, 1870, when, at his request, he was honorably' (upload.wikimedia.org) HOW HE CAME TO BE IN THE BOX. 'It is strange, but Lincoln had invited many persons that day and all, for one reason or another, had declined.' (archive.org) On Major Thomas Eckert: '"Well, Stanton," Lincoln proceeded, "I have seen Eckert break five pokers, one after the other, over his arm, and I’m thinking he would be the kind of man to go with me this evening. May I take him?" Stanton, resolved not to countenance Lincoln’s theatergoing, answered that Eckert could not be spared.' (archive.org) 'But Eckert, out of respect for the Secretary and the Secretary’s views, thanked the President and said the work was urgent.' (archive.org) Lincoln Lore (1971): 'While Major Rathbone was known socially by the Lincolns, the President no doubt relied upon him to act as a sort of bodyguard, as Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton had refused to allow his chief aide Major Thomas T. Eckert to accompany Lincoln to the theatre.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'Upon being informed that Major Eckert had work to do that could not be put off, Lincoln replied: "I shall take Major Rathbone along . . . but I should much rather have you, since I know you can break a poker over your arm."' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'At the very last, Miss Clara Harris and her fiance, Maj. Henry R. Rathbone, were invited, and they accepted.' (archive.org) Who asked: 'Mrs. Lincoln finally invited Major Rathbone and Clara Harris, and they accepted.' (military-history.fandom.com) / 'Rathbone and Harris accepted an invitation from President Lincoln and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln to see a play at Ford’s Theatre' (en.wikipedia.org) — both held. 'Rathbone and Harris had been friends with the president and his wife for some time and were invited after Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia , and several others had declined the invitation.' (en.wikipedia.org) 'Perhaps Major Rathbone became acquainted with President and Mrs. Lincoln through his stepfather, Sen-ator Harris.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'The Lincolns were late in picking up the couple at the Harris residence and late arriving at the theater.' (mrlincolnandnewyork.org) THAT NIGHT — HIS SWORN STATEMENT, 17 APRIL 1865. 'Before Judge A. B. Olin, Justice Supreme Court, District of Columbia, on the 17th of April, Major Henry R. Rathbone subscribed and swore to the following statement' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu): 'he, with Miss Clara H. Harris, left his residence, at the corner of Fifteenth and H Streets, and joined the President and Mrs. Lincoln, and went with them in their carriage to Ford’s Theatre, in Tenth Street.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) The box 'was occupied by the President and Mrs. Lincoln, Miss Harris, and the deponent — and by no other person.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'At the end of this sofa, next to Miss Harris, this deponent was seated.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'When the second scene of the third act was being performed, and while this deponent was intently observing the proceedings upon the stage, with his back toward the door, he heard the discharge of a pistol behind him, and looking around, saw, through the smoke, a man between the door and the President.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'At the same time deponent heard him shout some word, which deponent thinks was "Freedom!"' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'This deponent instantly sprang toward him and seized him; he wrested himself from the grasp, and made a violent thrust at the breast of deponent with a large knife.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'Deponent parried the blow by striking it up, and received a wound several inches deep in his left arm, between the elbow and the shoulder.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'The man rushed to the front of the box, and deponent endeavoured to seize him again, but only caught his clothes as he was leaping over the railing of the box.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'As he went over upon the stage deponent cried out, with a loud voice: "Stop that man!"' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) At the outer door 'deponent found it barred by a heavy piece of plank, one end of which was secured in the wall, and the other resting against the door.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'Deponent removed the bar, and the door was opened. Several persons, who represented themselves to be surgeons, were allowed to enter.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'this deponent then proceeded to assist Mrs. Lincoln, who was intensely excited, to leave the theatre.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) On reaching the house, 'feeling very faint from the loss of blood, he seated himself in the hall, and soon after fainted away, and was laid upon the floor.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) His estimate: 'the time which elapsed between the discharge of the pistol and the time when the assassin leaped from the box did not exceed thirty seconds.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) 'Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Miss Harris had left their seats.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) Where the original lay: 'Affidavit of H. R. Rath-bone before Justice A. B. Olin of the Supreme Court of the District (in the archives of the Judge Advocate General).' (archive.org) THAT NIGHT — HIS TRIAL TESTIMONY, 15 MAY 1865. In the Military Commission record 'COMPILED AND ARRANGED BY BENN PITMAN' (archive.org), listed as 'In President’s box on the 14th; stabbed by Booth' (archive.org); 'For the Prosecution. — May 15.' (archive.org) Testimony includes 'I instantly sprang toward him and seized him.' (archive.org) and 'On reaching the theater, when the presence of the President became known, the actors stopped playing, the band struck up' (archive.org) (the Army staff-ride guide: 'the band played “Hail to the Chief,”' (history.army.mil)). '[A bowie-knife, with a heavy seven-inch blade, was exhibited to the witness, stains of blood being still upon the blade.]' (archive.org) 'The assassin held the blade in a horizontal position, I think, and the nature of the wound would indicate it; it came down with a sweeping blow from above.' (archive.org) '[The knife was offered in evidence.]' (archive.org) Not printed: any cross-examination of Rathbone (the record passes to 'WILLIAM WITHERS, JR.' (archive.org)). THAT NIGHT — WHAT OTHERS SAW. Clara Harris, sworn the same day: 'looking round she saw Major Rathbone spring from his seat and advance to the opposite side of the box; that she saw him engaged as if in a struggle with another man' (upload.wikimedia.org). Dr. Charles Leale, 1909 address: 'Major Rathbone had bravely fought the assassin; his arm had been severely wounded and was bleeding. He came to me holding his wounded arm in the hand of the other, beseeching me to attend to his wound.' (gutenberg.org) 'an almost instantaneous glance revealed the fact that he was in no immediate danger' (gutenberg.org). The wound, other layers: '"The knife went from [Henry’s] elbow nearly to the shoulder, inside—cutting an artery, nerves & veins," Clara recalled in a letter that Mallon quotes in full.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'Booth had cut him nearly to the bone and severed an artery.' (en.wikipedia.org) — held against Leale’s reading above. Booth’s fall: 'causing Booth to lose balance as he leapt to the stage, possibly breaking his leg, though some historians have suggested that the injury occurred later.' (en.wikipedia.org) / 'one of the spurs on his boots became tangled in the Treasury Guard flag hanging on a staff in front of the box.' (history.army.mil) — both held. Bryan (1940) on the knife: 'secondarily for anybody that might get in his way or attempt to grapple with him (as Major Rathbone did) after the single-shot Deringer had been fired.' (archive.org) AFTER 1865. 'Henry and Clara had postponed their marriage in the aftermath of the assassination out of respect for the martyred President.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'The couple married on July 11, 1867, and had three children' (en.wikipedia.org). 'He developed breathing problems and heart palpitations with no known physical cause.' (nationalgeographic.com) 'For years, he had suffered from dyspepsia, a form of chronic indigestion, that had caused him constant pain' (lincolnconspirators.com). 'As the Elmira Daily Advertiser would later report , Rathbone had become “morose, melancholy, irritable, and insanely jealous of his wife,” believing she would leave him.' (nationalgeographic.com) 'He became convinced that Harris was unfaithful and resented the attention she paid their children.' (en.wikipedia.org) In New York in late 1882: 'Henry would often alter the subject of conversations to that of Lincoln’s assassination, stating his belief that the country had expected him to protect the President.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'Some advised Clara to separate from Henry for a time or have him placed in an asylum.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'During their last visit to the States, he had threatened to kill Mrs. Rathbone.' (upload.wikimedia.org) WHY HANOVER — FOUR VERSIONS, ALL HELD. (1) 'before eventually being offered the appointment as Consul to Hanover by President Chester A. Arthur' (en.wikipedia.org); 'U.S. Consul in Hanover , as of 1882-83.' (politicalgraveyard.com) (2) 'It was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, but Henry Rathbone was anything but relaxed. He and his family—his wife Clara Harris and their three young children—were visiting Germany in December 1883.' (nationalgeographic.com) (3) 'For the prior nine months, an American couple, their three children, and their nanny had been living in the German city of Hanover.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'The couple was independently wealthy and often split their time between a home in Washington, D.C., and various long vacations abroad in Europe.' (lincolnconspirators.com) (4) 'Eventually the family went abroad to Hanover, Germay, where it was hoped the children would complete their education.' (upload.wikimedia.org) — the same bulletin dates his consulship 'from President Grover Cleveland in 1887.' (upload.wikimedia.org) and the killing 'His tenure of office was abruptly ended because Major Rathbone killed his wife on December 24, 1894 (?).' (upload.wikimedia.org) Not found (Oct 2026); would settle: the State Department’s record of consular appointments for Hanover, 1882–83. HANOVER, 23 DECEMBER 1883. 'At around 5:30 a.m., Henry arose from his bed, dressed himself, grabbed his pistol, and walked down the hall to the room where his children were sleeping.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'Reportedly fearing that his children would be taken, he attempted to enter their room with a loaded gun. Alarmed, Harris had the door to the children’s room locked .' (nationalgeographic.com) 'She called out to her sister to “lock the door and save the children; there is going to be dreadful work.”' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'On December 23, 1883, he attacked his children in a fit of madness. He fatally shot and stabbed his wife, who was attempting to protect the children. He stabbed himself five times in the chest in an attempted suicide.' (en.wikipedia.org) '“Who could have done this? I have no enemies!”' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'When the police arrived, the bleeding Rathbone claimed there were people hiding behind the pictures on the wall.' (military-history.fandom.com) 'As the Sunday Morning Tidings of Elmira, New York, reported days after the murder, Rathbone “believes his children have been abducted, and that he was wounded in a fight with their abductor.”' (nationalgeographic.com) Date held: 23 December (above) / 'On Christmas Eve, shots were heard from the couple’s bedroom in Hanover.' (upload.wikimedia.org). THE GERMAN COURT. 'He was charged with murder, but was declared insane by doctors after he blamed the murder on an intruder. He was convicted and committed to an asylum for the criminally insane in Hildesheim' (en.wikipedia.org); 'Henry Rathbone’s trial commenced in January 1884.' (lincolnconspirators.com) 'Through interviews with Louise and others, the court effectively established a history of insanity on the part of Henry Rathbone. Rather than sentenced to prison, Henry was committed to an asylum in Hildesheim, Germany.' (lincolnconspirators.com) Verdict wording held between 'People convicted of murder by Germany' (en.wikipedia.org) and 'People acquitted by reason of insanity' (en.wikipedia.org) (both category tags on the same article). The court’s own record: not found (Oct 2026); would settle: the Hanover court file of 1884. HILDESHEIM, TO 1911. 'In this institution in Hanover, Germany, Rathbone lived in luxury.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'but finally gave up all hope of securing his freedom and awaited the end in some tranquility.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum. On August 31, 1910, it was reported that he was "near death".' (en.wikipedia.org) Death: 'Hildesheim , Kingdom of Prussia , German Empire' (en.wikipedia.org); 'he died more than 25 years later, in the Asylum for the Criminal Insane , Hildesheim, Germany , August 14, 1911 (age 74 years, 44 days ).' (politicalgraveyard.com) Admission date and any clinical file: not found (Oct 2026); would settle: the asylum’s admission register. BURIAL. 'He died on August 14, 1911, and was buried next to his wife at the Stadtfriedhof Engesohde cemetery in Hanover' (en.wikipedia.org); 'He was buried in Hanover, two days later.' (upload.wikimedia.org) 'In 1952, the Rathbones’ remains were disinterred and their remains disposed of in accordance with the German cemetery’s policies, i.e. the couple’s surviving family lived overseas and could not regularly tend their graves.' (en.wikipedia.org) 'They were both disinterred and cremated.' (military-history.fandom.com) 'Original interment at Stadtfriedhof Engesohde , Hanover, Germany; reinterment 1952 to unknown location.' (politicalgraveyard.com) A reader comment on LincolnConspirators.com (held, unsourced): 'Even in death it continued when there graves in Hanover were bombed in WW I I.' (lincolnconspirators.com) THE 1865 LINK, AS WRITTEN BY OTHERS. A letter to the New York Tribune (undated clipping): 'He brooded over it until his mind was unhinged' (upload.wikimedia.org). Nicolay and Hay, quoted by Bryan (1940): 'of those two young lovers, one was to slay the other, and then end his life a raving maniac.' (archive.org) ('Nicolay and Hay, vol. x, p. 295.' (archive.org)) Lincoln Lore (1971): 'Without question the trauma of Lincoln’s assassination left an impression on Rathbone’s mind from which he never recovered.' (upload.wikimedia.org) Wikipedia: 'his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln’s death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination.' (en.wikipedia.org) National Geographic (2024): 'Rathbone had been unable to save Lincoln that fateful night, a fact that still haunted him.' (nationalgeographic.com) Dave Taylor (2023): 'Still, the event likely caused Rathbone to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which slowly affected his mental health.' (lincolnconspirators.com) and 'Perhaps fearful of another sneak attack like the one he experienced in 1865, Henry slept with a pistol under his pillow.' (lincolnconspirators.com) All of these are later writers’ readings. A German medical finding that names 1865 as the cause: not found (Oct 2026); would settle: the Hanover court’s medical opinion and the Hildesheim case file. PLACE IN EACH ACCOUNT OF WHO WAS BEHIND THE KILLING. (1) The 1865 prosecution case: he was its witness — 'For the Prosecution. — May 15.' (archive.org) (2) Confederate secret-service account: no record naming Rathbone found (Oct 2026); would settle: the Confederate secret-service papers and the 1867 John Surratt trial record. (3) Stanton / War Department account: 'Some historians are of the opinion that Stanton believed that by refusing Lincoln the services of Eckert he would be deterred' (upload.wikimedia.org); 'It is of interest to point out that Otto Eisenschiml in his book, Why Was Lincoln Murdered, Little, Brown and Company, 1937, pages 35-37, made a very critical analysis of the Rath-bone-Harris statements in the light of other rather remarkable evidence.' (upload.wikimedia.org) What Eisenschiml concluded about Rathbone: not read (Oct 2026); would settle: Eisenschiml (1937), pp. 35–37. (4) A different version of the box, reported in a reader comment on LincolnConspirators.com: George Alfred Townsend 'declared Booth had entered the theater box moments before the attack but had been scolded by Rathbone for interrupting the president' (lincolnconspirators.com); the commenter adds 'I have found no corroboration for this scenario from the extant evidence' (lincolnconspirators.com) — held. (5) Banking, Jesuit and Knights of the Golden Circle accounts: no record naming Rathbone found (Oct 2026). No source read places him in any plot; none read clears him by name either — held. THE OCTOBER 2026 RESEARCH REPORT SAID 'Deponent was seated in the other, which stood near Miss Harris and toward the rear of the box.' (report.txt) and that at the trial 'Rathbone confirmed this account under cross-examination' (report.txt); its sources say 'At the end of this sofa, next to Miss Harris, this deponent was seated.' (hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu) and print no cross-examination. It also called the German outcome an acquittal ('The court formally acquitted him of criminal murder on grounds of insanity' (report.txt)); its cited source says 'He was convicted and committed' (en.wikipedia.org).