Corbett, who deserted and re-enlisted in the Union Army several times during the Civil War, was part of the posse that surrounded the barn where Booth was hiding. Orders were to bring Booth back alive, but Corbett shot when he saw the assassin. He claimed first that he had seen Booth preparing to fire a gun, then later said he was acting on orders from God. He was arrested, but later released and given part of the reward money offered for Booth's capture.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Brady-Handy Photograph Collection
