John F. Parker
Encyclopedia
John Frederick Parker was one of four men detailed to act as United States
President Abraham Lincoln
's bodyguard on April 14, 1865, the night Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s theater.
. Parker moved to Washington, DC working as a carpenter. He became one of the Washington's original policemen when the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
was created in 1861. He was charged with dereliction of duty
and conduct unbecoming an officer several times for being drunk on duty, sleeping on streetcars while at work, and visiting prostitutes. The charges were all dismissed.
He was responsible for guarding the entrance to the president's box. He is known to have at first stayed at his assigned post, but then wandered away in order to catch a glimpse of the play. During the intermission, Parker went to a nearby tavern with Lincoln's footman
and coachman
. It is unclear whether he ever returned to the theater, but he was not at his post when John Wilkes Booth
shot the president. Parker was charged with neglect of duty and tried on May 3, 1865 but no transcripts of the case were kept. The complaint was dismissed on June 2, 1865. Parker remained on the police force until 1868 when he was fired for sleeping on duty. He died in Washington on June 28, 1890. His grave has no tombstone, and there is no known image of him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's bodyguard on April 14, 1865, the night Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s theater.
Biography
Parker was born May 19, 1830, in Frederick County, VirginiaFrederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
. Parker moved to Washington, DC working as a carpenter. He became one of the Washington's original policemen when the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...
was created in 1861. He was charged with dereliction of duty
Dereliction of duty
Dereliction of duty is a specific offense under United States Code Title 10,892. Article 92 and applies to all branches of the US military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties...
and conduct unbecoming an officer several times for being drunk on duty, sleeping on streetcars while at work, and visiting prostitutes. The charges were all dismissed.
He was responsible for guarding the entrance to the president's box. He is known to have at first stayed at his assigned post, but then wandered away in order to catch a glimpse of the play. During the intermission, Parker went to a nearby tavern with Lincoln's footman
Footman
A footman is a male servant, notably as domestic staff.-Word history:The name derives from the attendants who ran beside or behind the carriages of aristocrats, many of whom were chosen for their physical attributes. They ran alongside the coach to make sure it was not overturned by such obstacles...
and coachman
Coachman
A coachman is a man whose business it is to drive a coach, a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger — and of mail — and covered for protection from the elements...
. It is unclear whether he ever returned to the theater, but he was not at his post when John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
shot the president. Parker was charged with neglect of duty and tried on May 3, 1865 but no transcripts of the case were kept. The complaint was dismissed on June 2, 1865. Parker remained on the police force until 1868 when he was fired for sleeping on duty. He died in Washington on June 28, 1890. His grave has no tombstone, and there is no known image of him.