William H. Crook
William H. Crook | |
---|---|
Executive Clerk of the President of the United States | |
In office December 20, 1870 – 1910 | |
President | Ulysses S. Grant |
Succeeded by | Rudolph Forster |
Personal details | |
Born | William Henry Crook October 15, 1839 Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | March 13, 1915 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 75)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia |
Spouses |
|
Children | 1 son |
William Henry Crook (October 15, 1839 – March 13, 1915) was one of President Abraham Lincoln's bodyguards in 1865.[1] After Lincoln's assassination (while Crook was off duty), he continued to work in the White House for a total of more than 50 years, serving 12 presidents.[2]
Career
Even during the height of the American Civil War, presidential security was lax. Throngs of people entered the White House every day. "The entrance doors and all the doors on the Pennsylvania side of the mansion were open at all hours of the day and, often, very late into the evening."[3] Lincoln finally gave in to concerns for his safety in November 1864, and was assigned four around-the-clock bodyguards.[4] When one was reassigned as the White House doorkeeper, Crook, then a member of the Washington Police Force and a former Union Army soldier,[2] was selected as his replacement, beginning January 4, 1865.[4] Lincoln's son Tad had a speech impediment and referred to Crook as "Took".[5] When Crook was later drafted, he went to see the president, who arranged to keep his services.
On April 14, 1865, Crook began his shift at 8 a.m. He was to have been relieved by
Crook also served as a bodyguard for Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson. It was he who brought the news to the embattled president that he had been acquitted in his impeachment trial in May 1868.[7]
When his good friend, Ulysses S. Grant, became president, he appointed Crook "Executive Clerk of the President of the United States" in 1870, and "Chief Disbursing Officer" in 1877, the latter the position he would hold for the rest of his career.[2] On January 5, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson and the members of the White House staff celebrated his 50 years of service and presented him with a cane.[2]
Crook set his memoirs down on paper in the book Through Five Administrations: Reminiscences of Colonel William H. Crook, Body-Guard to President Lincoln, compiled and edited by Margarita Spalding Gerry. There are six administrations covered, however, from Lincoln to Chester A. Arthur, although James A. Garfield and Arthur are dealt with in a single chapter.
Death
William H. Crook died at his boarding house in 1915. He was predeceased by his wives, Jane Catherine Rodbird (1846–1895), and Clara Robey (1855–1911). He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery;[8] President Wilson attended the funeral.
References
- ^ a b c "William Crook". PBS. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Col. W. H. Crook Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. March 13, 1915.
- ^ Rietveld, Ronald D. (Summer 1999). "The Lincoln White House Community". Abraham Lincoln Association. 20 (2).
- ^ ISBN 9780899502168. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
William Crook Abraham Lincoln.
- ^ Hutchinson, John M. (Winter 2009). "What Was Tad Lincoln's Speech Problem?". Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 30 (1).
- ISBN 9780803279490.
- ISBN 9780199772292.
- ^ Arlington National Cemetery
External links
- Works by or about William H. Crook at Wikisource
- Full text of Through Five Administrations: Reminiscences of Colonel William H. Crook, Body-Guard to President Lincoln, now out of copyright