Death by Lightning – An Ode to Service

In his inaugural speech on March 4, 1881, newly elected President James Garfield emphasized the importance of ongoing Reconstruction, asserting that the “elevation of the negro race from slavery to the full rights of citizenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the Constitution of 1787.”^[1] Indeed, President Garfield had fought to ensure the death of slavery during the Civil War, and publicly considered himself an ally of Black Americans since the antebellum period, but the struggle for equality had only just begun. Garfield carried that sentiment to the White House upon his election, where his tragically abbreviated time as commander in chief has left much to the imagination of millions of Americans.

With the recent success of the hit Netflix miniseries, Death by Lightning, and America’s 250th anniversary on the horizon, Garfield’s observations of race and progress in the wake of America’s centennial resonate as much today as they did then. With this in mind, viewers share a consideration, and perhaps a longing, for what could have been. After all, the president which historian Todd Arrington dubbed the last “Lincoln Republican” had a grand appeal as perhaps the last shred of executive hope to fulfill the promises of Reconstruction in the 19th century.^[2]

Throughout the four-part production, James Garfield’s story arc, from the reluctant consideration of running for office to the memorialization of the slain president, is viewed through a thoughtful, yet entertaining, lens defined by a blend of quiet introspection and external relationships; all while exploring a parallel timeline with that of his would-be assassin, Charles Guiteau. While depictions of Garfield’s wartime experiences are limited to brief and scattered flashbacks, the thread of military service is woven throughout much of the show. Discussion of service, however, is largely held between himself and fellow veterans. In one instance, Garfield extends a kind gesture of hospitality toward a veteran amputee of the 7th Michigan Infantry, offering his hotel bed to the ailing man while he prepared for the coming Republican National Convention in Chicago; of which the deliberation ultimately led to his nomination to party candidate for the 1880 presidential election.

Even so, there are a few moments throughout the limited series which elevate the portrayal of Garfield’s bond with those who helped put him in office while illustrating the deep connection he maintained with the veteran community. Several scenes, in particular, feature African American members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) during Garfield’s presidential campaign and subsequent victory. Their support for the Republican Party was found through service, comradeship, and the faith that Garfield had their best interests in mind.

The second episode of the series features Garfield, played by Michael Shannon, receiving countless guests at his Mentor, Ohio home, aligning with the reality of his 1880 “Front Porch Campaign” and a newfound face-to-face relationship between the candidate and prospective voters. Conducted from a place of transparency and principle, Garfield meant to put his convictions on full display for all who traveled to his section of the Buckeye State. Among his guests were several Black army veterans, whose place in the foreground of Garfield’s story emphasizes the importance of this particular relationship not only on the campaign trail, but among those who have a shared experience.

In an earnest tone, one veteran addresses Garfield with concern regarding Black men’s suffrage, which had largely been contested and circumvented since the passing of the 15th Amendment a decade earlier. “Now we soldiers did not put our lives on the line for a republic that will deny us freedom at the polls,” he asserts, “furthermore, that will impugn us with literacy tests the proctors themselves can’t pass.” In response, Garfield acknowledges the light weight of words when not backed by action, swearing “this will be part of my fight, on my honor.” “We fought together…for freedom, not poll tests,” he continues, saying “I’d rather be with you and lose than against you and win.”^[3]

In truth, this cinematic interaction between Garfield and Black Grand Army veterans is a vignette of one particular moment likely shared when an estimated 250 men visited the future president in October 1880. Here, Garfield offered some words of affirmation, “whatever can justly or fairly be done to assure to you an equality of opportunity, it will always be my pleasure to do.”^[4] In a similar spirit to that of the exchange portrayed on film, Garfield addressed the Fisk University Jubilee Singers during their visit to his farm that same month, declaring “you are fighting for light and for the freedom it brings; and in that contest I would rather be with you and defeated, than against you and victorious.”^[5]

One particularly striking scene in which Black GAR veterans are featured exhibits a large group of men gathered among a large crowd in the wake of the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Their appearance reflects the state of an integrated Grand Army of the Republic in 1880; a period before the material uniformity of the latter 19th century, but still emblematic of their political ascension at the dawn of Garfield’s administration. More so, the still somewhat youthful air of the Black GAR veterans, with their assorted civilian clothing and Grand Army ribbons, accurately reflects how they would have appeared just fifteen years following the end of the Civil War.

In foregrounding representatives of these often all too neglected stories, the producers of Death by Lightning have done a great service. The decision to explore and highlight Black veterans of the GAR, in particular, has allowed for a transcendent moment – perhaps the first time these men have been represented on film. In the pursuit of sharing the past, Death by Lightning has made history.

^[1] “President Garfield’s Inaugural Address,” The Rutland Daily Herald, March 5, 1881, 1.

^[2] Benjamin T. Arrington, The Last Lincoln Republican: The Presidential Election of 1880, (The University Press of Kansas, 2020), 172.

^[3] Mike Makowsky, creator, Death by Lightning, Netflix, 2025.

^[4] C.S. Carpenter, James A. Garfield: His Speeches at Home, 1880, (New York: E.M. Johnson Press, 1880), 35.

^[5] Carpenter, James A. Garfield: His Speeches at Home, 37.