thomas p. "boston" corbett, the union soldier who killed john wilkes booth after booth's assassination of abraham lincoln, is presumed to have died in the fire. his last known residence is believed to have been a forest settlement near hinckley, and a "thomas corbett" is listed as one of the dead or missing. thomas p. "boston" corbett may not have died in the fire. thomas gilbert corbitt lived in the town of thurston, in steuben county, ny. he was a civil war veteran in the 50th ny engineers, co. e. in late september and early october of 1894, steuben county newspapers reported that thomas corbitt, until recently a resident of thurston, was burned to death, along with his property, in the great fire at hinckley, minn.