Page images


cloth, arranged in a very graceful and appropriate man

The old chandelier that hangs from the centre of the room, and which was directly over the coffin of the deceased, was entirely covered, and from it radiated in every direction festoons of black cloth, forming a sort of canopy over the entire room. The walls of the room presented une appearance of having been papered with black. The celebrated historical pictures that ornament the hall were, with few exceptions, hid from view. The statue of Washington, at the east end of the room, stood out, however, in bold relief against the black background. The only pictures visible were the full-length portraits of William Peon, Lafayette, Washington, and Chevalier Gerard, and the smaller ones of Martha Washington, Stephen Decatur, and one or two others. Wreaths of immortelle were hung on the black drapery that covered the walls, and were placed about midway between the floor and ceiling.

One of the wreaths that lay near the head of the coffin contained a card bearing the following inscription :

“Before any great national event I have always had the same dream. I had it the other vight. It is of a ship sailing rapidly."

1 These words were used by Mr. Lincoln in a conversation not long since.

And thus Abraham Lincoln, the martyr of the nineteenth century, was laid in solemn repose beneath the roof which once covered the grand old heroes and statesmen of the Revolution. Cold and lifeless he lay in the same chamber where our fathers subscribed their names to the immortal Magna Charta of our liberties, the Declaration of American Independence. On the 22d of February, 1861, he was in that Hall, and under the inspiration of its sacred

[ocr errors]

memories, while raising the national flag above its hallowed roof, he uttered these significant words:

" It was something in the Declaration of Independence, giving “liberty not only to the people of this country, but hope to the “world for all future time. It was that which gave promise "that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoul" ders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. ***

Now, my friends, can the country be saved upon that basis ? * If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the “world if I can help to save it. But if this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle, I was about to say, I would rather be assassinated upon this spot than to surrender it."

It was proper that ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the champion of freedom, the martyr to those principles, should rest over the holy Sabbath in the sanctuary of the republie. It was fitting that his remains should repose during the sacred hours beneath the eyes of the statesmen and patriots who look down from the walls of that consecrated temple, a temple dedicated nearly a century since by our fathers as a shrine to human freedom, a shrine to which all time would come with reverence and affection.

It was meet that the Sacrifice of the nineteenth century should be laid in awful glory at the feet of his statue whose memory we were taught to love and honor in our infancy-GEORGE WASHINGTON.

At ten o clock in the evening, a limited number of visitors, embracing the City Councils, members of the Courts, and citizens, to the number of two or three thousand, were admitted, Mayor Henry occupying a position at the head of the coffin, while the following officers of the army formed the guard of honor.

Major-General David Hunter.
Brigadier-General E. D. Townsend.
Brigadier-General Charles Thomas.
Brigadier-General A. B. Eaton.

Brigader-General J. G. Barnard.

Brigadier-General J. G. Ramsey.
Brigadier-General A. P. Howe.
Brigadier-General D. C. McCallum.
Brigadier-General J. C. Caldwell.
Rear-Admiral C. H. Davis, U. S. Navy.
Captain W. R. Taylor, U. S. Navy.
Major T. Y. Field, U. S. Marine Corps.

So great

Six o'clock, Sabbath morning, the 23d of April, 1865, was fixed as the hour when the remains were to be exposed to public view. Long before the hour arrived, thousands of people were on the streets and formed into lines, patiently and silently awaiting the time when the doors should be opened. The entrances were through two windows on Chestnut street, and the exits through the windows facing them on Independence Square, temporary steps having been placed in position for that purpose. By this arrangement two lines of spectators were admitted at a time, passing on either side of the coffin. was the anxiety of our citizens to view the body of their late beloved Chief Magistrate, that hundreds of them remained around Independence Hall all night, waiting anxiously for the doors, or rather the windows, to be thrown open.

At the hour of six o'clock a double line of applicants were formed, extending as far west as Eighth Street, and east to Third street. By eleven o'clock the lines extended from the Hall west as far as the Schuylkill, and east as far as the Delaware. The residents of West Philadelphia flocked across the Market street bridge by hundreds, while the Camden ferry-boats apparently brought across the Delaware about one-half of the population of New Jersey. So it was throughout the day and night, until one o'clock on the morning of the 24th, when the lid of the coffin was closed down and thousands of persons found themselves disappointed in getting a glimpse of him whom they held so dear in memory. At least one hundred and twenty thousand people passed through the Hall during the twenty-four hours.

At three o'clock on Monday morning, April 24th, the mournful cortege left Philadelphia for New York. As the draped cars passed through New Jersey, the people of that State evinced the same grief, and paid the same honors to the funeral train as had hitherto been done by the people of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Gov. PARKER, of New Jersey, and staff, met the escort at the State line, and accompanied it to New York. At Trenton, Rahway, Elizabeth, Newark, and Jersey City, as well as at all the intermediate points, bells were tolled, minute guns were fired, and immense assemblages of citizens were gathered.

ARRIVAL AT NEW YORK. On arriving at New York, the remains were carried in solemn procession to the City Hall, where they were placed in state. The interior of the City Hall was elaborately draped and festooned with mourning emblems, presenting a sombre and solemn appearance. The room in which the remains of the President were deposited was thoroughly draped in black. The centre of the ceiling was dotted with silver stars relieved by black; the drapery was finished with heavy silver fringe, and the curtains of black velvet were fringed with silver and gracefully loopod The coffin rested on a raised dais, on an inclined plane, the inclination being such that the face of the departed patriot was in view of visitors while passing for two or tbree minutes.

The coffin was laid on the dais in the presence of Generals Dix, Burnside, Van Vliet, Peck, Ullman, Sandford, and Townsend ; Admiral Spaulding; Commodores Meade and Rice; the members of the Press, and a number of eminent civilians. The embalmers then re-arranged the body, which had been somewhat disturbed by the journey, after wbich the lid was removed, affording a view of the face and upper portion of the breast.

The people were admitted early the same afternoon, and from that time until twelve M., the next day, Tuesday, the 25th, a continuous stream passed through the hall. At one o'clock the remains were placed upon the bearse, and an immense procession escorted them to the Hudson River Railroad Depot, whence they departed for Albany.

ALBANY, SYRACUSE, AND BUFFALO, At every point between the two cities, great concourses of people assembled, and when the train arrived at the State Capital of New York, a procession accompanied the remains to the Capitol building, where they were placed in State. At four P. M., on the 26th, they were again borne to the funeral car, and the train departed on its solemn journey to the Great West. Syracuse, Buffalo, and each town and village on the line paid their last tribute to the dead statesman.

CLEVELAND AND COLUMBUS. The same sad duties were rendered by the people of Ohio, the body being transferred from the train at Cleveland, and also at Columbus, where it was placed in the Capitol for several hours, giving thousands of the citizens an opportunity to view all that remained of A BRAHAM LINCOLN.

ARRIVAL AT INDIANAPOLIS. In Indiana, the State in which Mr. Lincoln had spent some ten years of his early life, the most intense exhibitions of grief and respect were evinced. Gov. MORTON, warm personal friend of the deceased President, joined the train at the State line, his suite consisting of his staff and all the chief officers of the State, military and civil. On Sun. day morning, April 30th, the train reached Indianapolis, and though a heavy rain prevailed, the entire population

« PreviousContinue »