The Abraham Lincoln Burial Site
While researching the Abraham Lincoln burial site for this post, we were astonished by the multiple exhumations and inspections of Abraham Lincoln’s remains subsequent to his initial burial. In fact, the information we gathered seemed macabre and exaggerated, so we used consulted several sources to verify the details.
The sad fact is that the earthly remains of President Lincoln – most often regarded as America’s greatest president – were accorded very little dignity over several decades.
Those involved were, for the most part, well intended. Yet, there seems to have been an element of morbid curiosity at times, particularly surrounding the 1901 exhumation and some of the people permitted to inspect the president’s remains.
The First Interment
April 18 – May 3, 1865: Following his embalmment, the president’s coffin was opened for viewing at the White House; the Rotunda of the United States Capitol; Merchant’s Exchange Building, Baltimore, Maryland; Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; City Hall, New York City; Old Capital, Albany, New York; St James Hall, Buffalo, New York; Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio; Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio; Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, Indiana; Michigan City, Indiana, Old Chicago Courthouse, Chicago, Illinois; Old State Capital, Springfield, Illinois[2].
May 4, 1865: After the torturous journey from Washington to Springfield, Illinois, the coffins of President Lincoln and his son Willie arrived at Oakridge Cemetery for temporary interment in the public receiving vault[1].
The Second Interment
The Third Interment
September 19, 1871: the bodies of President Lincoln and his sons, Edward and Willie were moved into the partially completed, Lincoln Tomb. The remains of Tad Lincoln, (the president’s youngest son who died in July 1971) had already been interred within the tomb. Lincoln’s coffin was opened and his remains were identified [1].
The Fourth Interment
October 9, 1874: the Lincoln Tomb now complete, the president’s remains were removed from his coffin, identified once again, placed within a lead-lined, cedar coffin and sealed within a marble sarcophagus [1].
The Fifth Interment
November 13, 1876: following an attempt by counterfeiters to steal the president’s body, President Lincoln’s coffin was moved to a hidden location within the basement and secretly buried beneath a woodpile. Resealed, the sarcophagus was left empty [1] [2].
The Sixth Interment
The Seventh Interment
The Eighth Interment
The Ninth Interment
The Tenth Interment
April 24, 1901: President Lincoln’s coffin was exhumed and placed within a sarcophagus in the reconstructed Lincoln Tomb. This created immediate security concerns due to the ease with which the counterfeiters had accessed and opened the sarcophagus in 1876 [1] [2].
The Eleventh Interment
The Twelfth Interment
April 24, 1901: President Lincoln’s coffin was removed from its crypt. The coffin was opened and the president’s remains were identified by twenty-three people including a child [1] [2].
The coffin was placed into a steel cage and sealed within three metres of concrete beneath the burial vault of the Lincoln Tomb.
The tomb underwent a major reconstruction from 1930 to 1931 during which there was no further need to disturb the remains of the slain president.
References:
1. Abrahamlincolnonline.org. (2019). Abraham Lincoln Tomb Highlights. [online] Available at: http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/education/tombtimeline.htm [Accessed 31 Mar. 2019].
2. En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Funeral and burial of Abraham Lincoln. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_and_burial_of_Abraham_Lincoln [Accessed 31 Mar. 2019].
Good Post
For some reason no one seems to have ever commented upon the fact that Robert Lincoln’s entombing his father’s remains in a steel cage work and pouring tons of cement through it would have pancaked the coffin and the body within. To preserve it from theft, the result would have been the destruction of it.
So where is Edward and Robert buried?
Edward was reinterred at the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Robert is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Wasnt t there a Lincoln Son who lived to Maturity in Vermont ?
Robert Todd Lincoln died in Manchester, Vermont on 26th July 1926. He was 82 years old.