After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, a three-week series of events was held to mourn the death and memorialize the life of the 16th president of the United States. Funeral services, a procession, and a lying in state were first held in Washington, D.C., then a funeral train transported Lincoln's remains through seven states for burial in Springfield, Illinois. Never exceeding 20 mph, the train made several stops in principal cities and state capitals for processions, orations, and additional lyings in state. An estimated 7 million Americans, or approximately one-third of the North's population viewed the train along the route and 25 million participated in associated ceremonies.

The train left Washington, D.C., on April 21 at 8:00am. It bore Lincoln's eldest son Robert Todd and the remains of Lincoln's younger son, William Wallace Lincoln (1850–1862), but not Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln, who was too distraught to make the trip. The train largely retraced the route Lincoln had traveled to Washington as the president-elect on his way to his first inauguration, more than four years earlier. The train arrived at Springfield on May 3. After the final lying in state and related services, Lincoln was interred during a ceremony on May 4, at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. In every town the train passed or stopped there was a crowd to pay their respects.

By 1874, several features had been added to the Lincoln Tomb, including a -tall granite obelisk surrounded with several bronze statues of Lincoln and soldiers and sailors. Mary Todd Lincoln and three of their four sons—Willie, Eddie, and Tad—are also buried there. Today, it is owned and managed as a state historic site and is a National Historic Landmark.

Washington, D.C. After the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's body was carried by an honor guard to the White House on Saturday April 15, 1865. He lay in state in the East Room of the White House which was open to the public on Tuesday, April 18. On April 19, a funeral service was held and then the coffin, attended by large crowds, was transported in a procession down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol Rotunda, where a ceremonial burial service was held. The body again lay in state on the 20th and on the early morning of the following day a prayer service was held for the Lincoln cabinet officials.

Funeral train to Springfield, Illinois

At 7a.m. on Friday, April 21, the Lincoln coffin was taken by honor guard to the depot. Cabinet secretaries Edwin M. Stanton, Gideon Welles, Hugh McCulloch, and John Palmer Usher, as well as, generals Ulysses S. Grant, and Montgomery C. Meigs left the escort at the depot, and at 8a.m. the train departed. At least 10,000 people witnessed the train's departure from Washington.

The funeral train had nine cars, including a baggage car, hearse car, and the President's car, built for use by the president and other officials and containing a parlor, sitting room, and sleeping apartment. The President's car was draped in mourning and carried the coffins of Lincoln and his son. New locomotives were substituted at several points.

The Department of War designated the route and declared the railroads used as military roads. Only persons authorized by the State Department were allowed to travel on the train, which was limited to an hour for safety. A pilot train preceded it to ensure the track was clear.

Five relatives and family friends were appointed to accompany the funeral train: David Davis, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Lincoln's brothers-in-law, Ninian Wirt Edwards and C. M. Smith; Brigadier General John Blair Smith Todd, a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln; and Charles Alexander Smith, the brother of C. M. Smith.

An honor guard accompanied the train; this consisted of Union Army Major General David Hunter; brevet Major General John G. Barnard; Brigadier Generals Edward D. Townsend, Charles Thomas Campbell, Amos Beebe Eaton, John C. Caldwell, Alfred Terry, George D. Ramsey, and Daniel McCallum; Union Navy Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis and Captain William Rogers Taylor; and Marine Corps Major Thomas H. Field.

Four accompanied the train in a logistics capacity: Captain Charles Penrose, as quartermaster and commissary of subsistence; Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln's longtime bodyguard and friend and U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia; and Dr. Charles B. Brown and Frank T. Sands, embalmer and undertaker, respectively.

Governor Oliver P. Morton of Indiana; Governor John Brough of Ohio; and Governor William M. Stone of Iowa accompanied the train with their aides.

Lincoln's funeral train was the first national commemoration of a president's death by rail. Lincoln was observed, mourned, and honored by the citizens and visitors at 13 stops: Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Michigan City, Chicago, and Springfield:

City Arrive Lying in state in Public viewing from / until Depart Image Washington, D.C. Remark #1 East Room, White House public viewing: April 18, 1865: 9:30 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. & OPEN COFFIN private viewing: April 18, 5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m. Remark #2 United States Capitol rotunda April 20, 1865: 8a.m. / all day April 21, 1865: 8a.m. Baltimore, Maryland April 21, 1865: 10a.m. Merchant's Exchange Building April 21, 1865: noon / 2p.m. April 21, 1865: 3p.m. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania April 21, 1865: 8:30 p.m. Pennsylvania State Capitol April 21, 1865: until midnight & April 22, 1865: 7a.m. / 9a.m. April 22, 1865: 11:15 a.m. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania April 22, 1865: 4:50 p.m. Independence Hall private viewing: April 22, 1865: 10p.m. / April 23, 1865: 1a.m. & public viewing: April 23, 1865: 6a.m. / April 24, 1865: 1:17a.m. April 24, 1865: 4a.m. New York City April 24, 1865: 10:50 a.m. City Hall April 24, 1865: 1p.m. / April 25, 1865: 11:40a.m April 25, 1865: 4:15 p.m. Albany, New York April 25, 1865: 10:55 p.m. Old Capitol April 26, 1865: 1:15 a.m. / 2p.m.. April 26, 1865: 4p.m. Buffalo, New York April 27, 1865: 7a.m. St. James Hall April 27, 1865: 10:00 a.m. / 8p.m. April 27, 1865: 10p.m. Cleveland, Ohio April 28, 1865: 6:50 a.m. Public Square April 28, 1865: 10:30 a.m. / 10p.m. April 29, 1865: Midnight Columbus, Ohio April 29, 1865: 7a.m. Ohio Statehouse April 29, 1865: 9:30 a.m. / 6p.m. April 29, 1865: 8p.m. Indianapolis, Indiana April 30, 1865: 7a.m. Indiana Statehouse April 30, 1865: 9a.m. / 10p.m. May 1, 1865: Midnight Michigan City, Indiana May 1, 1865: 8a.m. Remark #3 May 1, 1865: 8:35 a.m. Chicago May 1, 1865: 11a.m. Old Chicago Court House May 1, 1865: 5p.m. / May 2, 1865: 8p.m. May 2, 1865: 9:30 p.m. Springfield, Illinois May 3, 1865: 9a.m. Old State Capitol May 3, 1865: 10a.m. / May 4, 1865: 10a.m. Arrival Oak Ridge Cemetery: May 4, 1865: 1p.m. The train passed 444 communities in 7 states (Lincoln was not viewed in state in New Jersey)."The Lincoln Funeral Train Route", Lincoln Highway National Museum & Archives, archived at the WayBack Machine on September 26, 2002. Two future presidents viewed the train, Theodore Roosevelt in New York and Grover Cleveland in Buffalo..

Remarks

Remark #1: April 15–19, 1865: body of the deceased president in the White House; shortly after 9 o'clock Saturday morning on April 15, 1865, the remains were placed in a temporary coffin, under the direction of undertaker Frank T. Sands, and moved to the White House with six young men of the quartermaster's department carrying the body. An escort of cavalry Union Light Guard, under the command of Lieutenant James B. Jameson, accompanied the remains, which were followed by Generals Augur, commanding Department of Washington; Rucker, depot quartermaster, Colonel Pelouze, of the War Department, Captain Finley Anderson, A.A.G. Hancock's corps, Captain D.G. Thomas, clothing depot, Captain J.H. Crowell and Captain C. Baker, all walking bareheaded. The hearse moved slowly up 10th street to G, and thence to the White House (east gate)."Illustrated life, services, martyrdom, and funeral of Abraham Lincoln" by David Brainerd Williamson, T.B. Peterson & Brothers, Philadelphia, 1865 The martyred president's autopsy was performed in a second floor guest room by army pathologist J. Janvier Woodward and his assistant Edward Curtis; also present: Surgeon General Dr. Joseph K. Barnes, Dr. Robert King Stone, Dr. Charles Sabin Taft, General Dr. Charles H. Crane, assistant surgeon William Morrow Notson, General Rucker and Lincoln's friend Orville H. Browning. After the autopsy Lincoln's body was brought (Monday evening, April 17) to the great East Room; the room was draped with crape and black cloth, relieved only here and there by white flowers and green leaves. The catafalque upon which the casket lay was about fifteen feet high, and consisted of an elevated platform resting on a dais and covered with a domed canopy of black cloth which was supported by four pillars, and was lined beneath with fluted white silk... From the time the body had been made ready for burial until the last services in the house, it was watched night and day by a guard of honor, the members of which were one major-general, one brigadier-general, two field officers, and four line officers of the army and four of the navy. The room was darkened — a sort of chapelle ardente. April 19: a short service was held in the Green Room

Remark #2: April 19–21, 1865: lying in state in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Arrival: April 19, 1865, 3p.m. The procession started from the White House at 2p.m. and proceeded up Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol amidst the tolling of bells and the firing of minute-guns. The funeral car was large. The lower base was fourteen feet [4.2 m] long and seven feet [2.1 m] wide, and eight feet [2.4 m] from the ground. The upper base, upon which the coffin rested, was eleven feet [3.4 m] long and five feet [1.5 m] below the top of the canopy. The canopy was surmounted by a gilt eagle, covered with crape. The hearse was entirely covered with cloth, velvet, crape and alpaca. The seat was covered with cloth, and on each side was a splendid lamp. The car was fifteen feet [4.6 m] high, and the coffin was so placed as to afford a full view to all spectators. It was drawn by six gray horses, each attended by a groom. The avenue was cleared the whole length... The sound of muffled drums was heard, and the procession, with a slow and measured tread, moved from the home of mourning on its mission with the remains of the illustrious dead. Despite the enormous crowd the silence was profound. The funeral car was carried up the steps of the Capitol, beneath the spot where, six weeks before, the president had delivered his second Inaugural, and into the rotunda, where the body was removed from the car to another catafalque, where a service was read. Here the procession dispersed, leaving the remains of the president in the rotunda, where they were open to view the next day—The public viewing started April 20, 1865 (early morning)-- Depart from U.S. Capitol: April 21, 1865, 7a.m.; coffin moved to Washington's Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Depot Remark #3: Michigan City, Ind. was a 35 min. stop; Lincoln's funeral train was forced to wait here for a committee of more than one hundred important men from Chicago, who were coming out to escort the train into their city; citizens of Michigan City held an impromptu funeral (patriotic organizations conducted memorial services and 16 young women were permitted to enter the funeral car; flowers were placed on the coffin) –

Commemoration