Bloody Times: Chapter 8

Bloody Times: Chapter 8

By: Rondesja Mitchell

Lincoln's Funeral Train

At The White House

Everyone in Washington was sad. People had read about the president's assassination. Thousands of people were visiting his coffin. George Harrington allowed 600 people to attend, but his family and important guest got to sit in a chair other had to stand.

April 17

Lincoln's train would start in Wasington and travel to Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Colombus, Indianpolis, Chicago, and to Springfield.

The minister of Lincoln's church spoke : "' I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, tough he were dead, yet shall he lived; and whoseever liveth and believeth in me shall never die'" (Swanson 80).

Mourners arrived early so they could have a good viewing seat at the viewing. After it was over and the soldiers placed Lincoln in a hearse.

Jefferson Davis was on his way to Charlotte, after Lincoln's funeral. Confederate officers were begging for his persmission to allow his soldiers to go home to their families, but he wouldn't allow them to.

The soldiers carried his coffin to the center of the East Room in the White House up on the platform.

The coffin was expensive it cost almost more than Lincoln's house in Springfield.

The Planning of Lincoln's Funeral

George Harrington planned all of Lincoln's funeral events.

Soldiers carried him and took it into the Guest Room on the second-floor Lincoln lied there all Saturday afternoon.

The coffin he had was too small because Lincoln's height was 6'4. In order for him to fit they had to take his boots off.

Lincoln's Funeral Hearse

Saturday, April 30,1864

Death also visisted Jefferson Davis's White House. Five year-old Joseph Evan Davis had fallen 15 feet off a porch.

When he fell he broke his left thigh, he was unconscious, and a contused forhead.

His funeral was at St. Paul's Church. It drew a big crowd in Richmond.

Willie Lincoln

Lincolns death was not the first death in the White House. Willie was Lincoln's favorite and oldest child. He became seriously ill and died. Willie was only 11 years-old.

He died the afternoon on February 20th and was burried on February 24.

Fanny McCullough

Lincoln wrote a letter to Fanny McCullough a girl whose father had died in the war. Her father Lieutenant Colonel William McCullough.

Lincoln did not compose the letter to one sad girl but to the Amercian people.

The Letter Lincoln wrote to Fanny McCullough