The 1,654-mile journey that united a grieving nation: Lincoln’s last trip home

Lincoln’s 1,654-Mile Final Journey to Springfield’s Capitol

Abraham Lincoln’s final trip home took 13 days and 1,654 miles.

Shot on April 14, 1865, his body left Washington a week later on a train that also held his son Willie’s coffin and 300 mourners. The slow journey passed through 400 towns across seven states.

On May 3, Lincoln’s body came to rest in the same Illinois State Capitol chamber where he had once warned that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

For 24 hours, more than 75,000 people—rich and poor, Black and white, friends and rivals—filed past to say goodbye.

The Old State Capitol in Springfield still stands today, a silent witness to the nation’s most famous homecoming.

Stanton Overruled Mary Lincoln’s Wishes After the Assassination

Abraham Lincoln got shot on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre. He died the next morning in a Peterson House boardinghouse room.

War Secretary Edwin Stanton took over funeral plans right away. Mary Lincoln wanted her husband’s body sent straight to Springfield, but Stanton had other ideas.

He planned a long journey that followed Lincoln’s 1861 inauguration route. The War Department took control of the railroads for the trip.

Mary Lincoln felt too upset to travel and stayed in the White House for five weeks.

The Lincoln Special Left Washington With Two Coffins

Lincoln’s body lay in the White House East Room from April 18 to 20, then moved to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda for public viewing.

On April 21, an honor guard carried Lincoln’s mahogany coffin to the train station. The nine-car funeral train left at 8 a.m. with Lincoln’s portrait on the front of the engine. People called it “The Lincoln Special.”

About 300 passengers traveled on the train, including Lincoln’s oldest son Robert. The train also carried the coffin of Lincoln’s son Willie, who died in 1862.

Baltimore Surprised Everyone With Its Outpouring of Grief

The train reached rainy Baltimore, John Wilkes Booth’s hometown. Four horses wearing black hoods pulled a rosewood hearse through muddy streets for three hours.

Around 30,000 Black marchers and spectators joined the crowds in a mix of races that nobody had seen before. A New York Tribune reporter named Charles Page noticed “white and black side by side in the rain and the mud.”

Harrisburg Mourners Climbed Through Windows to See Lincoln

On April 22, the train rolled into Pennsylvania Railroad Depot as bells rang and guns fired in salute. Heavy rain canceled the planned funeral walk.

A huge crowd gathered outside the State House anyway, standing in the terrible weather.

So many people waited to enter the Hall of House of Representatives that some mourners had to exit through windows to keep the line moving.

Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin joined the train at New Freedom to travel with Lincoln’s body.

The Liberty Bell Kept Watch as Lincoln Rested in Independence Hall

The train got to Philadelphia’s Broad Street Station on April 23. Eight black horses pulled a fancy hearse to Independence Hall.

Lincoln’s body lay in state in the east wing, the same room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. About 150,000 people walked past the coffin during the 20-hour viewing.

The coffin sat near the Liberty Bell. On the way to Philadelphia, about 20,000 people gathered just to watch the train pass through Lancaster.

Six-Year-Old Teddy Roosevelt Watched From His Family’s Window

New York City had the largest crowds of the entire journey. Half a million people lined the streets to watch the funeral walk.

Sixteen horses pulled a big hearse with American flags and eagles down Broadway. A six-year-old Theodore Roosevelt watched from his family’s mansion window as the walk passed by.

About 125,000 people filed past Lincoln’s body at City Hall. The limits of 1865 body care started to show as the journey went on without modern cooling.

Firemen Lit the Way With Torches for Nighttime Mourners

The train reached Albany near midnight. A quiet walk moved through streets lined with 100 firemen carrying torches.

Mourners passed the casket at a rate of 4,000 per hour throughout the night. When the train got to Buffalo at 7 a.m. six white horses drew the coffin platform to St. James Hall.

About 100,000 people viewed the coffin, including former President Millard Fillmore and future President Grover Cleveland.

Buffalo skipped a formal walk since the city already staged a mock funeral on April 19.

People Sang Hymns as the Train Passed Small Towns

Cleveland and Columbus put on major events with lots of city decorations and walks. As the train moved west through rural areas, people lit bonfires alongside the tracks to light the way.

Men took off their hats and bowed their heads while women whispered prayers as the train passed by. Choirs gathered at small towns and railway crossings to sing hymns.

The train stopped in each major Ohio city, letting thousands more pay their respects.

Young Women Placed Flowers on Lincoln’s Coffin in Michigan City

Indianapolis welcomed the train with formal viewing and city walks.

In Michigan City, the train made a surprise 35-minute stop when over 100 important men from Chicago arrived to escort the train onward. Local citizens held a quick funeral with patriotic groups doing memorial services.

Sixteen young women got permission to enter the funeral car and place flowers on Lincoln’s coffin. Railroad managers started using boxcars to carry extra mourners because they ran out of passenger cars.

Chicago Built a 40-Foot Gothic Arch for Lincoln’s Arrival

On May 1, the train arrived in Chicago, where citizens had built a big 40-foot tall Gothic funeral arch over a temporary train stop. A massive walk followed the coffin to Cook County Courthouse.

The building showed words reading “Faithful to Right, a Martyr to Justice. ” Mourners filed past at a rate of 7,000 per hour during the viewing.

The line of people stretched more than a mile through Chicago streets. Special trains kept bringing more mourners toward Springfield for the final ceremonies.

Lincoln Returned to the Room Where His Political Career Began

On the morning of May 3, the funeral train pulled into Springfield’s Chicago & Alton station after traveling 1,654 miles through seven states.

Pallbearers carried Lincoln’s coffin to the Illinois State Capitol Hall of Representatives, the very room where he gave his famous “House Divided” speech in 1858 as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate.

About 75,000 mourners climbed the stairway to the second floor of the domed Capitol during the 24-hour viewing.

The diverse crowds included formerly enslaved people, old friends, political allies and adversaries.

Among them was Reverend Henry Brown, an African American minister who stood at the head of the line entering the Capitol grounds.

On May 4, officials finally closed the coffin for burial at Oak Ridge Cemetery, where Lincoln was laid to rest alongside his son Willie.

Visiting Illinois State Capitol, Illinois

You can visit the Illinois State Capitol at 1 Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield for free, where Lincoln’s body lay in state after his assassination.

The same Hall of Representatives where he gave his “House Divided” speech welcomed 75,000 mourners in 1865. The building is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Take a self-guided tour or join a 30-minute guided tour. Underground parking costs $1.50 per 30 minutes with entrance on Sixth Street.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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