Between his death in 18, his coffin was exhumed 17 times and opened five times. Lincoln’s body was not given a chance to rest in peace until 1901. She died at her sister’s home of a stroke in 1882. Mary Todd Lincoln suffered from physical and mental disorders, and she was thought to suffer depression throughout most of her life. Their fourth son is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Three of their four sons (Edward, William, and Thomas) are buried with them at the same site. Mary Todd Lincoln is buried with her husband at Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Here are a few answers to the questions you may have. Of course, hundreds of books have been written about Lincoln’s life, presidency, assassination, and burial. The memorial also has the text of the Gettysburg Address and his second inaugural address carved on the walls. The Lincoln Memorial was designed to look like a Greek temple and includes a 19-foot-tall statue of Lincoln sitting in a chair. President Lincoln is not buried or interred at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. » MORE: Don't have the privledge of time? Get your affairs in order in minutes. Finally, the Lincoln Monument (not to be confused with the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.) was completed, and the bodies were moved to the new tomb in 1874. They were moved to a temporary grave for the next six years. The bodies were placed in a temporary tomb after they arrived from Washington in May of 1865. After a heated debate, Mary Todd Lincoln decreed that her husband’s and son’s bodies would rest at Oak Grove Cemetery. During the visit, he said that he desired to be buried in an out-of-the-way place.Įven though the President’s widow made her desires known, the Illinois political leaders continued to prepare the site near downtown Springfield. Mary Todd Lincoln said that she and her husband had visited Oak Grove Cemetery during its opening dedication when he was running for office. While Mary Todd Lincoln finally agreed that both her husband and son would be buried in Springfield, she was adamant that her husband would prefer a more out-of-the-way burial spot instead of the one the Springfield politicians suggested. Her son was finally able to convince Mary Todd Lincoln that a Springfield burial would be appropriate by suggesting that the body of his brother, Willie Lincoln could accompany the President’s body to a shared final resting place. Capitol’s Rotunda-a spot that had initially been planned for George Washington’s entombment. She also considered using the crypt that was under the U.S. Mary Todd Lincoln waffled on her decision and thought maybe Chicago might be a better spot for the final resting place of her husband. The group had chosen a site called The Mather Vault, which was located near downtown Springfield. The group reached out to Lincoln’s widow, Mary Todd Lincoln, and asked her to consider burying the body in Springfield. Deciding Lincoln’s burial spotĪfter Lincoln’s assassination, a group of Illinois leaders gathered together to form the National Lincoln Monument Association. » MORE: Planning a funeral? Get access to discounts in minutes. Embalming was a rather new art at the time, and attempts were made to keep Lincoln’s body as preserved as possible throughout the 13-day train ride. cities along the way so distraught Americans could view the fallen President.Īn embalmer accompanied Lincoln’s body on the journey. The train then made its way northwest toward Springfield, Illinois, with stops in 11 U.S. He died the next day.Īfter the body Lay in State at the White House and in the Capitol Rotunda, it was placed in a nine-car funeral train accompanied by a few relatives and friends. You will remember that Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, as the President attended the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater. We will also discuss the difference between the site in Springfield with the iconic memorial on the National Mall in D.C. We will discuss his final resting place and his wife’s.Īlthough Lincoln’s burial place may not be on your US travel bucket list, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington may be. In this article, we will walk you through the history of Lincoln’s burial. In fact, attempts were made to steal his body, and it was moved at least 17 times after arriving at the Springfield cemetery. We would like to say that unlike his death, Honest Abe’s burial was free from drama and strife, but that is not the case. President Abraham Lincoln is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.
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