1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: These days were all a little skeptical of pretty much 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: every politician, right, but it wasn't always that way. Sure, 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: there were disagreements about policy and ideology back in the day, 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: but when the vast majority of people trusted a president, 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: it was to a degree we sadly just can't comprehend 6 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: with that in mind. Got to add another chapter to 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: the story of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. There was a sense 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: among his cabinet members that the people should have one 9 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: last chance to connect with their martyred president. Thus began 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: a train trip through hundreds of towns, with stops in 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: thirteen cities, where people got to look at Lincoln in 12 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: his open coffin as his body began to decompose. I'm 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: Patty Steele. The funeral train seen in person by fully 14 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: one third of all Americans. That's next on the backstory. 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: The backstory is back. Can you imagine the nation respecting 16 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: and loving a political figure so much that millions of 17 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: people turn out to offer a last goodbye when he dies, 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: A full third of the US population. As we close 19 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: in on the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's shooting by John 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: Wilds Booth on April fourteenth, and of his death early 21 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 1: the next morning on the fifteenth. We need to understand 22 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: the intense devotion so many Americans felt for him. The 23 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: level of grief people felt was overwhelming, especially since his 24 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: assassination came just five days after the official end of 25 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: the brutal Civil War on April ninth, eighteen sixty five. 26 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: Nobody was ready to let him go, but what to do. 27 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: Mary Lincoln was so freaked out about her husband's death 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: she didn't leave her bed in the White House for 29 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: six weeks afterwards. She didn't go to Abes's funeral, and 30 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: she saw almost no one, including her two sons, Robert, 31 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: who was twenty two and Tad, who had just turned twelve. 32 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: Mary had always been sort of jealous of the time 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: her husband gave to his job, and now that he 34 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: was dead, she wanted him all to herself. She wanted 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: Abe's body to take the most direct route home to Springfield, Illinois, 36 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: where he would be buried. Problem is Secretary of War 37 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: Edwin Stanton felt the nation needed a chance to say goodbye. 38 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: In the aftermath of the Civil War, which again had 39 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: ended just five days before Lincoln's assassination. Stanton pushed Mary 40 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: to approve a whole different trip home, and his plan won. 41 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: That trip would take his body on an almost seventeen 42 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: hundred mile journey through four hundred cities and towns in 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: seven states, with stops in thirteen major cities where his 44 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: coffin would be taken to public buildings. Lincoln would lie 45 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: in state with the coffin lid open, while hundreds of 46 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: thousands of people filed past for one last peak. The 47 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: railroad journey retraced the whistle stops Lincoln had made from 48 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: his home in Springfield, the Illinois capital, to Washington, d c. 49 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: The nation's capital, four years earlier, just before his inauguration. 50 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: The funeral car called the United States had actually been 51 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: built as sort of the eighteen sixties version of Air 52 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: Force One, meant to carry Lincoln on any trips he 53 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: needed to make as president. It was state of the art, 54 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: even able to adjust to different sized tracks. It was 55 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: a presidential office on wheels. The car was lavishly decorated 56 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: with luxurious blood red silk upholstery, etched glass windows, paneling 57 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: in walnut and oak, with gilded trim and crystal chandeliers. 58 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: It took several years to build, but Lincoln had never 59 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: ridden in it for two reasons, it was only finished 60 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: several months before his death, and because it was a 61 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: bit ostentatious for his very simple tastes. So the president's 62 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: corpse was carefully prepared for burial, and the long trip 63 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: west a tough task, especially because his body would be 64 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: on display to masses of people. There had been huge 65 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: advances in the embalming of bodies during the Civil War 66 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: that had allowed the unrefrigerated bodies of thousands and thousands 67 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: of soldiers to be sent home to their families for burial, 68 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: so those advancements were also used on Abe Lincoln's body. 69 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: The chief embalmer was a guy named Charles Brown. He 70 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: told the big wigs and the press there would be 71 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: no obvious change in Lincoln's appearance by the end of 72 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: this lengthy trip west. He told the Chicago Tribune, the 73 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: body of the President will never know decay. Well, not 74 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: so much, but we'll get to that part. At dawn 75 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: on April twenty first, Lincoln's black mahogany coffin was placed 76 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: on a hearse, which in those days kind of looked 77 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: a little like a scary float in a parade. It 78 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: was pulled by horses from the US Capitol, where it 79 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: had spent two nights lying in state, to the train station. 80 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: Soldiers gripped the coffin silver handles and placed it in 81 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: the railroad car, Lincoln's first and last ride in it. 82 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: They also carried in a small all coffin that held 83 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: the body of Willie Lincoln, the president's eleven year old son, 84 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: who had died of typhoid fever three years earlier. His 85 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: coffin had been held in a vault in Georgetown Cemetery 86 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: where his parents could visit him, ironically waiting to return 87 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: to Springfield for burial after his dad left office. Over 88 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: the twelve day trip, the train, pulled by an engine 89 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: with Lincoln's portrait on the front, traveled through four hundred 90 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: cities and towns. No matter the time of day, both 91 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: sides of the track were filled with people paying their respects, praying, 92 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: catching a quick look at the coffin, or just observing. 93 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: Towns had built elaborate decorated archways over the tracks. There 94 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: were bonfires blazing all along it. There were choirs and performances. Trackside, 95 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: there were tiny children and very old people. They all 96 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: wanted to say goodbye and maybe be a part of history. 97 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: There were thirteen major stops where Lincoln's coffin was taken 98 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: off the train, placed on a horse drawn hearse, and 99 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: taken to a public building for viewing. In Philadelphia, Lincoln's 100 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: body lay in state next to the Liberty Bell in 101 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: Independence Hall for twenty hours. During that time, one hundred 102 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand people filed past his open coffin after 103 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: waiting in a line that was three miles long. Even 104 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,919 Speaker 1: larger crowds came out in New York City. There a 105 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: half million spectators, including six year old Teddy Roosevelt, who 106 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: watched from a second floor window in his family's mansion, 107 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: saw sixteen horses pull an elaborate hearse. Hundreds of thousands 108 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: filed past his open casket at City Hall. As the 109 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: days progressed, it became pretty clear the embalmer had overestimated 110 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: his skills. Folks said Lincoln's eyes began to sink into 111 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: his skull, and his skin darkened and withered as he decomposed. 112 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: The New York Evening Post said, it is not the genial, 113 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: kindly face of Abraham Lincoln. It is but a ghastly shadow. Yikes, 114 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: But the Embalmer along on the trip to care for 115 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: the body, pretended all was well, saying to the press, 116 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: no perceptible change has taken place in the body of 117 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: the late President since it left Washington. But he tried 118 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: to hide Lincoln's darkening face by loading it with chalk 119 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: white makeup. As for the smell of rotting flesh, they 120 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: continually doused the body with the perfume of lilacs and camellias, 121 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: which only added to the miasma as you can imagine. 122 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: The funeral train finally reached Springfield, Illinois on May third, 123 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: after a sixteen hundred forty five mile journey. Lincoln was home. 124 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: There was a twenty four hour public viewing there in 125 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: the Illinois state capital. Finally, Lincoln's coffin was closed on 126 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: the morning of May fourth. He and his little boy 127 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: Willie were laid to rest at Oakridge Cemetery inside a 128 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: limestone vault. The doors and iron grating were sealed. But 129 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: during the almost three weeks since his death, over one 130 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: and a half million had seen Lincoln in his coffin, 131 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: and more than seven million, a full third of the 132 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: entire US population, had watched his coffin go by. As 133 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: they waited by the side of the train tracks. President 134 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: Abraham Lincoln was finally at rest. Hope you're enjoying The 135 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: Backstory with Patty Steele. Follow or subscribe for free to 136 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 1: get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free to dm 137 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: me if you have a story you'd like me to cover. 138 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 139 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premieer Networks, 140 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: the Elvis Durand Group and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer 141 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,719 Speaker 1: is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new 142 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: episodes every Tuesday, Day and Friday. Feel free to reach 143 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: out to me with comments and even story suggestions on 144 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: Instagram at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. 145 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele. The 146 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.