escort to Springfield

[loetar44]

Following the remains of President Lincoln came the party which was to serve as an escort to Springfield. It included several of Lincoln's old-time friends, among them Judge David Davis and Ward Lamon; a Guard of honor, composed of prominent army officers; a large congressional commitee, several govenors of States, a special delegation from Illinois, and a bodyguard.

Who does know more about the escort to Springfield, i.e. names of the prominent army officers, who were in the guard of honor, which governors? I suspect the bodyguard was Captain Charles Penrose?

Thanks as always!

[RJNorton]

Hi Kees. I had this information in a file. This is the list of the Veterans Reserve Corps members. These 29 men moved the coffin from place to place during the long funeral journey. All were sergeants except as noted otherwise.

John P. Barry, Co. A, 24th VRC (formerly 118th Penn. Vol. Inf.)
Luther E. Bulock, Co. E 9th VRC (formerly 97th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
Patrick Callaghan, Co. H 9th VRC (formerly 69th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
Frank Carey, Co. E, 12th VRC (formerly 51st Ohio Inf.)
Samuel Carpenter, Co. K, 7th VRC (formerly 35th Mo. Inf.)
Augustus E. Carr, Co. D, 12th VRC (formerly 140th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
James Collins, Co. D, 12th VRC (formerly 12th Mass. Vol. Inf.)
Addison Cornwell, Co. I, 7th VRC (formerly 134th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
William F. Daly, Co. A, 10th VRC
William W. Durgin, Co. F, 10th VRC (formerly 1st & 9th Maine Vol. Inf.)
Joseph H. Durkee, Co. E, 7th VRC, 1st Lt. (formerly 146th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
John R. Edwards, Co. E, 7th VRC (formerly 21st Wisc. Vol. Inf.)
Lloyd D. Forehand, Co. I, 18th VRC (formerly 5th N.H. Vol. Inf.)
George E. Goodrich, Co. A, 12th VRC (formerly 124th Ohio Vol. Inf.)
John Hanna, Co. B, 14th VRC (formerly 40th N.Y. Vol. Inf.; 2nd U.S. Cavalry)
Edward Hoppy, Co. C, 12th VRC, 2nd. Lt. (formerly 44th & 9th U.S. Inf.; 2nd U.S. Art.)
John Karr, Co. D., 14th VRC (formerly 1st Mich. Vol. Inf.)
Rufus W. Lewis, Co. E, 18th VRC (formerly 15th Conn. Vol. Inf.)
A. Judson Marshall, Co. K, 9th VRC (formerly 94th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
James M. McCamly, Co. A, 9th VRC, Capt. (formerly 70th N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
Edward Murphy, Co. B, 10th VRC, 2nd. Lt. (formerly 148th Penn. Vol.)
Jacob F. Nelson, Co. A, 9th VRC (formerly 150th Penn. Vol. Inf.)
William H. Noble, Co. G, 12th VRC (formerly 21st Wisc. Vol. Inf.)
James M. Pardun, Co. K, 24th VRC (formerly 93rd Ind. Vol. Inf.)
Irvin M. Sedgwick, Co. H., 18th VRC (formerly 8th Mass. & 93rd N.Y. Vol. Inf.)
Frank T. Smith, Co. C, 10th VRC (formerly 5th Wisc. Vol. Inf.)
John P. Smith, Co. I, 14th VRC (formerly 119th Ill. Vol. Inf.)
Chester Swinehart, Co. D, 7th VRC, 1st Sgt. (formerly 14th Ohio Vol. Inf.)
William H. Wiseman, Co. E, 24th VRC (formerly 139th Penn. Vol. Inf.)

(list source: Dr. Wayne Wesolowski)

[Eva Elisabeth]

Wasn't there (or didn't it become) a ritual that the govenor of each of the states passed during the journey boarded and joined the party for the entire distance the train covered in the respective state?

[RJNorton]

Eva, this indeed happened. Here is a list of both state and territorial governors who rode the train:

Richard J. Oglesby, Governor of Illinois
Oliver P. Morton, Governor of Indiana
John Brough, Governor of Ohio
Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of Kentucky
Thomas Fletcher, Governor of Missouri
James T. Lewis, Governor of Wisconsin
A. I. Boreman, Governor of West Virginia
Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan
A. W. Bradford, Governor of Maryland
Stephen Miller, Governor of Minnesota
Andrew P. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania
Ruben H. Fenton, Governor of New York
Joel T. Parker, Governor of New Jersey
A.C. Gibbs, Governor of the Washington Territory
William Wallace, Governor of the Idaho Territory
Newton Edmonds, Governor of the Dakota Territory

(Information from Scott Trostel's Lincoln Funeral Train)

[loetar44]

(01-22-2015 06:09 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  Hi Kees. I had this information in a file. This is the list of the Veterans Reserve Corps members. These 29 men moved the coffin from place to place during the long funeral journey. All were sergeants except as noted otherwise.

Thanks Roger! Great list! According to Thomas Goodrich in “The Darkest Dawn: Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy” (p. 196), Robert Schenck was a member of the honor guard. In private this Union general had detested Lincoln, referring to him as “the baboon” and to Mary as “her royal majesty” . Robert Schenck is not in your list of VRC members. I suppose the guard of honor (the men who moved the coffin) was not the same as the honor guard, which consisted of many more people. Am I right?

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(01-22-2015 06:21 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Wasn't there (or didn't it become) a ritual that the govenor of each of the states passed during the journey boarded and joined the party for the entire distance the train covered in the respective state?

As I’ve understand it, a governor boarded the train at the moment the train reached a state line and rode along as a gesture of honor and respect for Abraham Lincoln. Each governor did not make the trip entirely to Springfield, Illinois but returned when the funeral train proceeded in another state, with another governor.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(01-23-2015 05:09 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Eva, this indeed happened. Here is a list of both state and territorial governors who rode the train:

Richard J. Oglesby, Governor of Illinois
Oliver P. Morton, Governor of Indiana
John Brough, Governor of Ohio
Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of Kentucky
Thomas Fletcher, Governor of Missouri
James T. Lewis, Governor of Wisconsin
A. I. Boreman, Governor of West Virginia
Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan
A. W. Bradford, Governor of Maryland
Stephen Miller, Governor of Minnesota
Andrew P. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania
Ruben H. Fenton, Governor of New York
Joel T. Parker, Governor of New Jersey
A.C. Gibbs, Governor of the Washington Territory
William Wallace, Governor of the Idaho Territory
Newton Edmonds, Governor of the Dakota Territory

(Information from Scott Trostel's Lincoln Funeral Train)

Thank you, Roger! You simply are a Lincoln encyclopedia!
My favorite "story" is Thaddeus Stevens standing at a Lancaster tunnel (bridge is another version) and lifting his hat.

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(01-23-2015 05:20 AM)loetar44 Wrote:  

(01-22-2015 06:21 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Wasn't there (or didn't it become) a ritual that the govenor of each of the states passed during the journey boarded and joined the party for the entire distance the train covered in the respective state?

As I’ve understand it, a governor boarded the train at the moment the train reached a state line and rode along as a gesture of honor and respect for Abraham Lincoln. Each governor did not make the trip entirely to Springfield, Illinois but returned when the funeral train proceeded in another state, with another governor.

Kees, maybe I worded that poorly, but this was actually what I meant. Your wording is sure better!

[RJNorton]

Kees, as I understand it, each city which had services for Abraham Lincoln had its own set of honorary pallbearers. The honorary pallbearers walked on either side of the coffin as it was carried by the men listed above. Possibly Robert Schenck was an honorary pallbearer (?), or possibly he somehow was deleted from the list I had on file.

[loetar44]

(01-23-2015 05:23 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  [quote='RJNorton' pid='43097' dateline='1422007781']

Kees, maybe I worded that poorly, but this was actually what I meant. Your wording is sure better!

Thanks for the compliment Eva, but I know that my use of English is poor. For example, in my answer I wrote "As I've understand it", now realizing that "As I understood" is the right thing to write. I'm only a "Dutchman, trying to speak/write English", ha, ha, ha

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(01-23-2015 05:37 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Kees, as I understand it, each city which had services for Abraham Lincoln had its own set of honorary pallbearers. The honorary pallbearers walked on either side of the coffin as it was carried by the men listed above. Possibly Robert Schenck was an honorary pallbearer (?), or possibly he somehow was deleted from the list I had on file.

Thanks for your explanation Roger. But, is it possibe that the 29 members of the Veteran Reserve Corps were appointed to move the coffin during the travel and that Major Generals of the army were appointed to keep watch over the mortal remains of Lincoln, so that at all times during the journey the coffin would be under special supervision. Maybe Robert Schenck was one of those, because Thomas Goodrich calls him explicitly as “one on the train” ("One of those on the funeral train was a member of the honor guard, Robert Schenck.")

[RJNorton]

Kees, do you know if this man is the same person you are asking about? If it is, it sounds like he was only part of the Ohio delegation (assigned, not volunteered) and was not happy about it.

[loetar44]

(01-23-2015 08:35 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Kees, do you know if this man is the same person you are asking about? If it is, it sounds like he was only part of the Ohio delegation (assigned, not volunteered) and was not happy about it.

Yes Roger, it's the same person!

Just found in an old note (no source mentioned) of mine that the following 12 prominent officers were appointed to watch Lincoln's coffin during the journey to Springfield: Brevet Brig-Gen Edward D. Townsend, Brevet Brig-Gen Charles Thomas, Brig-Gen Amos B. Eaton, Brevet Maj-Gen John G. Barnard, Brig-Gen George D. Ramsey, Brig-Gen AP Howe, Brevet Brig-Gen Daniel C. McCallum, Maj.-Gen David Hunter, Brig-Gen John C. Caldwell, Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis, Captain William Rogers Taylor, Marine Corps Major Thomas H. Field.

I don't know if this is accurate, because I've no source. Maybe you, or someone else has more....

[RJNorton]

Yes. I just scanned this order from Scott's book, although your list is not exactly the same.

[loetar44]

(01-23-2015 09:17 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Yes. I just scanned this order from Scott's book, although your list is not exactly the same.

Just found in J.C. Power's "Abraham Lincoln, His Great Funeral Cortege":


General Order, 72, with reference to the GUARD OF HONOR,

War Department,
Adjutant General's Office,
Washington, April 20, 1865,

The following general officers and Guard of Honor will accompany the remains of the President from the city of Washington to the city of Springfield, the Capital of Illinois, and continue with them until they are consigned to their final resting place:

Brevet Brigadier General E. D. Towuseud, Assistant Adjutant General, to represent the Secretary of War.
Brevet Brigadier General Charles Thomas, Assistant Quartermaster General.
Brigadier General A. B. Eaton, Commissary General of Subsistence.
Brevet Major General J. G. Barnard, Lieutenant Colonel of Engineers.
Brigadier General G. D. Ramsey, Ordnance Department.
Brigadier General A. P. Howe, Chief of Artillery.
Brevet Brigadier General D. C. McCallum, Superintendent of Military Roads.
Major General D. Hunter, U. S. Volunteers.
Brigadier General J. C. Caldwell, U. S. Volunteers.
Twenty-five picked men, under a Captain.

By order of the Secretary of War
Official. E. D. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant General.

The following officers acted with the Guard of Honor, although I [= J.C. Power] have been unable to find the order assigning them to that duty:

Rear Admiral C. H. Davis, U. S. Navy.
Captain W. R. Tavlor, U. S. Navy.
Major T. H. Field, U. S. Marine Corps.

Including them, the Guard of Honor consisted of twelve general officers.

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(01-23-2015 05:09 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Eva, this indeed happened. Here is a list of both state and territorial governors who rode the train:

Richard J. Oglesby, Governor of Illinois
Oliver P. Morton, Governor of Indiana
John Brough, Governor of Ohio
Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of Kentucky
Thomas Fletcher, Governor of Missouri
James T. Lewis, Governor of Wisconsin
A. I. Boreman, Governor of West Virginia
Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan
A. W. Bradford, Governor of Maryland
Stephen Miller, Governor of Minnesota
Andrew P. Curtin, Governor of Pennsylvania
Ruben H. Fenton, Governor of New York
Joel T. Parker, Governor of New Jersey
A.C. Gibbs, Governor of the Washington Territory
William Wallace, Governor of the Idaho Territory
Newton Edmonds, Governor of the Dakota Territory

(Information from Scott Trostel's Lincoln Funeral Train)

According to J.C. Power in "Abraham Lincoln, His Great Funeral Cortege", there is one Governor more: William M. Stone from Iowa. Power says:

"Governor Stone, of Iowa, and the Hon. Mr. Loughridge,of that State, accompanied the escort the entire journey, and rode in the car occupied by the Illinois Delegation."

[RJNorton]

Victor Searcher agrees, Kees. In his Farewell to Lincoln he writes that four governors embarked from Washington on the train: Brough of Ohio, Morton of Indiana, Stone of Iowa, and Oglesby of Illinois.

[loetar44]

I have the pallbearers in Springfield (for the last procession from the statehouse grounds to Oak Ridge Cemetery), listed as: Jesse K. Dubois, Stephen T. Logan, Gustavus Koerner, James L. Lamb, Samuel H. Treat, John Williams, Erastus White, J.M. Brown, Jacob Bunn, Charles Matheny, Elijah Iles, and John T. Stuart. They did not actually lift, carry, or touch Lincolns coffin in any way, that was done by the appointed men of the VRC (the list Roger posted). My question: is it known who were the individuals (I suppose they are on Roger’s list) who carried Lincoln’s coffin into the tomb?

[RJNorton]

Kees, the list in Wayne Temple's Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet is similar to what you have.

John Wood
William B. Archer
Jesse K. DuBois
Stephen T. Logan
William F. Elkin
Gustavus P. Koener
James L. Lamb
Samuel H. Treat
Dr. Gershom Jayne
Col. John Williams
Erastus Wright
Capt. James N. Brown
Jacob Bunn
Charles W. Matheny
Elijah Iles
John T. Stuart

Dr. Temple does not mention the specific names of Veterans Reserve Corps members who carried the coffin into the vault. Dr. Temple does mention that it was a very warm day and several people, including Springfield's mayor, suffered mild sunstroke.

Three of these names are also mentioned with regard to Mary Lincoln's funeral in 1882. Jacob Bunn was an active pallbearer, and Samuel H. Treat and Col. John Williams were honorary pallbearers.