Was Lincoln’s coffin opened in February 1866 ?

[loetar44]

I think all of you would say “No”, only on Dec 21, 1865 and the first time after that date, on Sept 19, 1871 (and of course 3 times more in later years). But. I would like to draw your attention to the following I found today.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Friday Evening Feb. 16 (no year printed) says the following:

           

Written on the clipping is “1866”. Lincoln Lore #1443, May 1958 quoted the reporter of this Brooklyn Daily article in their article “And so they buried Lincoln…”, see red boxes.

   

Lincoln Lore says in her article: “According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 16 (1872)” and is referring to the exhumation of Sept. 19, 1871. But they are IN ERROR ! Possibly because the Brooklyn Daily Eagle was published Friday Evening Feb. 16 and because Feb. 16, 1872 was a Friday and close to the exhumation of 1871 they assumed that it had to be 1872. Why is this wrong?

First: Feb. 16, 1866 was ALSO a Friday!
Second: please note that in the same paper is an article about the marriage of Princess Helena (of the United Kingdom). Well, Princess Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein on July 5, 1866. So, the article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle is undoubtly from Feb. 16, 1866.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle explicitly says:

(1) The vault recently constructed at Oak Ridge ---- that was December 1865 (the temporaily vault)
(2) To which the mortal remains of the late president were removed A SHORT TIME since --- that was Dec 21, 1865
(3) [the vault] was visited A FEW DAYS AGO ---- the article is dated “Springfield, Ill. Feb. 10.” What is A FEW DAYS AGO ??? That is according to me a date in the first week of Feb 1866
(4) The coffin was OPENED and Gov. Oglesby, Newton Bateman and Ozias Hatch viewed the remains – only three men. On Dec 21, 1865 and Sept 1871 the body was viewed by six men.
(5) The visit of the committee was an OFFICIAL ONE and made in pursuance of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Association ….. to certify to the actual presence of the body in the casket.
(6) A positive identification was made. After the viewing the coffin was replaced in the sepulchre, the temporary vault, a great stone / slab was rolled to the door (for protection, I suspect).
(7) The remains will now rest undisturbed unil the National Monument shall be completed --- that was Sept 19, 1871.

IF, and only IF, Abraham Lincoln was viewed in Feb. 1866, how is it then possible that ALL books and ALL other accounts does not mention this? Or is my interpretation WRONG ? You all out there know a lot more than me, so I think you can help me out. And IF Lincoln was viewed in Feb. 1866 it is for me quite "a bomshell". I'm still trying to catch my breath ......