Moving Lincoln's Body

[Kevin]

Hi,  I just visited Oak Ridge Cemetery and took a guided tour of Lincoln's Tomb.  I asked the tour guide a question about the years Lincoln's casket was buried in a shallow grave in the basement and she told me the story told on the History Channel is not accurate, stating that the water table was too high for this to be possible. Can you tell me If she is correct or if the History Channel is?  I really enjoy learning about Lincoln history and felt the need to better understand what really happened. The tour guide provided a list that shows the President's body was moved a total of 14 times.

I asked Roger and he kindly provided a list Dan Pearson put together on this subject. Dan's list shows Lincoln's body was moved a total of 17 times.

Below is Dan's list together with the list provided by the tour guide (ALL IN UPPER CASE)


1. May 4, 1865 - Abraham Lincoln's coffin is moved from the hearse to
the receiving vault at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Placed with Lincoln's coffin are
two others containing his sons Edward and William.
STATE HOUSE TO PUBLIC RECEIVING VAULT, OAK RIDGE

2. December 21, 1865 - The three Lincoln coffins are moved to a
temporary tomb, constructed into the hillside to the southeast of the
receiving vault, northeast of the current tomb. Here the bodies rested while
the tomb was being built.
PUBLIC RECEIVING VAULT TO TEMPORARY VA[/b]ULT

3. September 19, 1871 - The bodies of Abraham, Edward, and William
Lincoln are moved to the catacomb of permanent tomb. Lincoln's coffin is
placed into a crypt built into the rear wall of the catacomb. The mahogany
outer coffin is replaced by a new iron casket.
TEMPORARY VAULT TO A WALL CRYPT IN TOMB

4. October 9, 1874 Lincoln is removed from his crypt and placed in a
marble sarcophagus located in the center of the catacomb. It is found that
the iron casket is too large to fit into the sarcophagus, so it is replaced
with a new red cedar coffin.
WALL CRYPT TO SARCOPHAGUS IN BURIAL CHAMBER

5. November 7, 1876 In an attempt to kidnap Lincoln's body and hold
it for ransom, ghouls partially dismantle the sarcophagus and slide
Lincoln's coffin halfway out. The conspiracy is foiled, however, and the
kidnappers escape leaving Lincoln's body behind.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

6. November 8, 1876 Marble masons are called to the tomb and slide
Lincoln's coffin back into place and reassemble the sarcophagus.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

7. November 13, 1876 (daytime) Fearing another attempt to steal
Lincoln's body, tomb officials have the stonemasons remove Lincoln's body
from the sarcophagus, cover it with a dark blanket, and hide it from view in
the catacomb. The sarcophagus is then reassembled.
SARCOPHAGUS TO NORTHEAST WALL OF BURIAL CHAMBER

8. November 13, 1876 (nighttime) Tomb officials meet under the cloak
of darkness and carry Lincoln's coffin out of the catacomb, around the
outside of the monument, through Memorial Hall on the opposite side of the
tomb, and into the labyrinth on the interior of the tomb superstructure.
Here it is placed among the debris left by the builders of the tomb.
NORTHEAST WALL OF BURIAL CHAMBER TO EAST OF OBELISK BASE

9. November 14, 1876 A crude outer coffin is constructed and
Lincoln's casket is placed inside to better protect it.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

10. November 18, 1878 Once again fearing that Lincoln's coffin will
be discovered and stolen, it is buried in a shallow grave at the far end of
the labyrinth against the back side of the family crypts.
OBELISK BASE TO TO NORTH AREA OF OBELISK BASE BEHIND CRYPTS

11. November 20, 1878 Responding to an anonymous threat received by
the caretaker of the tomb via a postcard, the coffin is once again dug up to
ascertain that Lincoln's coffin was indeed in the grave in which it was
placed a mere two nights before. Reassured of its safety, the coffin was
reburied.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

(July 21, 1882 After a public entombment in one of the family crypts
in the catacomb following her funeral, Mary Todd Lincoln's casket is
secretly taken from the crypt that same night, carried into the labyrinth,
and at Robert T. Lincoln's request, buried alongside her husband.)
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

12. April 14, 1887 Abraham and Mary Lincoln's caskets were
disinterred from the labyrinth, and moved to Memorial Hall. Here Lincoln's
coffin was opened, his body identified, and resealed.
NORTH OF OBELISK BASE TO MEMORIAL HALL

13. April 14, 1887 Abraham and Mary were carried around the base of
the monument and into the catacomb, where they were lowered into a specially
prepared vault constructed of brick and mortar built into the floor of the
catacomb. The vault was covered and the floor replaced over it.
MEMORIAL HALL TO CRYPT UNDERGROUND IN BURIAL CHAMBER

14. 1899 Due to structural instability of the tomb caused by an
uneven settling of the foundation, it was determined that the entire
structure would have to be rebuilt. The Lincoln family was disinterred and
moved to yet another temporary vault dug into the hillside behind the
monument.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

MARCH 10,1900 VAULT UNDER BURIAL CHAMBER TO UNDERFROUND VAULT NORTHEAST OF TOMB

15. February 1901 The Lincoln family was removed from the temporary
vault and placed back into the crypts of the partially rebuilt tomb.
Lincoln's body was placed in a crypt while a more elaborate vault was
prepared for him in the floor of the catacomb.
NOT INCLUDED ON LIST PROVIDED BY TOUR GUIDE

APRIL 24, 1901  UNDERGROUND VAULT TO SARCOPHAGUS IN TOMB
 
JULY 10, 1901  SARCOPHAGUS TO CRYPT IN TOMB

16. September 26, 1901 Lincoln's coffin was removed from its crypt
and taken around the base of the monument and placed in Memorial Hall. One
last time, his coffin was opened and his body identified, and the lead inner
coffin again sealed.
CRYPT TO MEMORIAL HALL

17. September 26, 1901 Lincoln's body was taken back around the
monument to the catacomb. There it was encased in a steel outer cage,
between which tons of cement was sloshed, forever ending the travels of the
long-dead President.
MEMORIAL HALL TO PRESENT VAULT UNDER BURIAL CHAMBER

While Lincoln was finally at rest, the remainder of the Lincoln family
was moved two more times. In the early 1930s a decision was made to remodel
the interior of the tomb, making it accessible to the public. The coffins
containing the bodies of Mary, Edward, William, and Thomas Lincoln were
removed from their crypts and transported to the Oak Ridge mausoleum located
near the south gate of the cemetery. After the interior remodeling was
completed, the bodies were returned to their crypts. The interior of the
tomb was dedicated June 17, 1931.