What happened to the original casket?

[LincolnToddFan]

(04-21-2014 05:10 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  If I am reading this correctly, the original casket no longer exists. Apparently after the caskets were switched the original one was buried under the monument. Then, during a reconstruction of the monument, a steam shovel inadvertently struck the original casket and broke it beyond repair. The casket's handles were given to the Illinois State Historical Library.

Incredible, thanks Roger. I had no idea that AL had ever been removed from that original very elaborate and expensive casket!

BTW I ordered "Smithsonian Civil War: Inside The National Collection" through Amazon and it arrived Saturday. GREAT book! There is a photo of the teacup AL was sipping from just before he slipped into his overcoat and left the WH for Ford's Theater on the night of April 14 1865. It's from the elegant china service ordered by MTL in 1861. Apparently a servant saw the president set the cup on an open windowsill, and in the morning the cup was still there. The servant gave the cup to RTL, who passed it on to his descendants. It was donated to the
Smithsonian in 1958.

I am almost embarrassed to admit by how fascinated I am by stuff like this!