Lincoln’s body was twice ferried across the Hudson: on April 24, 1865 and on April 25, 1865.

On April 24, 1865 the coffin crossed the river from Jersey City to Desbrosses Street, NYC. I think this crossing is most known. Carl Sandburg wrote: "Chauncey M. Depew, secretary of state for New York, in behalf of the unavoidably absent Governor Reuben E. Fenton, for the Empire State formally received the body from Governor Parker of New Jersey. Ten stalwart sergeants carried the casket to a hearse which moved through street crowds to the ferry house. The paint was fresh on a legend here reading 'George Washington, the Father: Abraham Lincoln, the Saviour, of His Country.' The ferryboat Jersey City moved across the Hudson River, her pilothouse and cabins in scrape, flags at half-mast."

   

Note: red line = procession April 24 to City Hall; blue line = procession April 25 to the Hudson River Railroad depot (en route to Albany).

On April 25, 1865 the coffin crossed the river again, now from East Albany (Rensselaer) to Albany on the ferryboat “New York”. When the funeral train reached East Albany, it was “on the wrong side of the Hudson River”. The coffin crossed the river to Albany on the boat, but the funeral train traveled northward to the main station of Troy. It then used the rail bridge between Troy and Cohoes to cross the Hudson. On the west side of the river, the train travelled back to Albany. It is said that the body of President Lincoln was housed temporarily in the Dearstyne Inn /Hotel, in Bath-on-Hudson, while awaiting ferry transport. Who knows more?

       

Note that the Livingston Avenue Bridge (directly joining the shores of the Hudson at East Albany) did not exist in 1865; it was completed in 1866

You are absolutely correct, Kees. I had incorrect information on my website for 17 years before I was alerted that a correction needed to be made. On December 7, 2013, I received this email:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mr. Norton,

You mention on your website that the Lincoln funeral train arrived in Albany. That is incorrect. It was Rensselaer. From there the casket was ferried across the river to Albany. While ceremonies were held at the capitol the actual train was run up to Troy where it crossed the bridge over the Hudson River and came back down to the terminal.

Sincerely,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kees, I can add that the coffin of Willie Lincoln remained on the funeral train during all of this switching. It was guarded by sentinels of the Veteran Reserve Guard of Escort.

In the excellent book "How A Nation Grieves" covering the period of the assassination, funeral and trial there is a copy of a newspaper article from the week of April 18th 1865. It mentions that an undertaking firm had been ordered to remove the remains of Willie Lincoln from the temporary Carroll vault Georgetown and "prepare" them to accompany those of president to Springfield.

So now I have a rather morbid question. Were poor Willie's remains actually removed from the faux rosewood coffin in which he was buried and placed in a new one? I remember reading somewhere-I can't remember where-that the small coffin that accompanied that of his father to Springfield was a new one. In other words Willie was NOT interred at Oakwood Cemetery in the original coffin in which he was interred in Washington.

Anyone know anything about this?

(12-23-2014 10:45 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  In the excellent book "How A Nation Grieves" covering the period of the assassination, funeral and trial there is a copy of a newspaper article from the week of April 18th 1865. It mentions that an undertaking firm had been ordered to remove the remains of Willie Lincoln from the temporary Carroll vault Georgetown and "prepare" them to accompany those of president to Springfield.

So now I have a rather morbid question. Were poor Willie's remains actually removed from the faux rosewood coffin in which he was buried and placed in a new one? I remember reading somewhere-I can't remember where-that the small coffin that accompanied that of his father to Springfield was a new one. In other words Willie was NOT interred at Oakwood Cemetery in the original coffin in which he was interred in Washington.

Anyone know anything about this?

From what I remember reading, Willie's remains stayed in the original coffin. That coffin was then placed inside the newer coffin. I am at work, but when back home I will see if I can find the source on that.

Oh, you are wonderful. Thanks much for the reply!