Did Robert Lincoln Ride the Funeral Train to Baltimore?

[loetar44]

(12-11-2014 08:16 AM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  

(12-11-2014 05:18 AM)loetar44 Wrote:  I found in my files that there were only five direct members of the Lincoln family on the funeral train, when it started from Washington D.C.: Ninian Wirt Edwards (husband of Elizabeth Todd), Clark M. Smith (husband of Ann Todd), Brig. Gen. John Blair Smith Todd (son of Dr. John Todd and Elizabeth Smith), Charles Alexander Smith (brother of Clark M. Smith) and Robert Todd Lincoln. Also on board was David Davis, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (was he family or a close friend?). Robert only rode from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore and returned from there with Nicolay, Hay and Davis.

Kees,

As Roger stated above in post #1 there are conflicting accounts as to whether Robert actually rode the train to Baltimore or not. Do you cite you one of the above sources in your files - or do you have a different/new one? This is an interesting question that apparently does not have an easy answer.

Thanks!

Scott,

I took the "information" mainly from these two sources:

(1)
Ralph G. Newman in his “In This Sad World of Ours, Sorrow Comes to All”, A Timetable for the Lincoln Funeral Train” saying:

7:30 a.m. Lincoln's body is placed in the hearse car, where the remains of his son Willie had already been deposited.
7:50 a.m. Robert Lincoln, accompanied by two relatives, arrives and takes his place in the car provided for him.
7:55 a.m. John G. Nicolay and John Hay, the late President's secretaries, arrive and take their places.


(2) and from the “My Lincoln, Tell Me More” website at
http://www.mylincoln.org/en-us/more/area...7&item=119

“On Friday, April 21 at 7 am, Lincoln's coffin was brought to the Washington depot and placed into the funeral car. At least 10,000 people witnessed the train's departure from Washington an hour later. The train consisted of nine cars, including a baggage and hearse car, with the president’s funeral car as the ninth. Five relatives and family friends were officially appointed to accompany the funeral train: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and longtime family friend David Davis; Lincoln's brothers-in-law, Ninian W. Edwards and Clark M. Smith; Charles A. Smith, the brother of Clark M. Smith; Mary Lincoln's cousin Brigadier General John Blair Smith Todd. Robert Lincoln rode on the train as far as Baltimore and then returned to Washington.”