Abraham's Lincoln's final journey began when his body was placed on the train which traveled 1,600 miles from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois, a trip of 13 days. One million Americans viewed his corpse in the bug cities and another seven million at least saw the train pass by. Whenever his body was taken from the train, military units joined the procession and marched to the sound of drums.
In Springfield, his corpse was displayed for 24-hours in an open casket at the State House where he had given his famous 1858 "House Divided" speech At 11:30 a.m. in May 4, 1865 the drums beat one last time as the procession exited and went past his home en route to Oak Ridge Cemetery.
One of those drums was recently discovered in Illinois. It is no different from thousands of such made during the war, this one by Noble & Cooley Co. in Granville, Massachusetts. They are still in business today. Its oak rims have been beaten down by countless drumstick strikes and there are no marks to indicate the regiment or company it was used in.
But there is a remnant of black mourning ribbon, a few inches from a coil that must ave once laced the drum. And, even better, on the top head there is written in ink a remarkable history: ":This Drum was Played at Pres Lincoln's Funeral in Springfield Ill."
The author says that on the day he obtained it, he held a pair of Civil War-era drumsticks in his hands and very carefully tapped out the faint, muffled sound of the funeral march.
Now, That's Some History. --Old Secesh
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