The Presidents Funeral. 107 



ing for New York to attend to my private business. I found 

 there great excitement, and that the sympathy of the people in 

 New York was the same as in Washington, as, in fact, was the 

 case throu2;hout the whole Union. 



I had alighted in the Everett House, where Governor Gil- 

 more, of New Hampshire, called on me, and returned to 

 Georgetown on April 19, at noon, when I found all Washing- 

 ton in the streets, for the funeral of Mr. Lincoln was to take 

 place at one o'clock. His remains had been laid out in be- 

 coming pomp in the green-room of the President's residence. 



The funeral has been described in all papers, and will still 

 be remembered. Whoever saw it will never forget it, not on 

 account of its magnificence, but on account of the rarer sight 

 of so many thousand sad and tearful faces. The coffin was 

 brought to the great Rotunda in the Capitol, and remained 

 there open in state until nine o'clock next day. From far and 

 near still many thousands more came to have a last look at this 

 victim of political fanaticism. 



It was intended to carry the remains of the President as 

 speedily as convenient to Springfield, Illinois, but this could 

 not be carried out, for everybody wanted once more to see the 

 face of the beloved President, and every city and village 

 through which the procession passed wanted to pay him their 

 last respects. 



The cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Albany, 

 Chicago, vied with each other. From hundreds of miles the 

 people flocked near the road only to see the sombre cortege 

 pass, and honour it at least by uncovering. This kind of tri- 

 umphant march lasted until May 3, when the cortege arrived in 

 Springfield, Illinois. 



Though I wished very much to return to my husband, I was 

 detained by difterent circumstances longer than I intended in 

 Georgetown. According to the constitution, the Vice-Presi 

 dent, Mr. Andrew Johnson, had become President of the 

 United States. I had made his acquaintance in Nashville, 

 when he was still Governor of Tennessee, in which State he 

 always had particular connections and influence, which might 

 have been used in favour of my husband. I wished therefore 

 to secure his acquaintance, and called on him. He was mucn 

 occupied, and I could not see him, but he sent word that he 

 would receive me on April 24, at ten o'clock. 



