Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-02-27
TELLS STORY OF BRINGING
LINCOLN BODY TO CAPITAL

Persons who remember the slow
moving funeral cortege OF Abraham
Lincoln, as it came through this city
over the Alton, will be interested in
the following story relative to the
funeral train as given by q former
member of the crew OF the train that
brought the body TO Springfield. The
story is as follows:
Probably the last living member OF
the train crew that brought the body
of Abraham Lincoln from Chicago to
Springfield, following the assassina-
ton OF the martyred president; re-
lsides at Jerseyville. This man Is
William Porter, who in 1854 enlisted
in the l45th Illinois infantry. He
was mustered out of the service in
the fall of the same year and went
to work for the Chicago & Alton as
a brakeman. The day before the
funeral train was due to arrive a doz-
en- brakemen were summoned before
the assistant superintendent and told
to get ready to go to Chicago and
bring the funeral train through. In
speaking OF the trip recently Mr..
/ Porter said:
! j. G. McMullen. assistant superin-
tendent OF the Chicago division, had
charge of the train, but George Hew-
EFT, an old passenger man, was given
the assignment of conductor AS
remember 1t, the funeral train con-
sisted OF baggage car, several ord
mary coaches and the catafalque car
which was the second car from the
! rear end of the train. The funeral
car was specially arranged for car
rying the body of the president. A
crack New York regiment escorted
the body and performed guard duty
during the trip from Washing
/ ton to Springfield. Four guards
were posted in each car two at each
end and no one was allowed to enter
/ the train without a permit
"The head officials of the Chicago
| & Alton took special pains to guard
against accident. All bridges were
guarded and switch rails at obscure
,sidings were securely spiked down.
| All regular trains were ordered to
take the siding an hour before the
special was scheduled TO pass
1.-THE two locomotives selected for
tho trip were No. 40 and No. 81.
They were wood burners, with old
fashioned balloon smoke stacks, Rus
and box, brass bell frame. six-inch
brass bands encircling the boiler
about four feet apart, and all brass
parts nicely polished. Henry Rus
sell was the man at the throttle of
No. 40 and James (Jim) Cotton was
the man ct the throttle of No. 81,
which served as pilot engine. Direct
ly under the headlight was the pic
ture OF the martyred president. done
in crayon, and in circular frame or
wreath of flowers about five feet in
diameter.
ION the evening of May the train
was backed into the union station at
Chicago to take the body OF the dead
president The funeral cortege left
che court house in Chicago at six
O'Clock. The hearse was drawn by
six black stations, each attended by
n negro groom in uniform. The
train left Chicago at 1870 O'Clock and
only stopped at the larger stations.
At all stops the people congregated,
grim visaged men and women. with
tear bedimmed eyes The throngs
were silent. The train arrived in
Springfield the next morning. A vast
crowd had gathered. When the pi-
lot eneine arrived at the outskirts of
the city, 1t stopped and waited for
the funeral train. II was then cou-
pied to the regular train and entrance
was made to Springfield. II took
over two hours to 20 that many
miles. II was indeed funeral of
the people. Lincoln (Ill.) Star.