Year: 1865




preston in words did the countenances Of the people de-
clare that determination to DO that ''though the Pres
dent dies the nation shall live" On ali former occs
sions the city risen in its might the signaling Of
the flag OF Stars and Stripes but yesterday In the ma
2tional metropolis was unforee flag Of black upon
which that resolution embazoned in letters Of un
fading white The spirit Of the good man whom they
honored will rest the better to know that no feeling OF
hate vengeance marred hts peoples high resolve but
that they taken his last advice to heart and be Mt
only upon justice and right had determined to pursue
their purpose and his own "wh malice towards none,
with charity for ALL"


That which follows from the pens Of reporters tells
detail how hundred thousand recmen followed their
martyrs body, watched by more than half million
hearts Many Of readers will make summary Of
tho details give their minds, and deduce some
Interesting facts thcrefrom Those have not the
moments the disposition do will be surprised at
the calculations which easily dcducbe from the
well established premises which are stated


In the twentyfour hours Of daylight and darkness
during which the body lay In state not one moment
3elapsed that did not present visitor to see the face OF
the dead At midnight the line Of those ploddng their
slowly to the City Hall long when first
started Women and children rose at midnight from
their beds to take their place in the ine and the whole
city alive to the desire to look upon thef martyrs





state is calculated that not less than hundred
and fifty thousand persons looked upon the body.


The part Of the procession composed exclusively OF
the military, which, when drawn up in line along the
sidewalk to salute the hearse passed by, extended
from the Hudson River depot to Union square, dis
ance Of at least two miles contained nfteen thousand
men under arms, while in the entire procession the
head of ch reached the depot four miles distant from
tCiy Hall, fully two hours before the several hundred
freedmen, who brought up the rear, started from the
place Of their rendezvous not less than seventy five
thousand souls And before those of sable hue, who
bore tho banner that termed Abraham Lincoln their
cmancpator" had reached the depot the cadets OF the
Military Academy at West Point had fired the salute and
presented their to the passing funeral train In the
procession there represented the people of every
State in the North Of every clime and almost every
nationality he face of the globe; and all felt that in
joining in this last tribute to man, who "not for
enc age but for all time they also mourned benefac
tor of not one nation but Of the world.


The facts from which to estimate the numbers who
looked on tho scene are not SO easily obtained Hours
before the procession began to lower Broadway
was blocked up with solid of beings, and the
merous pedestrians who poured into the city from the
lower ferries compelled early in the day to take the
the west sde reach the upper part Of the city
by the streets running nael with the great thorough
iare Churcn ana greene Streets aud The B0Wery ana
East Broadway well tho moro distant avenues
along the East and Hudson rivers crowded with
cars stages and pedestrians forced Off Of Broadway
Upon and In house. every balcony and railing along
tho line Of march, men, women and children were
perched and seated while the sidewalks continually
and painfully crowded from the time that the procession
began until the centre Of attraction the funeral
had passed through the entire route The persons
who, forming part Of the procession, moved along the
entire route passed people representing not only every
nationality, but citizens forming every caste OF
society, and It required not the experienced obscr-
walton Of the statesman to enable one to dis
tingush where the lines Of demarcaton between the
different castles drawn They visible in Dress
manners in style, conversation and counenance and
to not used to tho cosmopote gatherings Of great
democratic city, Of the most remarkable studies
presented by the changing And not less
markable the fact that during all the long hours
which this vast multitude Of three quarters Of million
of souls watched patiently and good humoredly there
little noise and confusion and that the good humor
which always becomes in great crowd, never
degeneracd into evty or ocundty that the sadness
and detection visible upon every countenance had nothing
OF dullness in it, Only New York city this continent
furnishes crowd Of such dimensions, OF such mi xed
elements, and of such genuine and general good nature
The full details which follow will give the reader clear
idea Of the extent character magnilcence Of the
grand procession.