Greene History Notes #9
by David Dorpfeld, Greene County Historical SocietyMy wife and I often get our exercise in the winter by walking the halls of the public school in the evening. It was there that I first saw a poster marking the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Lincoln has gone down in history as one of our most famous and popular Presidents. Many folks may not realize that there were times during his first term when he was far from popular. As the Civil War turned in the north’s favor, however, he was elected by a landslide to start his second term in office. By the time Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, Lincoln was the toast of the country. Unfortantely, within a week he would be shot by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday, April 14, 1865 and die on April 15. I just finished a book entitled, The Day Lincoln Was Shot by Jim Bishop. It got me thinking about the aftermath in terms of how the public reacted to the President’s assassination. This interested me because I was a 19 year old when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and remember well the events and days of mourning that followed. From what I can tell, what followed the Lincoln assassination far eclipsed what occurred after the Kennedy assassination. For one thing, Lincoln was buried in Springfield, Illinois and his body did not even leave Washington by train until April 21, 1865, almost a week after he died. His body arrived in Springfield 12 days later on May 3, 1865. The funeral train retraced the 1654 mile route Lincoln had traveled as president-elect in 1861 (with the exception of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and the addition of Chicago). Depending on conditions, the train usually traveled between 5 and 20 m.p.h. The main stops for public viewing were: Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Chicago. The outpouring was tremendous. Officials in Philadelphia estimated 300,000 people passed by Mr. Lincoln’s open coffin. In New York at one point 500,000 people waited in line to view. I have been trying to learn more about the reaction to the funeral train in Greene County but have found little so far. I do know that Lincoln was not the popular choice in Greene County both times he stood for election to President. That does not mean there would not have been an outpouring of sentiment as a result of his assassination. On April 25th the funeral train came up the east side of the Hudson and therefore did not pass through Greene County. However, sources I have read list the places nearby that the train passed through as Tivoli, Germantown, Catskill, Hudson, Stockport, Coxsackie and Stuyesant. You might ask: How would it have been possible for the train to pass through Catskill and Coxsackie when it was on the east side of the river? It did not. At that time, both these communities were served by ferry boats connecting the east and west sides of the river. As a result, trains made stops at the ferry landings across from each community and the stops were designated Catskill and Coxsackie. Remember, at this time these communities were thriving – much more than they are today. Carl Sandburg in his book, Abraham Lincoln: The War Years notes that as the train moved north of Poughkeepsie, “At each station farther en route to Albany were crowds, at Strasburg an ingenious circle of light, at Rhinebeck and Barrytown torch formations, at Tivoli lighted lamps, at Catskill huge bonfires and United States Vessels on the river with flags at half-mast, at Hudson minute guns and two hotels with all windows illuminated and black draped.” (Minute guns are military guns which are fired every minute as part of a military funeral.) Sources indicate that the train arrived in Albany at 11:00 PM. Considering that the train passed through this area in the evening, these light displays were probably very dramatic. I also think building huge bonfires at Catskill was probably the only way that the community could show some sign of respect and recognition from the west side of the river as the train passed by. An interesting item is found in a book entitled Sketches of Catskill, a compilation of letters by Catskill resident James D. Pinkney. The letters had been contributed at the time they were written to the local paper, “Recorder and Democrat”. On Tuesday evening, April 25, 1865, as Lincoln’s funeral train passed up the Hudson on the way to Albany, Mr. Pinkney writes, “The remains of the dead President are being conveyed, with all the pomp and circumstance of ostentatious sorrow, toward his final resting place in a distant state. As I listen to the hollow booming of the minute gun, and the sad notes of the funeral march, I cannot but contrast this last journey with that which he pursued but four years ago…..Tonight he is retracing the path of his former triumphs towards a grave in the western prairies.” I also recently found an article by John Boos which appeared in the “Albany Knickerbocker News” on April 14, 1965 marking the 100th anniversary of the day Lincoln was shot. Mr. Boos points out that, “Albany was one of the most disloyal cities in the North during that cruel was, the Copperheads and the Argus (a newspaper) causing the administration a great deal of trouble, but a change came with Lincoln’s death.” Mr. Boos recounts a conversation he had years before with Mark Filley who had a shop on River Street in Troy: “By 10 o’clock in the morning, a packed mass of people reached from the high iron fence surrounding the capitol grounds, from State Street to Pearl, and, it is said, that at times it reached to Broadway.” Mr. Filley goes on to relate his experience in the viewing line after clearing the iron fence: “We marched up the Capital steps to a high platform on which stood the catafalque and the body of Mr. Lincoln. The line divided, some passing on one side and some on the other sides of the coffin, and we looked down on the white chalk-like face of the President. Strong men cried like children, while many were so overcome by their feelings as to be helped form the platform.” At 4:00 P.M. the funeral train left Albany on the 298 mile to Buffalo. Lately, I have been searching the local papers and diaries at the Vedder Memorial Library for first hand accounts of the Lincoln funeral train by Greene County residents. So far I have not had a great deal of success. As Ray Beecher would say, “more research required.” 
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