The Tomb of Lincoln

231 miles west of Indianapolis finds us in Springfield, Illinois, the city known as Lincoln's City. The highway (I72) was a beauty, well kept, and easy to drive, with very little traffic.

We're staying at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Campground, in site #9, with complete 50 amp utilities for $20 a night.  What a deal! Unfortunately, we're also parked on an asphalt parking lot that soaks up the heat from the summer sun.  It was 91 degrees when we arrived, with a heat index of 101, and we were on black asphalt…..let you imagination roll with that.

The fair complex is huge, with a large number of animal barns that are being used this week by the 4-H Junior Horsemanship  people, so there are a hundred large horse trailers parked around, and all the supporting cast: Mom and Pop, and the fam, all with rv's.  The campground can hold over 300 rv's, and more than half are being used.  I can only imagine what this place will be like in a few weeks when the fair starts!

When we checked in with the campground host, a gentleman who has been hosting here for seven straight years during the summer, we learned about a Tuesday night ceremony held at the Tomb of Lincoln, so off we went, since it's only about 4 blocks from the fairgrounds.

Amazingly, as tourists filed respectfully through the tomb, even the children were quiet.  There is a sense of wonder about the tomb, as we realized that President Lincoln was interred just a few feet from us.  The polished granite and marble lend honor to the setting.

It's a simple setting, as befits President Lincoln's personality.  Over the marble block is the phrase attributed to Secretary of War Stanton moments after Lincoln's death: "Now he belongs to the Ages." How true.

After being moved 3 times and surviving at least one attempt to steal Mr. Lincoln's remains, the President has reached his final resting place under a 10 foot thick concrete cap with the marble headstone on top.

Mrs. Lincoln and three of the Lincolns' four children are buried here as well.  Willie Lincoln, Eddie Baker Lincoln, and Tad Lincoln share a wall opposite Mr. Lincoln.

Each Tuesday, the 114th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry Reactivated performs a Flag Retreat Ceremony where the American Flag and Illinois State Flag are lowered and ceremoniously folded for presentation to the Honor Guard.

The 114th performed an approach to the flag,

Then saluted the flag with authentic muskets,

The flag is then lowered and folded:

After the ceremony, the American flag is presented to one of the guests, along with a certificate stating that the flag has flown over the Lincoln Tomb for a period of one week.  Congratulations to Jim from Wisconsin for winning the opportunity to care for this weeks flag!

The volunteers of the 114th purchase and maintain their own uniforms and weapons. We talked to a couple in period costume about the wool uniform and the cotton dress that were common in the 1860's. The musket that the gentleman is holding is an authentic weapon made between 1840 and 1870, and still in perfect firing order.  Trivia: it was .69 caliber.  Almost 3/4 of an inch in diameter!.

While we were waiting for the ceremony to start, we met and talked to several people who were also waiting.  One re-enactor has returned home to Illinois after a career with ATT in Northern California.  A local couple has attended all but four reenactments in the last four years; every Tuesday during the summer!  I registered for the flag drawing as a fund raiser for the 114th, and noted that I was from California.  The word got out and several people came over to greet us and tell us about events to see and places to visit while in Springfield. Very nice people here in Illinois!