52, Uncoln i ■ii 5^ LIBRARY OF vCOMGRESSr' jj ^'^^^"'■-Wii UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. / THE LINCOLN MONUIHENT, itl^ Snttsti'^tt0n$. BY Edwin S. Walker SFRINGFIELD, ILL. IfiTO. How to Reach the Monument. The Springfield City Railway Company runs elegant and commodious cars every twenty minutes, from the Public Square, and near the principal Hotels of Spring- field, to Oak Ridge Park, situated about two miles north of the city, from which it is 'but five minutes walk to to the Monument. Excursion and Pic Nic parties will find this Park fitted up with such means of recreation as to make it a most delightful retreat to all who may visit Oak Ridge Cemetery, and the Lincoln Monument. THE LINCOLN MONUMENT, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. BY JEBWIN S. WAIiKER SPRINGFIELD, ILL. 1879. ST' Copyright, 1879, By EDWIN S. WALKER. The Lincoln Monument. THE LINCOLN MONUMENT. TO the southward in Oak Ridge Cemetery, upon a beautiful rising headland, stands the lofty granite obelisk, which is at once the resting place and monument of our lamented President, Abraham Lincoln. To this shrine of patriotism through all the circling centuries of the unseen future, pilgrims will come from every land, to do honor to the mem- ory of one of the world's greatest benefactors. For such as may never enjoy that privilege, as well as to briefly record a chapter in the history of Oak Ridge Cemetery, which will forever render it one of the most noted cemeteries in America, the following sketch of the Monument is prepared. Soon after the death of President Lincoln, in April, 1865, a committee was chosen by the citizens of Springfield to make arrangements for the burial of all that was mortal of their former associate and il- lustrious fellow-citizen. Agreeable to the expressed desire of Mrs. Lincoln, the casket containing his remains was, on the 4th day of May, 1865, deposited in the public receiving tomb at Oak Ridge Ceme- tery. A cut of this tomb, as will be seen, adorns these pages. It is located at the foot of a gently 6 The Lincoln Monument. sloping hill, about twenty rods to the north of the Monument, and from its sacred associations will, as long as it stands, continue to be an object of interest to every visitor. In May, 1865, the National Lincoln Monu- ment Association was formed, and incorporated under and in accordance with the laws of Illinois. The Board of Directors of this Association com- prised fifteen of the most prominent citizens of Springfield. It was dulv organized by the election of— ' Governor Richard J. Oglesby, President. Hon. Jesse K. Dubois, Vice-President. Clinton L. Conkling, Esq., Secretary. Hon. James H. Beveridge, Treasurer. In June, 1865, steps were taken towards the con- struction of a temporary tomb, in which to deposit the remains of President Lincoln, until the proposed Monument should be erected. This temporary tomb^ which stood ten or twelve rods to the northeast of the site of the Monument, was completed in 1865,^ and the casket containing the remains removed thereto, under the supervision of the Monument Association, by Thomas C. Smith, Esq., undertaker^ on the 21st day of December. The cut, which our engraver has made from a pho- tograph, is an excellent representation of this tomb as it stood for nearly six years, until the second re- moval of the casket was made, as before, under the direction of the Monument Association, by Thomas C. Smith, Esq., to the crypt of the monument, on the The Lincoln Monument. 19th day of September, 1871. In grading the ground, this tomb, having served its purpose, was soon after- wards demolished. Funds having been contributed for the purpose, and plans perfected, the erection of the monument was commenced on the 9th day of September, 1869. The cap stone was placed in position on the 22nd day of May, 1871, and it was dedicated on the 15th day of October, 1874, with appropriate and impos- ing ceremonies. THE DEDICATION. As was befitting an occasion so intimately connected with the name and fame of his illustrious predecessor, the President of the United States came from the far distant capital, with thousands of his fellow-citizens, representing all parts of the Union, to do honor to the memory of him whose name is one of the few, the immortal names which were not born to die. The day was auspicious, one of the most beautiful days of autumn. The arrangements were in keep- ing with the solemn yet profoundly inspiring event. At ten o^clock a procession was formed on the Pub- lic Square, consisting of military companies, civic societies, and citizens, with Governor John L. Bev- eridge as Chief Marshal of the day. It marched through the principal streets of the city, which had been spanned with grand arches, decorated with au- tumn leaves in rich profusion, and with appropriate mottoes, and after making a detour past the humble home of Lincoln, the plain citizen who went forth to The Lincoln Monument. world-wide renown, reached Oak Ridge Cemetery, two miles away, where twenty thousand persons witnessed, or participated in the ceremonies of the dedication. After prayer by Bishop Wayman, of the African M. E. Church, the exercises commenced with a his- torical statement of the origin and progress of the Monument, which was read by Hon. Jesse K. Du- bois, acting President of the Lincoln Monument As- sociation. This was followed by an address by Hon. Richard J. Oglesby, which embraced, in grand review, the outlines of that remarkable life, so unique, so simple, so humble in origin, and so interwoven with our country^s glory, and the securing of liberty throughout the laud. The address was worthy alike of the memory of the martyred President, the story of whose life it told, and of his friend who told it without overstrained eulogy, and with simple justice to its illustrious subject. At the close of this address, the statue of Lincoln in bronze, which had lately been placed in position, was unveiled and greeted with enthusiasm by the vast multitude that thronged on every side. After a brief poem by James J. Lord, Esq., in which it was truly and beautifully said — "To deeds alone, A grateful people raise the historic stone, * * * -* * It is the past that consecrates to-day," President Grant delivered an address, one of the longest he ever attempted. He read from manuscript held in hand, and with almost blushing artlessness, 10 The Lincoln Monument. and simplicity of manner, yet clearly and distinctly. The address will be read by our children in days yet far distant, in connection with Lincoln^s briefer and eloquent address at the dedication of the battle-field of Gettysburg, as a National Cemetery. The world will long remember what he said there, for it is as immortal as the English language. It was but the appreciative expression of truth by President Grant, when he said of Lincoln, " His faith in an allwise Providence directing our arms to this final result, was the faith of the Christian that his Redeemer liveth. * * * To know him personally was to love and respect him for his great qualities of heart and head, and for his patience and patriotism. * * * In his death the nation lost its greatest hero." These words were worthy alike of him whose Chris- tian, patriotic heroism they so beautifully describe, and of him who spake them, himself so distinguished in illustrious achievement, in securing the perpetuity of the Union. Following this address, Vice-President Wilson spoke very briefly, as did also Gen. Sherman, and Ex- Vice-President Colfax, at greater length, and with tender memories of him for whose loss the world stood in mourning. With the singing of the Doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," and a benediction by Rev. Albert Hale, the exercises closed, and the vast throng dispersed, nearly four hours having been occupied in the pro- gramme. In the evening all the principal streets of the city were splendidly illuminated. Meanwhile President The Lincoln Monument. 11 Grant and Mrs. Grant, and Gen. Sherman, held a reception at the Executive Mansion of the State, which was attended by a vast throng, in which were distinguished officers of the government, both civil and military, including Generals McDowell, Custer, Pope, Ex-Secretary Borie, and Larkin G. Mead, the celebrated Vermont sculptor, who designed the Monument, and executed the noble and life-like statue of Lincoln, which adorns it. DESCRIPTION OF THE M01srUME:NrT. The Monument is, in its exterior, wholly of Quincy, Massachusetts, granite. It consists of a base about seventy feet square, with semi-circular extentions to the north and south, with about fifteen feet radius, the whole base rising to the height of sixteen feet from the ground, and forming a terrace, which is reached by four flights of granite steps. A heavy granite balustrade ascends with each stairway and extends around the terrace, forming a parapet. From the center of the terrace, standing upon deep foundations, rises the shaft twelve feet square at the top of the terrace, and eight feet square at the apex, which is one hundred feet from the ground. At each corner of the shaft a circular pedestal, ten feet in diameter, rises to the height of twelve feet. Two of these are surmounted by groups of statuary in bronze, one representing the Navy, and the other the Infantry; upon the other two pedestals will be placed groups representing the remaining two arms of the military service, — the Artillery and Cavalry. 12 The Lincoln Monument. One of these will be completed and placed in position in 1880, the other in 1881. On the south side of the shaft a square pedestal, some six or seven feet in diameter, rises twenty feet above the terrace, and thirty-six feet aboye the ground. Upon this, facing southward, stands the bronze statue of Lincoln, eleven feet in height, and upon the face of the pedestal beneath the statue is the Coat-of-arms of the United States in bronze, while still beneath that is the name Lincoln, in large raised capitals, cut in the granite. The statue is, both in design and execution, alike successful as a true representation of the human form, and of the man whose image it was designed to hand down to future generations. It was erected at a cost of $13,700, having been designed by Mr. Mead, in Italy, and cast in bronze at Chicopee, Massachusetts. In the left hand, which is extended downward, and as though about to be presented to the bondmen, whose chains it broke, is a scroll on which the word Emancipa- tion is inscribed, whilst the right hand rests upon fasces, partially covered by the Banner of the Re- public, and at the foot of the fasces lies a laurel crown. Within the semi-circular extension of the terrace on the south is Memorial Hall, and within that on the north is the Catacomb. The latter consists of a semi-circular vestibule of about twelve feet radius, with arched ceiling, and marble floor, and five crypts at the rear, elevated three feet from the floor. In the vestibule, which is entered by a grated iron door, is an Italian marble Sarcophagus, which con- tains all that was mortal of Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Monument. 13 Upon the end of this is a wreath of oak leaves, beautifully wrought, surrounding the name Lincoln, and outside the wreath the memorable words — " With Malice towards none, with Charity for all." Two crypts contain the remains of Mr. Lincoln's deceased children, and those yet unoccupied are de- signed for the remaining members of his family. Memorial Hall, oval in shape, twenty-four by thirty-two feet, with arched ceiling and marble floor, is finished on the sides, as is the vestibule of the Catacomb, in panels of Vermont marble. This is designed as a receptacle for any memorials of Mr. Lincoln. Among those already placed there is a block of stone taken from an ancient wall in Rome, which had been placed there by human hands more than two thousand four hundred years ago, during the reign of Servius Tullius. This block was sent to Mr. Lincoln by some Roman patriots, and at the time of his death it was lying in the basement of the Capital at Washington. The translation of the Latin inscription upon it is as follows : " To Abraham Lincoln, President for the second time of the American Republic, citizens of Rome pre- sent this stone from the wall of Servius Tullius, by which the memory of each of those brave asserters of liberty may be associated. Anno, 1865.'^ 14 The Lincoln Monument. COST OF THE MONTTMENT. The total cost of the Monument was upwards of $200,000. Of this sum, $27,000 were contributed by soldiers and sailors in the United States service, $8,000 of it having been made up by colored soldiers. Sixty thousand Sunday School scholars contributed $20,000. The State of Illinois, in two appropria- tions, paid $77,000; the State of New York, $10,000; Missouri, $1,000 ; Nevada, $500. The balance was made up by voluntary contributions from public schools, churches, benevolent societies, and the masses of the American people. The engraving of the Monument presents a south- east perspective view; it is from a photograph by Pittman, the most perfect ever taken by any Artist. The structure is a fitting memorial of the great and good man whose mortal remains it encloses, and whose fame it serves to perpetuate. " Such was he, our Martyr-Chief, Whom late the Nation he had led, With ashes on her head, Wept with the passion of an angry grief: Forgive me, if from present things I turn To speak what in my heart will beat and burn, And hang my wreath on his world-honored urn. Nature, they say, doth dote. And cannot make a man Save on some worn-out plan, Repeating us by rote: For him her Old World moulds aside she threw. And, choosing sweet clay from the breast Of the unexhausted West. With stuff untainted shaped a hero new. Wise, steadfast in the strength of God, and true. The Lincoln Monument. 15 How beautiful to see Once more a shepherd of mankind indeed, Who loved his charge, but never loved to lead; One whose meek flock the people joyed to be, Not lured by any cheat of birth. But by his clear-grained human worth. And brave old wisdom of sincerity! They knew that outward grace is dust; They could not choose but trust In that sure-footed mind's unfaltering skill, And supple-tempered will That bent like perfect steel to spring again and thrust. His was no lonely mountain-peak of mind, Thrusting to thin air o'er our cloudy bars, A sea-mark now, now lost in vapors blind; Broad prairie rather, genial, level-lined. Fruitful and friendly for all human kind, Yet also nigh to Heaven and loved of loftiest stars. Nothing of Europe here, Or, then, of Europe fronting mornward still, Ere any names of Serf or Peer Could Nature's equal scheme deface; Here was a type of the true elder race. And one of Plutarch's men talked with us face to face, I praise him not; it were too late; And some innative weakness there must be In him who condescends to victory Such as the Present gives, and cannot wait, Safe in himself as in a fate. So always firmly he: He knew to bide his time. And can his fame abide, Still patient in his simple faith sublime, Till the wise years decide. Great captains, with their guns and drums, Disturb our judgment for the hour, But at last silence comes; These all are gone, and, standing like a tower, Our children shall behold his fame. The kindly-earnest, brave, foreseeing man. Sagacious, patient, dreading praise, not blame. New birth of our new soil, the first American." 16 The Lincoln Monument. board of directors of the monument association. Richard J. Oglesby, President. Shelby M. Cullom, Vice-President, Ozias M. Hatch, Secretary. James H. Beveridge, Treasurer. John T. Stuart, James C. Conkling, Orlin H. Miner, Jacob Bunn, John Williams, Milton Hay, John M. Palmer, Newton Bateman, Charles S. Zane, David L. Phillips, Samuel H. Treat. It is but justice to say that the work of erecting the Monument was done under the personal super- vision of the Executive Committee, appointed by the Board of Directors of the Monument Association. This Committee consisted of — Hon. John T. Stuart, Chairman. John Williams, Esq. Jacob Bunn, Esq. Mr. Stuart, the life-long, intimate friend of Mr. Lincoln, watched over the work with unstinted zeal, as it was to him a labor of love, and a service of honor to the memory of his illustrious friend. Hon. O. M. Hatch, as Secretary of the Board, and Hon. James H. Beveridge, Treasurer, rendered most efficient service in their respective departments, during the progress of the work to its completion. EstaMislieil in the Centennial Year, THE LARGEST CLOTHING HOUS Where you can find CLOTHING of all kinds for MEN, lOUTH MID CHIIDREN, Gents' Furnishing Goods, Men's and Boys' White and Colored Shirts, Hats, Caps, Trunks, Valises and Umbrellas. A SPECIALTY. You run no risk in trading with us, for you can re- turn any garnnent and get your money, if not entirely satisfied. Mk ^««ds ffisEked in fflaln Plguse^. And sold at strictly one price. E. A. HALL & CO., Sovfhecist Corner Square. Spkingfielu. Illinois. 2, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 012 025 492 3