Monroe to Sixth, north on Sixth to the State House Square, entering through the cast gate, and by the north door of the State House to Representatives' Hall, in the west end of the building, second story, where the coffin was placed on a dais, within a magnificent catafalque prepared for the occasion.

A few minutes after ten o'clock all being in readiness, the doors were opened and the vast multitude began to file through the hall to view the remains. They entered the Capitol at the north door, ascended the stairway in the rotunda and entered Representatives' Hall at the north door, passed by the catafalque, out at the south door, then down the stairway and made their exit from the Capitol at the south side.

We will turn our attention for a time from the crowds of people, and view the preparations for this reception. For ten days a large number of men and women worked almost night and day in decorating the State House. The whole building was draped in mourning on the exterior; and the rotunda and Representatives' Hall on the interior, and the entrance to the Governor's room, the rooms of the Secretary of State, Auditor of State and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Part of the time there were one hundred and fifty persons at work. The ladies of Springfield bore their full share in these arduous labors. I have been furnished with the following figures by a prominent citizen of this city, who prepared some of the designs for decorations. I shall not attempt a description of the ornamental work, but will give a few facts by which some idea of their gorgeous beauty may be conveyed. About fifteen hundred yards of black and white goods were used in the decorations, exclusive of the catafalque. In its construction and decoration, black cloth, black velvet, black, blue and white silk and crape, with silver stars and silver lace and fringe, were used in the greatest profusion. The canopy of the catafalque was made of velvet, festooned with satin and silver fringe. It was lined on the under side with blue silk, studded with silver stars. Three hundred yards of velvet and mourning goods, and three hundred yards of silver lace and fringe, besides a vast quantity of other materials, were used in its construction. Each of the six columns was surmounted with a rich plume.

Evergreens and flowers interwoven with crape, hung in festoons from capitals, columns and cornices in all parts of the building. Two hundred vases of natural flowers in full bloom, emitted their fragrance throughout the edifice. Nearly all of them were furnished free of cost by Michael Doyle, horticulturist, of Springfield. Mottoes and inscriptions were displayed at various places about the hall, but I can only give place to two of them:

"Washington the Father, Lincoln the Saviour."

"Rather than surrender that principle I would be assassinated on this spot."

The Governor's mansion, the old Lincoln residence, the military headquarters of Gen. Cook and Gen. Oakes, were decorated, externally, similar to the State House. Of the twenty thousand dollars appropriated by the City Council of Springfield, to be expended in preparations for the funeral, less than fifteen thousand were used. Part of it was expended in building the temporary vault on the new State House grounds, paying railroad charges on some carriages from Jacksonville, the hearse from St. Louis, and the expenses of musicians and the orator; but much the largest portion of the whole amount was laid out in decorating the buildings above named. This, however, was only a small part of the money thus expended, for the whole city was draped in mourning, business houses, private residences and. all, and in many instances they were as richly decorated as the public buildings.

It was well known that the hotels could not accommodate a tithe of the strangers who would be in attendance, and private families who could do so, made preparations and invited to their houses such as could not otherwise be provided for. The six organizations of Free Masons in Springfield, viz.: four lodges, one

chapter and one commandery, made equal appropriations from their several treasuries, procured one of the largest halls in the city, filled it with tables, and kept them supplied with well cooked food prepared by the families of their members. This dining hall was intended to be free to masons only who should be in attendance, but many others partook of their bounty also. As for sleeping, there was not much of that done in Springfield on the night the remains of Abraham Lincoln were exposed to view.

Strangers who were, in the city on this occasion for the first time, almost invariably visited the former residence of Abraham Lincoln, at the north east corner of Eighth and Jackson streets. As already stated, it was elaborately and tastefully decorated with the national colors and the insignia of sorrow. The committee of escort from Chicago, numbering one hundred-although business engagements prevented part of their number visiting Springfield-assembled near the residence and had their photographs taken in a group, in connection with the house, to be preserved as a memorial of their mournful visit. The photograph was by an artist from Chicago, who accompanied the escort to Springfield for the purpose of taking views of the State House, the closing scenes at Oak Ridge, and other objects of in

terest.

From the time the coffin was opened, at ten o'clock on the morning of May third, there was no cessation of visitors. All through the still hours of the night, no human voices were heard except in subdued tones; but the tramp, tramp, of busy feet, as men and women filed through the State House, up one flight of stairs, through the hall, and down another stairway, testified the love and veneration for Abraham Lincoln in the hearts of his old friends and neighbors. While the closing scenes were being enacted, a choir of two hundred and fifty singers, accompanied by Lebrun's Washington band, of twenty performers, from St. Louis, assembled

on the steps of the Capitol, and, under the direction of Professor Meissner, sang

"Peace, troubled soul."

The coffin was closed at ten o'clock on the morning of May 4th, and while it was being conveyed to the hearse the choir sang Pleyel's Hymn:

"Children of the Heavenly King."

The funeral procession was then formed in the following order, under the immediate direction of Major General Joseph Hooker, Marshal-in-Chief:

Brig. Gen. John Cook and staff.

Brig. Gen. James Oakes and staff.
Military.

Funeral Escort.

First Division. Col. C. M. Prevost, 16th Reg. V. R. C., Marshal. AIDS: Lieut. Thomas B. Beach, A. A. A. Gen.; Maj. Horace Holt, 1st Mass. IIcavy Artillery; Capt. J. C. Rennison, 15th N. Y. Cavalry; Capt. E. C. Raymond, 124th Ill. Inf.; Capt. Eddy, 95th Ill. Inf.; Lieut. H. N. Schlick, 1st N. Y. Dragoons.

This division consisted entirely of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery.

Second Division. Maj. F. Bridgman, Pay Department, U. S. Army, Marshal. AIDS: Maj. R. W. McClaughry and Maj. W. W. White.

This division was composed of officers and enlisted men of the Army and Navy, not otherwise assigned, officers in uniform and side arms.

Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand was the chief marshal of the civic department of the procession. AIDS: Lieut. Col. Schwartz, Capt. Henry Jayne, Capt. R. Rudolph, Capt. Benjamin Ferguson, Hon. Charles Keys, W. M. Springer, E. E. Myers, Ed. L. Merritt, N. Higgins.