Report of Messrs. Brough and Garrett on arrangements for the transport of President Lincoln's remains to Illinois, April 18, 1865

    Source citation
    Reprinted in John Carroll Power, Abraham Lincoln: His Life, Public Services, Death and Great Funeral Cortege ... (Chicago, IL: H.W. Rokker, 1889), 121-123. 
    Type
    Executive record
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    John Osborne
    Transcription date
    The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print. Spelling and typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.
    REPORT OF MESSRS. BROUGH AND GARRETT.
    Washington City, D. C., April 18,1865. 
    Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War:
     
    Sir—Under your commission of this date, we have the honor to report—
    1. A committee of the citizens of the State of Illinois, appointed for the purpose of attending to the removal of the remains of the late President to their State, has furnished us with the following route for the remains and escort, being, with the exception of two points, the route traversed by Mr. Lincoln from Springfield to Washington:
    Washington to Baltimore, thence to Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago to Springfield.
     
    2. Over this route, under the counsels of the committee, we have prepared the following time card, in all cases for special trains:
    TIME CARD.
    Leave Washington Friday morning, April 21, at 8 o'clock, and arrive at Baltimore at 10 o'clock a. m.
    Leave Baltimore at 8 o'clock p. m., and reach Harrisburg at 8:20 p. m., same day.
    Leave Harrisburg at 12 o'clock noon, Saturday, 22, and arrive in Philadelphia at 5:30 p. m.
    Leave Philadelphia at 4 a. m. Monday, 24, and arrive in New York at 10 a. m., the same day.
    Leave New York at 4 p. m. Tuesday, 25, and arrive in Albany at 11 p. m., same day.
    Leave Albany at 4 p. m, Wednesday, 26, and arrive at Buffalo at 7 a. m. Thursday, 27.
    Leave Buffalo at 10:10 p. m., the same day, and arrive In Cleveland at 7 a. m. on Friday, 28.
    Leave Cleveland at midnight, same day, and arrive In Columbus at 7:30 a. m. Saturday, 29.
    Leave Columbus at 8 o'clock p. m. Saturday, 29, and arrive in Indianapolis at 7 a. m. Sunday, 30.
    Leave Indianapolis at 12 midnight, Sunday, and arrive in Chicago at 11 a. m. Monday, May 1.
    Leave Chicago at 9:30 p. m. Tuesday, May 2, and arrive to Springfield at 8 o'clock a. m. Wednesday, May 8.
    The route from Columbus to Indianapolis is via the Columbus & Indianapolis Central railway, and from Indianapolis to Chicago via Lafayette & Michigan City.
     
    3. As to the running of these special trains, which, in order to guard, as far as practicable, against accidents and detentions, we have reduced to about twenty miles per hour, we suggest the following regulations:
    1. That the time of the departure and arrival be observed as closely as possible.
    2. That material detentions at way points be guarded against as much as practicable, so as not to increase the speed of trains.
    3. That a pilot engine be kept ten minutes in advance of the train.
    4. That the special train, in all cases, have the right of road, and that all other trains be kept out of its way.
    5. That the several railroad companies provide a sufficient number of coaches for the comfortable accommodation of the escort, and a special car for the remains; and that all these, together with the engines, be appropriately draped in mourning.
    6. That where the running time of any train extends beyond or commences at midnight, not less than two sleeping-cars be added, and a greater number if the road can command them, sufficient for the accommodation of the escort.
    7. That two officers of the United States Military Railway Service be detailed by you, and despatched at once over the route to confer with the several railway officers, and make all necessary preparations for carrying out these arrangements promptly and satisfactorily.
    8. That this programme and these regulations, if approved, be confirmed by an order of the War Department.
     
    Respectfully submitted,
    JOHN BROUGH 
    JOHN W. GARRETT
     
    How to Cite This Page: "Report of Messrs. Brough and Garrett on arrangements for the transport of President Lincoln's remains to Illinois, April 18, 1865," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/43756.