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Story of Abraham Lincoln's Remains
Abe Lincoln Research Site ^ | today | none

Posted on 05/10/2005 8:21:58 AM PDT by GodfearingTexan

A couple of Sundays ago our preacher was talking about the bad things that can come from telling and spreading rumors, and how the tongue can be hurtful, etc. As part of his sermon, he stated that sometime after Lincoln's death a rumor began to spread that his body was not inside the coffin. So, it was exhumed and viewed to verify it was there. Then again in 1901, he said, it was dug up again. Why? Same rumor. I thought this was exceptionally odd but possible and so I got online and found this quote from the above site: "Abraham Lincoln's coffin has been moved 17 times, mostly due to numerous reconstructions of the Lincoln Tomb and fears for the safety of the President’s remains. The coffin itself has been opened 5 times: December 21, 1865, September 19, 1871, October 9, 1874, April 14, 1887, and September 26, 1901. (SOURCE: p. 61 of the Abraham Lincoln Fact Book and Teacher’s Guide by Gerald Sanders)."


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: archaeology; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; history; lincoln; thisischat; thisisnotnews; tyrant
I thought this was a fascinating story.
1 posted on 05/10/2005 8:21:58 AM PDT by GodfearingTexan
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To: GodfearingTexan

I'm sure it will be opened again to grab some DNA.


2 posted on 05/10/2005 8:32:51 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: GodfearingTexan

I visited Lincoln's tomb several years ago, but they didn't let me open it.


3 posted on 05/10/2005 8:34:18 AM PDT by SittinYonder (Tancredo and I wanna know what you believe)
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To: GodfearingTexan

He was reburied in 1876 under tons of concrete after thieves were caught opening the tomb to steal the body. They actually got the casket out but the authorities had been alerted and the robbery was foiled.


4 posted on 05/10/2005 8:38:36 AM PDT by Infantry Grunt 1968-69
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To: InfantryGrunt

yeah and thank God for the rumors that were floating around town that a robbery of Lincoln's tomb was afoot


5 posted on 05/10/2005 8:39:53 AM PDT by GodfearingTexan
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To: Sacajaweau

It was finally re-buried in a 500lb block of cement to discourage grave robbers.
An attempt had been made earlier to steal the body and hold it for ransom.
I believe that some tissue was saved from his autopsy in 1865 as well as some hair that could be used for DNA sampling.
His only surviving son Robert died about 1921. He only had daughters and I'm not sure if there are any descendants beyond that.
It is an interesting story though...


6 posted on 05/10/2005 8:43:06 AM PDT by Paisan
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To: GodfearingTexan
I understand on the first dig up, the coffin was opened and onlookers gasped at what they saw. His body was almost still perfectly preserved and covered with a greenish mold. Seems Lincoln had been re embalmed several times due to the length of time from his death to the burial.
7 posted on 05/10/2005 8:46:12 AM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis ("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)
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To: Ursus arctos horribilis

Should have read, "when exhumed decades later."


8 posted on 05/10/2005 8:48:29 AM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis ("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)
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To: Paisan

Thanks for the info. Interesting.


9 posted on 05/10/2005 8:48:57 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: GodfearingTexan
I remember back in the 60' when I was 7,8,9,or 10 years old Life or Look went to Lincoln's exhumation and had crisp color photos of the corpse--which left left a huge impression on a little boy.

No Googling, no research of any kind has uncovered any suggestion Lincoln had been disinterred forty years ago.

Must have been the hot dogs I ate back then??...

10 posted on 05/10/2005 9:26:25 AM PDT by Ff--150 (Now Unto Him That Is Able To Do Exceeding)
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To: Ursus arctos horribilis

Sheesh! No wonder his ghost is said to haunt the WH! That is, if one believes in such things! No wonder the poor man can't rest!


11 posted on 05/10/2005 9:57:40 AM PDT by dsutah
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To: Ff--150

:') There's only one known photo of Lincoln in the coffin, taken at one of the funeral train stops, where his body was out for public viewing, a pause on the way back to Illinois.

I recall seeing a photo of the coffin about to be covered with concrete though. ;')


12 posted on 05/12/2005 10:05:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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Not a ping, just a "Thoroughly Modern Miscellany" topic to add to the catalog.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest
-- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

13 posted on 05/12/2005 10:10:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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To: SunkenCiv
":') There's only one known photo of Lincoln in the coffin, taken at one of the funeral train stops,... . ."

LOL! I whine about not finding the photos of Lincoln's corpse on Google and elsewhere...Murphy's law jumped right in.

Life had those photos in Feb or Mar '63.

14 posted on 05/12/2005 11:13:22 AM PDT by Ff--150 (Now Unto Him That Is Able To Do Exceeding)
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To: Ff--150

:') Maybe this is it?

http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln13.html

"The information on this page was taken mostly from an article by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt in the February 15, 1963, edition of Life magazine."


15 posted on 05/12/2005 10:08:44 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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The only known photo (for those who must see it):
http://www.celebritymorgue.com/abraham-lincoln/abraham-lincoln.jpg


16 posted on 05/12/2005 10:17:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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